Chapter 1 Civics And Citizenships

Question 1

sovereignty

Answer 1

the supreme and absolute power of a state (a place where people live which has borders and its own government).

Question 2

Federation

Answer 2

the formation of a united country from separate states or colonies joining together under one central government, as happened in Australia in 1901

Question 3

Constitutional monarchy

Answer 3

a type of government based on a constitution with a queen or king as its head of state

Question 4

Constitution

Answer 4

a set of fundamental principles according to which a nation or state is governed

Question 5

Westminster system

Answer 5

the democratic parliamentary system based on the British system of parliament

Question 6

Bicameral

Answer 6

a parliament consisting of two legislative houses, or chambers

Question 7

Unicameral

Answer 7

a parliament consisting of one legislative house, or chamber

Question 8

Crown

Answer 8

the Queen’s authority in Australian parliament, represented by the Governor-General at the federal level and a governor at the state level

Question 9

Separation of powers

Answer 9

the division of government into the legislature (parliament), executive (ministers and the public service) and judiciary with the aim of providing a system of checks and balances that prevents the excessive concentration of power in one group

Question 10

Executive arm

Answer 10

another name for the government

Question 11

Judiciary

Answer 11

the collective name given to the judges who preside over law courts

Question 12

Preferential system

Answer 12

a system in which voters are required to number all candidates on the ballot paper in order of preference.

Question 13

Absolute majority

Answer 13

half the number of votes received in an election plus one

Question 14

Formal votes

Answer 14

a ballot paper that has been filled out correctly

Question 15

First-past-the-post

Answer 15

a voting system where a candidate wins by receiving more votes than any other candidate

Question 16

Proportional representation

Answer 16

a system where candidates are elected according to the proportion (or quota) of the vote achieved by their party

Question 17

Absolute monarchy

Answer 17

a form of government where the monarch (a king, queen or emperor) wields unrestricted political power over his or her sovereign state and its people

Question 18

Sovereignty of the people

Answer 18

the principle that a government’s authority resides with its people through their elected representatives

Question 19

Republic

Answer 19

a form of government where supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives rather than by a monarch

Question 20

Authoritarian

Answer 20

a form of government characterised by absolute or blind obedience to the state, an authority figure or a group

Question 21

democracy

Answer 21

a system of government in which the people elect representatives