The Australian Survey of Social Attitudes - 2026 - Role of Government

The Australian Survey of Social Attitudes (AuSSA) is Australia’s main source of data for the scientific study of the social attitudes, beliefs and opinions of Australians, how they change over time, and how they compare with other societies.

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The survey is used to help researchers better understand how Australians think and feel about their lives. It produces important information about the changing views and attitudes of Australians as we move through the 21st century. Similar surveys are run in other countries, so data from AuSSA survey also allows us to compare Australia with countries all over the world.

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AuSSA is also the Australian component of the International Social Survey Project (ISSP). The ISSP is a cross-national collaboration on surveys covering important topics. Each year, survey researchers in some 40 countries each do a national survey using the same questions. Here are some examples of surveys in other countries that are the equivalent to AuSSA:

 

The ISSP focuses on a special topic each year, repeating that topic from time to time. The topic for 2016 is "Role of Government". This is the sixth time this has been the topic of the survey, having previously been the theme for the survey in 1985, 1990, 1996, 2006 and 2016.

 

​Data collection for the AuSSA 2026 - Role of Government - is due to begin in May 2026, and due to complete in May 2027.

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How will participants be selected?

AuSSA aims to survey a representative sample of adult Australians. The fairest way of doing that is to draw a random sample from the Australian Electoral Roll. This means every Australian citizen has an equal chance of having their views included in the survey, and means that researchers are able to use statistical techniques to make inferences about Australian society overall on the basis of characteristics of the sample. ACSPRI has been named in a Federal Regulation as a permitted user of the Electoral Roll for the purposes of inviting persons to participate in the AuSSA.

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We will randomly select at least 6000 citizens from the electoral roll. Each of them will be posted an explanatory letter, followed by a questionnaire booklet and reply paid envelope. Up to three reminder mailings will be sent for participants who do not return a booklet. We expect around 1000 will return a completed questionnaire.

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​Selected Questions:​

  • ​In general, would you say that people should obey the law without exception, or are there exceptional occasions on which people should follow their consciences even if it means breaking the law?
  • Here are some things the government might do for the economy. Please show which actions you are in favour of and which you are against: Cuts in government spending, less government regulation of business, support for declining industries to protect jobs...
  • ​Where should government spending be increased or decreased? Environment, Health, Police, Education, Defence, Pensions, Unemployment benefits, Culture and arts
  • ​What should be the government's responsibility? Healthcare? Aged care? Environmental Protection? Providing jobs? Reducing income disparity?
  • ​Do you think the government should have the right to keep people under video surveillance?
  • Are taxes too high, just right or too low? For those on high incomes? For those on low incomes?​​

 

Contributing questions to the AuSSA 2026

 

Running a high quality, nationally representative survey requires the support of individual researchers willing to include their own questions in return for sponsorship of the survey. The fee will be $1,500 (exc GST) per question (i.e. per 'tick') - $1,250 (exc GST) for students for the full sample of 1000. Please contact surveys@acspri.org.au for more information. Each of the 4 waves of data collection is to a distinct sample (i.e. the design is a repeated cross sectional survey)

  1. The first wave of data collection is due to run in May 2026. Any contributed questions must be finalised by 28 March 2026.
  2. The second wave began data is due to run in August 2026. Any contributed questions must be finalised by 28 June 2026.
  3. The third wave of data collection is due to run in November 2026. Any contributed questions must be finalised by 28 September 2026.
  4. The fourth wave of data collection is due to run in February 2027. Any contributed questions must be finalised by 20 December 2026.

 

Advisory committee

The AuSSA advisory committee is made up of researchers who advise ACSPRI on survey methodology, ethics considerations, and liaise with the ISSP. The AuSSA Advisory Committee members for 2026 are:

  • Shaun Wilson, Macquarie University (Chair)
  • Nicola McNeil, Swinburne University
  • Bruce Tranter, University of Tasmania
  • Steven McEachern, University of Essex
  • Xianbi Huang, La Trobe University
  • Markus Hahn, Australian National University

 

Access to results from AuSSA 2026

 

AuSSA data will be submitted to the Australian Data Archive in mid 2027 and should be available on the site in late 2027. We also encourage AuSSA contributors to present their results at the ACSPRI Social Science Methodology Conference.

 

 

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For more information:

Tel. 1800 122 251 (free call)
Email: surveys@acspri.org.au