Incapacitating, or something else? Unpacking Australian amendment culture in the First Nations Voice Referendum

Abstract On October 14, 2023, Australians participated in a once-in-a-generation constitutional referendum to consider establishing a First Nations advisory body in the Constitution. The proposal was rejected, meaning that only eight of the forty-five amendments put to the Australian people have been approved since 1901. This article tests the viability of amendment culture as an explanation for Australians’ reluctance to change the Constitution. Using original large-n survey data from the Australian Constitutional Values Surveys (2008–21), the article examines Australians’ openness to constitutional change over time, highlighting that despite a long history of rejecting constitutional amendments, Australians are not inherently opposed to constitutional change. Instead, a tendency to emphasize the Constitution’s practical role makes Australians susceptible to technical arguments designed to stifle support for change. In addition to providing insight into the Voice referendum result, the article makes three contributions to the amendment culture literature. First, it presents a model for case-study analysis of constitutional change, offering a detailed examination of amendment culture. Second, it provides a long-called-for large-n survey of attitudes toward constitutional change. Third, it demonstrates the importance of contextualizing amendment culture within broader studies of political culture.