| A Defence of the Status Quo |
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| Written by John Dryzek |
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Australia is a stable liberal democracy, having an uninterrupted history of peaceful, competitive elections, conducted under constitutional rules, and with a high degree of protection of, and respect for, human rights. Indeed, it is one of the most long-lived, stable and successful democracies in the world, free of the kinds of bitter and sometimes violent conflicts that plague so many other societies. Australia has delivered high standards of living and freedom to its people. If voters are unhappy with a government, they can of course elect another. Moreover, in between elections they can contact their local member if they have any particular grievance. In a 2004 national survey, 82% of Australian voters reported that they are satisfied with their democracy. This figure is the highest since surveys started asking this question in 1969. This level of satisfaction is higher than in any other country except for Denmark (94%). In the United States, the level is 78%. A counter-argument The 82% satisfied figure looks high, but in survey research a lot depends on exactly how the question is asked. So if you ask people what they think of parliament, or the Government in Canberra, the figure might well be lower. It is quite possible to be happy with the system in the abstract while being unhappy about the way many of its particular parts work. Also some of that 82% may accept the system without necessarily being very enthusiastic about it. The dismissal of the Whitlam government by the Governor-General in 1975 arguably shows that the history of Australian democracy is not one of uninterrupted stability. Just because Australian democracy seems to do well in comparison with other countries does not mean it cannot do better. When it comes to international comparisons, Australia may deliver on overall prosperity and freedom. But it does not do so well when it comes to delivering for example environmental sustainability, income security, and equality in the distribution of income. |
