Democratic erosion is the incremental and multifaceted deterioration in the freedoms, guarantees and processes vital to the functioning of democracy. This report argues that democratic erosion is a systems problem that is best understood by applying systems thinking to identify and explore the complex processes and pathways behind the phenomenon.

This report surveys twelve disciplines — from psychology to political science, design to complexity theory — for what they offer someone tasked with creating a new institution rather than merely explaining an old one. The pattern that emerges is consistent: a strong bias towards analysis over design, and towards diagnosing the past over building for...

This report shares the views of public servants about their work, showing a curious, pragmatic workforce determined to deliver better outcomes for citizens, despite mounting pressures. It draws on a network spanning half a million public servants and policymakers in 170 countries. The five themes covered are career development, artificial intelligence, efficiency, systems thinking and...

This report explores the concept of stack thinking, which reframes how complex systems can be organised. Instead of organising around departments, systems are organised around functions and layers. Applied to government, stack thinking suggests a different model of institutional design.

This summary outlines how the Systems Thinking Capability-Building Strategy was developed and how it will be implemented in partnership across Australia’s chronic disease prevention system. The paper describes six interconnected themes that shape systems thinking capability and sets out a three-year strategy with clear objectives and action areas, enabling sector-wide leadership and collaboration.