Chapter 2+3 Political systems

Question 1

political system

Answer 1

a system of government that has resulted from historical factors, geographical considerations and the nees of its population
- as a system it has components, processes and an organisation/structure

Question 2

institution

Answer 2

• parliament
• goverments
• cabinet
• courts
• public service

Question 3

processes

Answer 3

• constitutional law and rules, legislative processes that make laws, chains of accountability to ensure the govs carry out laws accordingly to the rule of law, trial processes and procedures for sesloving disputes and protecting our rights, fair electoral system to elect public occicials (MP)

Question 4

organisation/structure

Answer 4

• an elected law making assembly
• legislature with one or two more houses
• accountable, reponsible and elected gov
• an executive and independant court system
• a judicature and a separation of powers etween the legislature, executive and judiciary with ‘checks and balances’
• a political ‘neautral’ parliament public service and a federal division ofgovernment and a repesentative gov

Question 5

self government

Answer 5

• each colony was rules by a governor who exercised the authority of the british crown
• the authority of power was not limited
• the begining of the 19th century each colony began to move towards self government
• each colony had a constitution

Question 6

story of federation

Answer 6

• by 1860 AUS has 6 seperate colonies
• at this time, the settler had weak recognition of being Australian
• overtime, each colony began to form closer relationshios –> identifying as ‘Australian’
• they became attracted to the idea of ‘formal union’
• federation occured in 1901 –> all 6 colonies agreed to create a federal form of government
• 6 separate states and 1 commonwealth gov
• federation did not represent a breaking of tiles with the british

Question 7

factors encouraging federation

3 of them

Answer 7

1. defence
2. immigration
3. trade policy

Question 8

founding fathers

Answer 8

• Sir edmund barton
• charles kingston
• sir henry parks

Question 9

defence

a factor encouraging federation

Answer 9

• national defence force to be created for better defence and protection
• people feared that colonies could be vulnerable to attack from other nations

Question 10

immigration

a factor encourgaing federation

Answer 10

• in the 19th century people did not support immigration of non-british colonies
• they wanted strong immigration policies
• the first law was for white people to only come into AUS

Question 11

economic intergration/trade policy

a factor encouraging federation

Answer 11

• trade restrictions made travelling between colonies difficult

Question 12

‘austrlian identity’

Answer 12

• colonists shared a common language, culture and heritage, and increasingly began to identiy as australian

Question 13

reasons against federation

Answer 13

• rivalry
• policies
• physical distance (too far)\
• historical traditions (penal colonies -> NSW, QLD, TAS, WA from 1850, Vs free colonies -> VIC, SA)

Question 14

UK influence

Answer 14

• responsible government
• westminister conventions
• bicameralism

Question 15

responsible government

UK influence

Answer 15

• key aspect of AUS political system
• inherited by the UK
• the executive givernment (the cabinet and ministry) is drawn from and accountable to the legislative branch (parliament)
• a system where the executive government sits in the parliament (they are drawn)
• WMS is responsible government creates a fusion between the parliament and executive

Question 16

deciding executive

Answer 16

• formed from the HOR
• different to USA –> separation between congress (legislative branch) and president (executive branch

Question 17

formation of government

Answer 17

• if no party is able to win a majority this is called a ‘hung parliament’
• if no hung parliament, a party must convince other members to support them to form a ‘minority government’ -> in 2010 this occured (guillard won)
• ‘coalition’ –> two parties form a coalition - liberal and nationals have formed a coalition (two seperate parties in gov)

Question 18

how is the executive government accountable to parliament

Answer 18

• question time –> MPs question and scrutinise gov decisions
• parliamentary inquiries and committees –> can investigare and look into gov, senate examine gov
• individual ministeral responsibility and censure motions –> can kick out the minister if they did the wrong thing, HOR vote, never been used
• collective ministerial responsibility and no confidence motions –> can kick out whole gov, members lose confidence (HOR), new election called
• executive spending –> may be authorised by law, get given monet and must sign

Question 19

westminister conventions

UK influence

definition

Answer 19

are unwritten rules or accepted practices that have the effect of limiting the power of government

• not judiciable –> can’t be challenged in court if they are not followed
• not laws

