Executive summary 2

Key findings 3

Recommendations 3

Australia’s social cohesion: stable, but under strain 4

The protest ecology: more frequent, more diffuse, more combustible at the edges 5

The outrage economy and the rejection of expertise 6

Safe collisions of adverse opinion 6

Nuance as a democratic capability: disagree well 7

PMV in Australia: diversified threats, faster pathways 8

Policing in the crossfire: legitimacy as capability 8

Symbolic fixes versus risk‑led policy: beyond ‘Ban the thing!’ 9

Foreign interference in a fractured landscape 9

A national story for hard times: communications as capability 10

Risks and mitigations 10

Conclusion: Make disagreement safe 11

Notes 12

Acronyms and abbreviations 12