Newsroom staff
25 February 2015: A University of Canberra-led research project has found young voters are fed up with the Australian political system and want an overhaul.
The national survey by the University of Canberra's Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis, shows that 19 per cent of Gen Y Australians are dissatisfied with the democracy in Australia, making them the most frustrated generation in comparison to Generation X (16 per cent), Boomers, (16 per cent) and Builders (7 per cent).
Director of the Institute Professor Mark Evans says that young Australians have previously been labelled as apathetic, uninterested and the 'problem' with our democracy. However, this new survey data shows that while their expectations of democracy differ, young people are engaging with politics as much as older Australians.
"Our research shows that young Australians passionately believe in democratic values, possess strong political views and are actively engaged in democracy. They simply do not like the current politics on offer," he said
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Professor Mark Evans talks about the research behind the Power of 1 exhibition during its opening at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House. Photo Courtesy of the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House. |
The survey also shows some remarkable similarities in some of the views on politics between generations, but stark differences in the way they engage.
"What we are seeing is a widening of participatory repertoire" says Max Halupka, a research fellow at the Institute. "Young people are still engaging with politics, they are just finding new and innovative ways to do so."
Despite their dissatisfaction, the research showed that Gen Y Australians are strong users of contemporary forms of political engagement, such as: online advocacy, crowd sourced funding, and the use of social media tools like Facebook and Twitter to generate discussion about political issues.
This research, is conducted in conjunction with the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, is being featured in a ground breaking new interactive exhibition, Power of 1: Does your voice count?, which explores different generational attitudes to our political system.
The exhibition is currently on display at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, and open daily from 9am-5pm. The Power of 1 survey is also available online at the official survey website. Visitors can contribute their views, either online or at the exhibition.