Question 20

govenor general powers

examples of sections

Answer 20

• legislative and executive powers

e.g. legislative powers
- section 58, GG must sign bill
- section 28, GG issues writs for elections and dissolve parliament

e.g. executive powers
- section 67, appoing gov officials
- section 64, appoint and dismiss ministers

e.g. express powers
- powers written in the constitution that the GG must exercise on advice (when told by prime minister)
- e.g. approve treaties

e.g. reserve power
- expressed in constituion but GG can use without acting on the advice of the PM
- e.g. John Kerr used his power in section 64 in 1975 to dismiss prime minister gough whitlam

Question 21

bicameralism

UK influence

Answer 21

• brittish house of commons (lower chamber) “house of the people”
• brittish house of lords (upper chamber), examples legislature

Question 22

USA influences

Answer 22

• constitution
• federalism
• division of powers

Question 23

constitution

USA influence

Answer 23

• contains the structure of the US gov
• power divided

Question 24

federalsim

USA influence

Answer 24

• the power and responsibility to govern is divided between central (federal) gov and a number of regional (states) gov
• AUS system of gov is commonwealth
• division of powers

Question 25

division of powers

USA influence - under federalism. THERE IS 3

Answer 25

• Exclusive powers
• concurrent powers
• residual powers

Question 26

case study

concurrent powers

Answer 26

in 2013, the legislative assmebly for the ACT passed the same sex act 2013, leagilising same sex marriage. the Cth gov challenged the act in the high court, and argued that it was inconsistent with the marriage act.

Question 27

case study

balance of power

Answer 27

tasmanian dams case 1983

• TAS proposed and made plans to construct a dam (franklin dam) to generate jobs and electricity
• the Cth gov opposed the dam and the Cth giv passed the Worl Heritage Properties conservation act 1983. the Cth did not support
• this banned the construction of the franklin dam
• TAS gov argued the law was constitutionally invalid and that the Cth did not have the constitutional power to ban the dam
• Cth argued they did have power because of S51 - the ‘external affairs’ power –> the parliament shall, subject to this constitution, have power to make laws for the peace, order and good gov of the Cth with respect to external affairs
• Cth argued they signed an international treaty protecting the world heritage sites, which the area was listed
• in 1981, the area where the dam was proposed was nominated for listing under the world heritage convention
• Cth argued the external affairs power gave the cth power to make legislation to put into effect agreemenrs it makes it international

high court decision
- had to interpret ‘external affairs’
- had to choose between narrow and broad interpretation

Question 28

steps for executive

Answer 28

1. hold a federal election to determine composition of parliament, only deciding 151 members
2. party needs to obtain a majority of these 151 seats sp 76/151
3. party that wins can choose anyone when forming a government -> must be from parliament

Question 29

westminister conventions examples

Answer 29

1. responsible government -> operates via convention
2. the governor general must act on advice of the PM
3. the PM must be a member of the lower house e.g. John gorton was a senator who was commisioned PM in 1968
4. government and ministry and prime minister must maintain the support of the lower house
5. ministes are responsible to parliament
6. “make or break government”

Question 30

exclusive powers

division of powers

Answer 30

powers that can only be exercised in the commonwealth

e.g. immigration, currency, raising an army

Question 31

concurrent powers

division of powers

Answer 31

powers which both the cth and states can exercise

e.g. taxation –> S51

Question 32

residual powers

division of powers

Answer 32

everything else which is to be exercised by the states. not mentioned in the constitution

e.g. police, education, health, crime

Question 33

narrow interpretation

Answer 33

allows Cth to make laws to do with AU and other countries
- limitng relationship with other countries

Question 34

broad interpretation

Answer 34

wide enough to give Cth power to make laws which relates to implementing any of the contents of a treaty

Question 35

federal institution

Answer 35

a federal system of government needs ‘intergovernmental’ or federal institutions to promote collaboration and discussion between different levels of gov

Question 36

national cabinet

Answer 36

PM and premiers get together and hold a meeting, collaboration, focuses on key topics occuring in society

Question 37

inherited features from canada

Answer 37

• looked for inspiration
• inspired AUS as a workable model, blending the UK and USA