Governments across OECD countries are navigating an increasingly complex environment for democratic governance, as changing levels of public trust, social fragmentation and polarisation challenge their ability to build consensus around policy choices, respond effectively to complex issues and sustain democratic resilience. Evidence suggests that open government and meaningful civic engagement can increase citizen’s trust in public institutions, which, in turn, can improve the quality, legitimacy and responsiveness of public action and foster more cohesive societies. Open government can be achieved through a range of measures, from enabling people to access information, express their views and organise collectively to providing concrete opportunities for them to contribute meaningfully to public decision making. By supporting people's ability to engage in public life and ensuring that their voices can help shape public decisions, governments can strengthen public trust and social cohesion, while reinforcing governments’ capacity to address complex and long-term policy challenges.
In recent years, the Australian government has undertaken a sustained effort to modernise its public administration, reorient it around the needs of its citizens and enhance equal access to public decision making. Australia enjoys trust levels well above OECD average. The country also benefits from strong public institutions, an active civil society and a tradition of democratic innovation. However, despite its strong foundations and significant efforts, the country is facing pressures that affect many OECD countries, including rising cost of living, inequality and societal tensions, as well as shifting levels of civic engagement. These issues have gained renewed prominence in Australia, particularly in the wake of the December 2025 antisemitic terrorist attack in Bondi, Sydney, which brought social cohesion and democratic resilience to the forefront of the national discourse.
Against this backdrop and building on the findings of the OECD report Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions in Australia (2025), this Review assesses how Australia can further strengthen the conditions, institutions and practices that protect civic space and promote meaningful citizen participation. Developed in close collaboration with the Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) and the Office for Social Cohesion (OSC) within the Department of Home Affairs, it examines how civic space and participation are both governed and experienced by Australians in practice. It identifies achievements and opportunities to reinforce, connect and scale up existing efforts to promote civic engagement and strengthen the relationships between citizens and government. The analysis draws on international experience, with Finland, France and New Zealand participating as peer reviewers, alongside Brazil and Canada, who provided relevant practices.
The Review contributes to the OECD Reinforcing Democracy and Government Unstuck initiatives, in particular the objectives of supporting governments in strengthening democratic governance and responding to evolving challenges.