Parliaments across the world have experienced an almost unprecedented level of stress since the GFC hit just over a decade ago and the gap between the rich and the poor widened dramatically.

That social and economic divide contributed to the rise of the "neo-cons" and the election of Donald Trump in the United States and the Brexit referendum in the United Kingdom.

France, meanwhile, is enduring a weekly battle between the haves and the have-nots over increases in the price of fuel and the cost of living imposed by President Emmanuel Macron, a progressive liberal committed to governing from the middle.

Macron's middle of the road policies have managed to alienate both the left and the right and given birth to the Yellow Jackets movement, an alliance of protesters, many from rural areas, who are demographically similar to the supporters of Brexit and of Donald Trump.

Yellow Jacket protesters have been taking to the streets of Paris every weekend since November 17. The rallies have resulted in millions of dollars worth of property damage, at least 10 deaths and left well over a thousand people injured.

Across the channel the United Kingdom is in the grip of an outbreak of parliamentary paralysis over Brexit the like of which has not been seen in modern times. Prime Minister Theresa May, having repeatedly failed to get her proposed legislation through the House of Commons, should no longer be in Number 10. The only reason she is allowed to remain is a majority of MPs have even less faith in Opposition leader, Jeremy Corbin, than they do in her.

The United States, meanwhile, is in the bizarre situation where it is without much of the machinery of government thanks to a standoff between politicians who are clearly prepared to put their own vanity and self-interest ahead of the nation's welfare.

While Donald Trump, not unsurprisingly, has set a notably poor example with his own behaviour, the Democrats must also share the blame. It does, after all, take two to tango.

Given the government shutdown, now the longest in American history, shows no signs of being resolved anytime soon, Australia's public servants must be thanking their lucky stars that this can't happen here.

It is a credit to the foresight of the founders of the Australian federation, and to the good sense and restraint of the majority of Australians, that we have avoided these extremes despite the demonstrable ineptitude of many members of the political caste.

We cannot afford to be complacent however given there are many individuals and groups who would like nothing more than to disrupt our democracy and undermine public confidence in the parliamentary process.

It is only four months since the NSW Young Nationals expelled one member and suspended at least two others after it was revealed the group had been infiltrated by self-described fascists.

The real battleground in the 2019 election may yet turn out to be the struggle to protect and defend the stability of our parliamentary democracy.