Power and Silence: The strategy of saying nothing

Silence is one of the most powerful tools in politics. It signals loyalty, discourages dissent, and very often protects the system exactly as it is.

My latest piece, “Power and Silence: The strategy of saying nothing,” explores how silence operates inside institutions - not as an absence of action, but as a strategy that shapes behaviour and outcomes.

These dynamics do not remain confined to politics. The same patterns appear in workplaces, institutions, and organisations everywhere.

This piece was first published by Crikey (paywall). It is now available on my Substack (free).

It’s the third article in my series examining how power works inside political systems. Because if we want better government, stronger institutions and a healthier democracy, we need to understand how power actually works — not just how we wish it worked.