The shortest history of democracy

In its 90 years, the ABC has collected the sounds and sights of Australia from the centre of power in Canberra to the most remote Indigenous communities, documenting both everyday life and the moments that changed Australia. Now the ABC has announced that 58 staff may lose their ...  Show more

John Pickup started his career at the ABC in the mailroom in Sydney, but quickly moved on to the sound effects department. He worked in television on the first broadcast as well as on the Melbourne Olympic Games. But he returned to his first love radio and went to on to work acro ...  Show more

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the origins of democracy. In the Gettysburg Address Abraham Lincoln called it “Government of the people, by the people, for the people”, but the word democracy appears nowhere in the American Constitution; the French Revolution was fought for Liber ...  Show more

As authoritarian leaders challenge democratic institutions around the world, some people are questioning whether democracy is even the best political system. In a wide-ranging conversation, writer Bret Stephens and social entrepreneur Yordanos Eyoel discuss why democracy is still ...  Show more

There’s a long tradition in political science of using voter rationality to test the health of our democracy. But could this myopia be misguided? Are there any situations where irrational and uninformed voters could actually generate a healthier democracy?

That’s exactly ...

Democracy needs an update -- one that respects and engages citizens by involving them in everyday political decisions, says writer and researcher Max Rashbrooke. He outlines three global success stories that could help move democratic systems forward and protect society against t ...  Show more