Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny

Political scientist Shaun Ratcliff joins Democracy Sausage to discuss election polls, influential demographics, and whether foreign politics are at the forefront of voter's minds.How will Donald Trump's hostile meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy affect diplomatic ties between Australia and the United States? What are the key issues influencing Australian voters in the upcoming federal election? And what factors are driving Peter Dutton’s political gains?On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Dr Shaun Ratcliff joins Professor Mark Kenny and Dr Marija Taflaga to discuss our current political landscape on both a domestic and world stage.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.

We Are New Britain's Anna McShane joins Democracy Sausage to talk British politics, the return of President Trump, and the power of visible change in uniting public support.With the Australian federal election on the horizon, what can we learn from the leadership styles of politicians across the world?Should UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer take on a ‘Trumpist’ approach to wielding executive power?  And why are quick wins so important for building long-term support for a political agenda?On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Anna McShane joins Professor Mark Kenny and Dr Marija Taflaga to discuss the flow-on effect of a Trump presidency on foreign affairs.Anna McShane is the Director of We Are New Britain, an independent progressive think tank focused on bringing in more women and front-line voices into policy making.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 Tally Room’s Ben Raue joins Democracy Sausage to talk by-election results, swing seats and what it all means for the federal election. What lessons we take from the most recent by-elections?  What do they tell us about long-term shifts in Australian politics?  And what are the patterns we should watch for ahead of the federal election? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Ben Raue joins Professor Mark Kenny and Dr Marija Taflaga to discuss the long and short-term trends influencing voters.Ben Raue is an independent electoral analyst and the founder of The Tally Room.   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. 

Senator Larissa Waters joins Democracy Sausage to talk electoral reform, resisting the far right and the Greens’ ongoing negotiations.  What’s stopping donations data from being revealed in real-time? Do proposed donation reforms go far enough to strengthen Australian democracy? And is the left too fractured to rise to the challenge at the next election? On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Senator Larissa Waters joins Professor Mark Kenny to discuss political donations, truth in advertising and responding to the far right. Senator Larissa Waters is the Leader of the Australian Greens in the Senate and represents the people of Queensland.   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. 

Cultural studies professor Graeme Turner joins Mark and Marija to compare election campaign expectations, media concerns, and ask whether Donald Trump’s return could affect Australian democracy. Can we expect Peter Dutton to adopt a Trump-style for the upcoming election?  Could such a campaign ever gain traction in Australia?  And if it did, would the government hold it off? Or have portfolio governance changes and an incremental approach to progress left Labor with no defining re-election narrative?  On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Emeritus Professor Graeme Turner joins Professor Mark Kenny and Dr Marija Taflaga to discuss the federal election. Graeme Turner is Emeritus Professor in the Centre for Critical and Cultural Studies at the University of Queensland and a founding figure of Australian media and cultural studies. His most recent book is The Shrinking Nation.   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. 

Historian Frank Bongiorno and political scientist Marija Taflaga join Democracy Sausage to look back on 2024 and ahead to upcoming election year.  After a turbulent year for democracy, does incumbency offer an advantage anymore? What does this say about the Albanese government’s chances next year? And what is Peter Dutton’s vision for Australia (and what are his policies to achieve it)?  On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Professor Frank Bongiorno and Dr Marija Taflaga join Professor Mark Kenny to reflect on the year that was and make some forecasts about the political future ahead of us. 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. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, the Australian Academy of the Humanities and a Whitlam Institute Distinguished Fellow at Western Sydney University.  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. 

Teen journalist Leonardo Puglisi and youth justice expert Faith Gordon join Democracy Sausage to discuss social media bans. How can we manage the very real harms of social media – for young people and society? Is the youth social media ban the first step towards safer social media or purely performative? And can large tech and social media companies be regulated?   On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Professor Mark Kenny is joined by Leonardo Puglisi, managing director of 6 News Australia, and Associate Professor Faith Gordon to discuss the blunt instrument of youth social media bans. Leonardo Puglisi is Chief Anchor and Managing Director of 6 News Australia – a channel to reflect young people’s voices.    Faith Gordon is an Associate Professor and Deputy Associate Dean of Research at the ANU College of Law. She has expertise in areas including youth justice, children’s rights, criminal law, digital technologies, media regulation, and young people and politics.  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. 

Mark Kenny and Marija Taflaga discuss the final sitting week of 2024, what drives political deal making and how politicians interpret public opinion.  With the last sitting week upon us, how long until an election is on the horizon? What do the politics behind the Greens’ shift to back Labor’s housing policy say about the current political climate? And what does the science say about how public opinion sways and influences a politician’s decisions?   On this episode, Dr Marija Taflaga joins Democracy Sausage to discuss the end of the year, deal making and how politicians interpret (or ignore) your opinions. 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. 

Independent MPs Kate Chaney and Zali Steggall join Democracy Sausage to talk campaign finance reform and how it impacts your choice at the ballot box. Will Labor’s election finance reform bill strengthen democracy or give major parties an unfair head start? What do the details of the bill look like? And what does this tell us about major parties and their willingness to adapt to the rise of the teals?  On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Independent MPs Kate Chaney and Zali Steggall discuss Labor’s proposed reforms to campaign donations and spending caps. Kate Chaney is the Independent Federal Member for Curtin.  Zali Steggall is the Independent Federal Member for Warringah.    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.