If democracy is to survive and flourish, it needs to evolve to meet the new circumstances we face, writes Democracy36 chair and Professor Emeritus of Education at Adelaide University Alan Reid.

It is rare for a day to pass without someone in the Australian media warning about the mounting dangers to democracy. More often than not it is in reference to overseas trends such as rising authoritarianism, civil unrest, or increasing tribalism in civic discussions.

Often there is an element of relief if not schadenfreude in the comments because, at least in comparative terms, there is much to celebrate about Australian democracy. Our democratic institutions are in pretty good health, our electoral processes are sturdy and independent, and our politics is largely free from corruption.

And yet there are warning signs that tell us we can’t be complacent. Some studies show a steady decline of trust in government; and periodically there are events that suggest we need to be on democracy watch. These include concerns about executive overreach, threats to civil liberties, challenges to the rule of law, and inequalities relating to wealth and whose voices are heard. There is also the question of reconciliation between First Peoples and the settler state which our current democratic structures and processes haven’t seemed capable of meaningfully addressing.

More than that, our democratic institutions – designed in the 19th century and adapted since to meet the new contexts of the 20th century – are facing new challenges in the 21st century. Not the least of these is the impact of artificial intelligence and social media use, including the siloed bubbles in which many of us now live our lives. These are........

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