• The pendulum swing
    Jul 8 2025

    The numbers are in. Pollster Shaun Ratcliff joins Democracy Sausage to dissect the latest election data and what it means for the future of #auspol.


    What do the numbers tell us about when the shift to Labor started?

    What does the fall off in the primary vote tell us about the future of our politics?

    And what’s behind young voters moving away from major parties?

    On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Dr Shaun Ratcliff joins Professor Mark Kenny and Dr Marija Taflaga to go over what the latest election data tells us about the state of our democracy.

    Shuan 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 Senior 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.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    42 mins
  • Bending the knee
    Jul 1 2025

    US expert Emma Shortis joins Democracy Sausage to talk about the reshaping of the US-Australia relationship, misguided assumptions and finding Australia’s place in the world.


    Can Trump be treated as an aberration in US foreign policy or has he permanently reshaped the global order? Does fealty to Trump’s America make Australia safer or should we rejig our relationship? And what can we learn from our neighbours in the region and their approach to foreign policy?

    On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Dr Emma Shortis joins Professor Mark Kenny to discuss what the world could look like after America – and where Australia fits in.


    Emma Shortis is Senior Researcher in the International & Security Affairs Program at The Australia Institute. Her research focuses on the history and politics of the United States and its role in the world. She is the author of After America: Australia and the New World Order and Our Exceptional Friend: Australia’s Fatal Alliance with the United States.

    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.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    43 mins
  • The face of election night with Antony Green
    Jun 24 2025

    The ABC’s Chief Election Analyst Emeritus Antony Green joins Democracy Sausage to discuss a career spent covering elections.


    Antony Green has covered more than 90 elections. How does this recent one compare to ones in the past? What does the ‘broad church’ of the Liberal party mean these days? And will Labor ever be vulnerable to an ‘orange’ independent vote?

    On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Antony Green joins Professor Mark Kenny and Dr Marija Taflaga to talk elections past, present and future.


    Antony Green is the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Chief Election Analyst Emeritus.


    Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Australian Politics Studies Centre and a Senior 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.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    44 mins
  • Permanent unpredictability with Jim Chalmers
    Jun 18 2025

    Treasurer Jim Chalmers joins Mark Kenny to talk our changing economic environment, productivity and ‘progressive patriotism’.


    Amid the unpredictability of the current economic environment, how can Australia benefit from global change? What is the government planning to do to ensure productivity roundtables are actually productive? And how can we meet the challenge of decarbonising our economy?

    On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Dr Jim Chalmers joins Professor Mark Kenny to talk about how to best position Australia’s economy for the future.


    Hon Dr Jim Chalmers is the Treasurer and the Member for Rankin.

    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.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    33 mins
  • The soul of the party
    Jun 10 2025

    Join Democracy Sausage co-hosts to discuss the US, domestic fiscal debates and what to expect in the weeks ahead.

    What will the agenda be for the Albanese-Trump meeting at the G7, especially with the unfolding instability in the US? What does the conversation around the proposed changes to superannuation taxation say about our expectations for government? And how will Sussan Ley and Anthony Albanese change how their parties operate?

    On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Professor Mark Kenny and Dr Marija Taflaga catch up to discuss the US under Trump and issues closer to home.


    Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Australian Politics Studies Centre and a Senior 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.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    54 mins
  • On the road
    Jun 3 2025

    Former Attorney-General George Brandis joins Democracy Sausage to discuss the Liberal Party’s “Jack Kerouac political experience” and wider political trends.


    Is the Liberal Party’s shift to the right a more recent trend or has it been a long time coming? Does the party still need to find itself? And is it finally time for gender quotas?

    On this episode of Democracy Sausage, Professor George Brandis KC joins Professor Mark Kenny and Dr Marija Taflaga to discuss rediscovering the Liberal Party.


    George Brandis KC is a former Attorney-General, the recent High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and a Professor in the Practice of National Security at the Australian National University (ANU).

    Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Australian Politics Studies Centre and a Senior 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.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    45 mins
  • Class is in session
    May 27 2025

    The hosts of Democracy Sausage are joined by political scientist Jill Sheppard and ANU students to gauge the current state of politics.


    Will the tensions between the Liberal and National parties be a shot in the foot or an opportunity to reshape the parties? What questions and issues linger for Australia’s young people after the federal election? And what will it take for a Liberal party to connect with young people?

    On this episode of Democracy Sausage, recorded in a political science classroom, Dr Jill Sheppard and Dr Marija Taflaga take Professor Mark Kenny back to school to discuss the changing face of Australian politics.

    A special thanks to the student panel for volunteering and contributing to this podcast.


    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.

    Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Australian Politics Studies Centre and a Senior 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.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    56 mins
  • Journey of rediscovery
    May 20 2025

    Correspondent Jason Koutsoukis joins Democracy Sausage to discuss the latest power plays, election missteps and the lost heart of the Liberal party.


    How did the Liberal party misjudge the election? Now returned to power, can Labor deliver on its election promises? And is Sussan Ley up to the task of reshaping a Liberal party adrift?

    On this episode of Democracy Sausage, journalist Jason Koutsoukis joins Professor Mark Kenny and Dr Marija Taflaga to discuss stories from this new parliament.


    Jason Koutsoukis is a special correspondent for The Saturday Paper.

    Marija Taflaga is the Director of the ANU Australian Politics Studies Centre and a Senior 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.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    53 mins