Is social media now a more powerful force reshaping Australian democracy than any politician, party, or policy? Why has Pauline Hanson spent thirty years in the political wilderness only to emerge as the country's most potent electoral force in 2026? Can the anger-entertainment industrial complex explain everything from One Nation's surge to the Voice referendum's collapse — and if rage bait is more engaging than porn, what hope does civility, truth, and evidence have in the modern political arena?

Ed Coper, author of Angertainment, joins Mark and Marija to unpack how social media algorithms have weaponised our ancient neurochemistry, why the internet's promise of a global village became a gladiatorial arena, and whether anyone can still win politics by appealing to hope.

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Have Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender just become the party they always swore they weren't? Can a "free vote" constitution and no party room really survive contact with a Senate seat? Does the donation and spending caps from the last parliament leave community independents with no real choice but to collectivise? And what happens to "putting community first" the moment a hung parliament forces a deal?

Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender join Mark and Marija from Parliament House to discuss the launch of Community Strong Australia, the logic (and the irony) behind it, and whether teal voters will buy a party that insists it isn't one.  

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How did a Prime Minister who won one of the largest parliamentary majorities in British history find himself gone within two years — and what does his fate tell us about the limits of triangulation politics? Is Andy Burnham's victory a genuine realignment moment for British Labour, or is he inheriting a structurally broken state where no leader can succeed? With Reform UK on the march and the North-South divide wider than the gap between East and West Germany, can Burnham's vision of devolution, constitutional reform and a written constitution offer a way out — and what can Australian politics learn from Britain's decade of revolving-door prime ministers?

Political scientist Pat Leslie joins Mark and Maria to make sense of the collapse of the Starmer government and the rise of Andy Burnham.

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How long will the honeymoon last for One Nation? Can Pauline Hanson create a robust political party to be competitive at the next election? How do populist leaders like Trump, Farage, and Hanson convince the working class that their wealthy backers back them? 

With One Nation rising in the polls, Special Correspondent at the Saturday Paper, Jason Koutsoukis joins Mark and Marija to discuss the threats to Labor and the Liberals and what they need to do to arrest the decline in the polls.

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Does the experience in the US, Germany, and Brazil reflect the Australian experience? How have institutional structures insulated centrist parties against new political threats? Can the rise of anger captured by the populists be effectively tested, and has Mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani shown the way? 

Dr Rüçhan Kaya joins Mark and Marija to discuss the drift towards populism and nationalism in liberal democratic countries.

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Can Australia manage the tensions between our strategic relationship with China and the alliance with the United States? Does membership of AUKUS and the Quad damage our China relationship? How significantly are societal and economic issues - such as the role of women in decision making, aging population, corruption and the household registration system - impacting cohesion?

China expert, Graeme Smith joins Mark to discuss China, and our relationship.

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Have young voters lost faith in the major political parties and politics in general? Did the recent federal budget go far enough in addressing the generational wealth gap and what will it take for political parties to successfully engage young voters?

In this special classroom edition of Democracy Sausage, Dr Jill Sheppard joins the DS team and heads back to school (literally) to discuss the growing distrust in politics amongst young voters.

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Will the budget changes reconnect young and disaffected Australians to the benefits of the economy? Is Angus Taylor’s vision likely to arrest the decline in support to One Nation? Is the ALP open to creating a sovereign wealth fund as outlined by Pauline Hanson? 

Treasurer of Australia, Dr Jim Chalmers joins Marija and Mark to discuss last week’s budget, Angus Taylors’ reply and the challenges of ‘getting it right’ in today’s volatile political and economic landscape.

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Has the social deficits of broken promises put the government 'on the ropes'? Could Labor have 'pulled their punches' in this budget? Does the zeitgeist allow governments to adjust the status quo?

Join Mark and Marija from the 'ringside seats' as they analyse labors 'chin-leading' budget.

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In the wake of a dominant political victory, what are the challenges for One Nation in navigating a path to opposition status in Australian politics?  Does Angus Taylor have the political capital to survive the long road back to political relevance for the Liberal Party? Will One Nation’s uncompromising anti-immigration rhetoric backfire in urban seats and do they have the party discipline to grow into an effective alternate party government?  

Psephologist Ben Raue and Political scientist Dr Jill Sheppard join Democracy Sausage live in the Lowitja O’Donoghue Cultural Centre to dissect the Farrer by-election result and its implications, if any, on politics beyond. 

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