Declining trust in democratic institutions and growing dissatisfaction with political decision-making have renewed interest in more participatory approaches to governance. Yet important questions remain about whether Australians seek greater involvement in public decision-making, what enables them to participate meaningfully, and whether participation can strengthen both democratic legitimacy and policy outcomes. These questions may be particularly relevant for regional Australians, whose historical distance from centres of political power may continue to shape perceptions of political influence, even as new communication technologies create opportunities for broader engagement. Using the emergence of Community Strong Australia as a lens through which to examine contemporary debates about citizen participation and democratic renewal, this paper explores the conditions under which citizens perceive participation to be both worthwhile and legitimate. Drawing on deliberative democracy, democratic innovation and political trust literature, it presents original survey data examining Australians' motivation and confidence to participate, perceptions of whose expertise should inform public policy, beliefs about whether participation can influence decisions, and attitudes towards digital and deliberative forms of engagement. The paper proposes ‘democratic capability’ as an emerging framework for understanding the conditions that enable meaningful participation, arguing that these conditions may strengthen democratic legitimacy, improve acceptance of policy outcomes, and reduce perceived democratic distance between citizens and decision-makers.
