One in four Australians say democracy is not better than other forms of government, and 9% believe violence is sometimes justified to advance a political cause, a new survey shows.
The nationwide McKinnon Index survey of 4,416 voters, launched on Sunday by “pro-democracy” non-profit organisation McKinnon, also found that only 35.9% of respondents trust federal politicians, 37.6% trust the federal government, and 54.5% are satisfied with the way democracy works.
For aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, trust in government fell to 18.5%, and for One Nation voters it collapsed to 8.2%.
The survey showed about 53.7% trust the courts and judicial system, more that 60% believe corruption is a problem is both federal and state politics, and “avoiding fines” was the third most popular first-choice answer to the question “what are the main reasons you vote?”
When asked about the statement “democracy is preferable to any other kind of government, even if those I disagree with are elected”, 75.9% agreed, but this fell to below 70% for the 18-24 and 25-34 age brackets.
Asked if it was sometimes justified to use extreme measures such as violence to advance a cause you care about, 8.9% agreed, but this rose to over 20% of the youngest demographics, with 8.5% of men aged 25-34 strongly supporting the use of political violence compared to the national average of 2.4%.
In response to the question “I could not be friends with people with different political views”, just 10.4% agreed, rising to 21.9% for 18-24-year-olds.
However, those aged 18-24 also showed the highest levels of trust in the federal government.
A total of 44.6% of all respondents were satisfied with the education system, 54.8% with the health system, and 52.1% with public infrastructure in their local area, while 65.4% were satisfied with the level of safety in their neighbourhood.
McKinnon CEO Mike Baird said the results contained “warning signs”, and showed “social fault lines” were opening up in Australian society.
“Many Australians do not feel their leaders are listening. Disengagement is especially pronounced among younger people, those living outside major cities, and those who do not feel a strong sense of belonging in Australia,” he said.
“New divides are emerging in how Australians relate to politics. Almost three-quarters of Australians reject the idea that politics should prevent friendships. But among young people aged 18 to 24, one in five say they could not be friends with someone who holds different political views.
“Older Australians are far more likely to keep relationships across divides. This shift suggests politics is increasingly being felt as personal, with implications for social cohesion and tolerance.”
Header image: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with new Labor MPs after the 2025 federal election (PMO).
