Abstract

This paper examines political attitudes in Australia as captured by the first wave of the 2025 Election Monitoring Survey Series (2025EMSS), conducted in October 2024. Using data from a nationally representative sample of over 3,500 Australians, the study explores satisfaction with democracy, trust in institutions, political attitudes, and voting intentions ahead of the 2025 Federal Election. The findings reveal broad satisfaction with the direction of the country and democracy, particularly among younger and university-educated Australians, contrasted with persistent distrust in key institutions such as federal government and social media. Economic and social factors, including financial stress and loneliness, are strongly associated with political attitudes, with financially stressed individuals and those experiencing loneliness reporting lower satisfaction with democracy and reduced trust in institutions. 

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