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Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny
Mark Kenny takes a weekly look at politics and public affairs with expert analysis and discussion from researchers at The Australian National University and beyond.
Mark Kenny takes a weekly look at politics and public affairs with expert analysis and discussion from researchers at The Australian National University and beyond.
Latest episode
The pub test
01:04:30|In the final week before ballots are counted, Jill Sheppard and Frank Bongiorno join Democracy Sausage for a live discussion where they sink their teeth into the 2025 federal election. Who won the four debates, and do they even change people’s minds? In a scenario where we end up with a minority government, what can we expect from the crossbench? And which questions still remain in our live audience’s minds? On this live episode of Democracy Sausage, recorded at an ANU pub, Dr Jill Sheppard and Professor Frank Bongiorno join Dr Marija Taflaga and Professor Mark Kenny for a final rundown of the 2025 election. Jill Sheppard is a Senior Lecturer in the ANU School of Politics and International Relations. She is an investigator on several major survey studies of Australian public opinion and behaviour, including the Australian Election Study, World Values Survey, and Asian Barometer Survey. Frank Bongiorno is a Professor at the ANU School of History. He is President of the Australian Historical Association and the Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Australian Politics Studies Centre and a Lecturer at the ANU School of Politics and International Relations. Mark Kenny is the Director of the ANU Australian Studies Institute. He came to the University after a high-profile journalistic career including six years as chief political correspondent and national affairs editor for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Canberra Times. Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to democracysausage@anu.edu.au. This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.
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Resurrections and reversals
42:49|Data analyst Simon Jackman joins Democracy Sausage to chat about the polls, swing seats and how the global uncertainty is impacting this election. When did Labor’s recovery start? How has uncertainty in the US influenced the framing of this election and left the Coalition vulnerable? And does this election cycle point to any changes in how the major parties operate? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Professor Simon Jackman joins Professor Mark Kenny to talk about polling data and the AUS-US relationship. Join us Monday 28 April at Badger&Co on the ANU campus for a recording of Democracy Sausage in the pub. More information here: https://www.anu.edu.au/events/democracy-sausage-2025-live-election-special Simon Jackman is an independent data scientist and strategist. He is an Honorary Professor at the University of Sydney’s United States Studies Centre and an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, and the Society for Political Methodology. Mark Kenny is the Director of the ANU Australian Studies Institute. He came to the University after a high-profile journalistic career including six years as chief political correspondent and national affairs editor for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Canberra Times. Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to democracysausage@anu.edu.au. This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.
Rizzinformation
51:15|Political communications expert Andrea Carson joins Democracy Sausage to discuss social media, misinformation and disinformation and what ideas, if any, are actually landing with a disengaged electorate. Which campaign messages are cutting through in both traditional and social media? Are mis- and disinformation seducing the electorate any more than in the past? And are we now seeing social media impact not only how campaigns are run, but also how policy is designed? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Professor Andrea Carson joins Professor Mark Kenny and Dr Marija Taflaga to discuss the ‘subterranean’ election campaign – the crackpot memes, AI videos and Gen Z-courting content that could shape votes and policy. Andrea Carson is a is Associate Dean, Research, Industry and Engagement with the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and Professor of Political Communication in the Department of Politics, Media and Philosophy at La Trobe University. She is also an award-winning former journalist. Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Australian Politics Studies Centre and a Lecturer at the ANU School of Politics and International Relations. Mark Kenny is the Director of the ANU Australian Studies Institute. He came to the University after a high-profile journalistic career including six years as chief political correspondent and national affairs editor for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Canberra Times. Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to democracysausage@anu.edu.au. This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.
Bucking the precedent
52:07|Historian Frank Bongiorno joins Democracy Sausage to tell us what we can learn from precedent, and what's unusual about this federal election. How will Trump’s tariffs sway this campaign and Australia’s relationship with the US? Has Labor flipped the worldwide incumbency disadvantage trend? And how much campaigning is landing with a disengaged populace? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Professor Frank Bongiorno joins Professor Mark Kenny and Dr Marija Taflaga to discuss elections past and present. Frank Bongiorno is a Professor at the ANU School of History. He is President of the Australian Historical Association and the Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Australian Politics Studies Centre and a Lecturer at the ANU School of Politics and International Relations. Mark Kenny is the Director of the ANU Australian Studies Institute. He came to the University after a high-profile journalistic career including six years as chief political correspondent and national affairs editor for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Canberra Times. Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to democracysausage@anu.edu.au. This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.
Testing the suburban strategy
47:48|In the first sausage sizzle of this federal election campaign, pollster Shaun Ratcliff gives Democracy Sausage an update on the state of the campaign. Is Labor bouncing back in the polls? How likely is it that Will Peter Dutton pull off his appeal to voters in the outer suburbs? And will the question ‘are you better off than you were three years ago’ sway voters this election? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Dr Shaun Ratcliff joins Professor Mark Kenny and Dr Marija Taflaga to discuss the 2025 federal election. Shaun Ratcliff is a political scientist, survey researcher and data scientist. He is the principal at Accent Research. He is also an Honorary Associate at the University of Sydney’s US Studies Centre. Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Australian Politics Studies Centre and a Lecturer at the ANU School of Politics and International Relations. Mark Kenny is the Director of the ANU Australian Studies Institute. He came to the University after a high-profile journalistic career including six years as chief political correspondent and national affairs editor for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Canberra Times. Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to democracysausage@anu.edu.au. This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.
The top-up budget spills over?
44:39|Economist Kristen Sobeck joins Democracy Sausage to break down the budget – the goods, the bads and the ‘X factor’ unknowns. Will the budget do enough to deal with cost-of-living concerns? Is Treasurer Jim Chalmers playing economic chess or political checkers? And how can we engineer a tax system that creates a more equitable ‘good life’ in Australia? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, economist Kristen Sobeck joins Professor Mark Kenny and Dr Marija Taflaga to discuss the budget and the lingering tax reform issues influencing our economy. Kristen Sobeck is a Research Fellow at the ANU Tax and Transfer Policy Institute. Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Australian Politics Studies Centre and a Lecturer at the ANU School of Politics and International Relations. Mark Kenny is the Director of the ANU Australian Studies Institute. He came to the University after a high-profile journalistic career including six years as chief political correspondent and national affairs editor for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Canberra Times. Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to democracysausage@anu.edu.au. This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.
Talking tough or scapegoating
49:51|Migration expert Alan Gamlen joins Democracy Sausage to unpack the arguments and misconceptions around immigration. What is it about immigration that makes voters so anxious? What are the misconceptions we have about migration? And with Peter Dutton mulling over a referendum to give ministers the power the ability to strip dual nationals of citizenship will migration be a key issue in the upcoming election? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Professor Alan Gamlen joins Professor Mark Kenny to discuss the politicisation of migration and what it means for this election. Alan Gamlen is the Director of the Migration Hub at the ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance. Mark Kenny is the Director of the ANU Australian Studies Institute. He came to the University after a high-profile journalistic career including six years as chief political correspondent and national affairs editor for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Canberra Times. Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback on this series, so send in your questions, comments or suggestions for future episodes to democracysausage@anu.edu.au. This podcast is produced by The Australian National University.