newDemocracy Foundation

The newDemocracy Foundation is Australia’s leading independent, non-partisan research institute dedicated to strengthening democracy between elections.

Across Australia and around the world, trust in democratic institutions is declining while political debate becomes increasingly polarised. Many of the most important issues facing society – housing affordability, the climate crisis, how we do democracy – are too difficult to resolve through traditional political processes alone.

We address this challenge through Citizens’ Assemblies and Citizens’ Juries—deliberative processes that bring together randomly selected, representative groups of everyday people, provide them with diverse information and expert evidence, and support them to develop informed recommendations for decision-makers.

For nearly 20 years, newDemocracy has been at the forefront of this work.

We have designed and supported more than 100 deliberative processes for governments, public authorities and institutions, helping establish Australia as a global leader in democratic innovation. Our work has influenced legislative reform, informed international democratic practice, and demonstrated that citizen deliberation can increase trust, legitimacy and public confidence in decision-making.

Our current priority is to deliver a National Pilot Citizens’ Assembly with the support of the federal parliament and build momentum toward a permanent national capability for citizen deliberation in Australia. Funding will support research, public engagement and implementation. By investing in newDemocracy, donors will help strengthen our democracy, reduce polarisation and ensure Australians have a meaningful voice in shaping the nation’s future.

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