Chapter 1 notes Flashcards
Define Government
A governing body that creates laws and policies that dictate how a society is effectively run. It includes groups such as the parliament and the judicial courts and also public servants.
Define Absolute freedoms
Freedoms that are guaranteed to all members of society by the government including freedom of thought, opinion and private belief.
Define Private Sphere of life
Goals for one’s person life such as basic survival needs but more importantly career or relationship goals.
Define Public Sphere of life
Activity done within communities in order to achieve the goals of one’s private sphere of life.
Define Politics
The activity of making collaborative decisions regarding political and legal structures and deciding on specific laws or policies.
Define Democracy
Democracy is defined as a free society which means that the people are entitled to fair and free elections, representative parliaments, accountable executives, open political participation and a just and equitable legal system.
Define Direct Democracy
Is different from representative democracy in that each individual citizen has the right to vote on policies and laws.
Define Representative Democracy
Is different from direct democracy in that people vote for politicians that represent them on the choices of legislature and laws.
Define Majority Rule
A fundamental concept of democracy which gives the power to rule to the people or by definition the majority of them.
Define Liberal Democracy
Liberal Democracy is defined as a free society. It must include features such as free and fair elections, majority rule, representative parliaments, accountable executives, open political participation and a just and equitable legal system.
Define Dictatorship
A style of government in which the supreme power of all government is placed in the hands of a single person.
Define Statute
Laws made directly by parliament on both a federal and state level
Define Delegated legislation
Refers to laws made by authorities that have received their power from the government directly such as local councils.
Define Judge-made law
A law made in the legal courts, also referred to as common law
Define Cabinet
A body existing at both federal and state level comprising of the ministers and the prime minster or premier.
Define Legislative function
Refers to both the parliament and the senate and its role of creating and modifying the laws of a society.
Define Executive Function
The executive is responsible for the administration and also structuring of power to ensure the law is carried out. The cabinet gives out all the power to the other bodies on both a federal and state level.
Define Judicial Function
The judicial function is responsible for resolving legal disputes and determining polices.
Define Political Rights
Rights that ensure the government cannot fully control their citizens
Define rule of Law
The rules defined by the government that apply to certain people in a society depending on the type of government.
Define Monarchy
A type of government in which the reigning monarch is supposedly selected by god which gives them the right to rule. This right is hereditary, and the monarch has full control over all branches of government.
Define Aristocracy and oligarchy-
Societies in which full control of the government is given to a small group of people, usually of the highest social class.
Define Autocracy
One ‘Autocrat’ has full control over all of government and generally crushes all opposition.
Define Fascist and communist dictatorship
A dictator that rules all aspects of society and forces an ideology onto society, either far right wing fascism or far left wing communism.
Elaborate on the following question:
Identify the key roles of government
The Key roles of government are as follows; Security, settling disputes, infrastructure, economic management and redistribution of income. Governments supply security mainly though institutions such as the police and military, but this can also refer to legal security and social security as well. Avenues for settling disputes are also essential, this is supplied by the legal courts in most liberal democracies. Governments also provide infrastructure such as roads, electrical systems, sewage pipes and also public hospitals and schools. Some governments also control certain aspects of a nation’s economy, although this is not true in a free market economy. Finally, governments also redistribute income by taxing citizens and then providing welfare systems.
Elaborate on the following questions: How does Australia prove to be a liberal democracy?
All Australians are entitled to the same legal and political rights regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation. Our government is also elected through majority rule, that is everyone votes per district for a representative in parliament and whichever party wins the most seats forms government. Thus, our government should be representative of what the majority of people in our country believe in. Moreover, our political system ensure that anyone over the age of 18 can vote, and also that anyone over the age of 21 and anyone that does not have a criminal record longer than two years can run for parliament.
