Around the world, democratic elections are facing new pressures, from misinformation and artificial intelligence to foreign interference, political polarisation and declining public trust. This thought-provoking course examines whether traditional electoral systems remain fit for purpose, drawing on the work of leading democratic reformers including David Van Reybrouck. Participants will explore proposed alternatives, assess their strengths and weaknesses, and consider how Australia's democratic institutions might adapt to an increasingly complex political environment. Timed to coincide with the UN International Day of Democracy, this course invites lively discussion about one of the defining questions of modern politics. As an added fun feature this course will include some of the best political cartoons from the 2025 election, from the Museum of Australian Democracy’s Behind the Lines annual exhibition.

DELIVERY MODE

Face to face

COURSE RESOURCES

• https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/29/why-elections-are-bad-for-democracy
• https://moadoph.gov.au/explore/stories/democracy/is-it-compulsory-to-like-compulsory-voting
• https://nsc.anu.edu.au/podcast/democratic-resilience-digital-age
• https://australiainstitute.org.au/post/the-election-exposed-weaknesses-in-australian-democracy-but-the-next-parliament-can-fix-them/
• https://grattan.edu.au/report/for-the-people-future-proofing-australias-democracy/
• https://racism.org/articles/citizenship-rights/voting-rights/8791-20-reasons-not-to-vote
• https://www.idea.int/data-tools/data/voter-turnout-database/compulsory-voting
• https://theconversation.com/why-there-really-is-no-ethical-reason-not-to-vote-193612 

COURSE OUTLINE

• What are the new pressures on elections and who is behind them?
• What are the risks for democracy?
• Are there genuine alternatives to elections?
• How is the Australian electoral system handling the pressure?

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Appreciate the landscape agencies like the Australian Electoral Commission operate in.
• Consider alternatives to elections.
• Assess how well the Australian electoral system handling the pressure.
• Discover more about the UN International Day of Democracy initiative