Democracy is the backbone of the Australian way of life. By global standards, Australia’s electoral and democratic institutions are at an exceedingly high standard, but it is important to constantly observe how those institutions stand up in the face of significant challenges.

Australian democracy has been under stress since the onset of lockdowns in March 2020, but the referendum on the Voice in 2023 could be our democracy’s biggest challenge yet.

There is a phenomenon in political science called ‘democratic backsliding’, an academic description for how lawful and democratic means can be used by politicians and bureaucrats to undermine democratic norms.

The three...