Civics Flashcards
What is the government?
Referring to our political and legal structures and the roles and powers we give them.
Name all Governmental Branches
Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary.
Legislative
They create and modify laws.
* The laws are called statutes or acts
* Consists of Courts.
Executive
- They implement laws.
- Consists of the Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers, and the Public Service.
Judiciary
- The branch of government which administers justice according to law.
- The term is used to refer to the courts, the judges, magistrates, and adjudicators.
What does MP stand for?
Member of Parliament
Public Service
Government workers of departments, e.g. Police, Health, Education
Bicameral Parliament
A parliament or legislature that is made up of two separate houses or ‘chambers’.
e.g. Senate, House of Reps
Separation of Powers Doctrine
- Separates the 3 arms of govt.
- All arms operate independently of each other to prevent corruption
Australia & The Separation of Powers
- No strict separation between Executive and Legislative.
- To maintain accountability, Parliament can make and break the executive, and the executive must maintain the approval of the parliament. (remember, they make the laws.)
Australian Judiciary Independence
- The most important part.
- Anyone can challenge the validity of the Legislation
What is legislation?
- Laws, considered collectively.
Similarities between Indian and Australian governments.
- Separation of powers
- Bicameral Parliament
- Representative democracy
Representative democracy
A form of democracy where people vote for representatives, who then vote on policy acts.
Differences between Indian and Australian governments.
- Voting in electronic in India, Australia is paper
- Head of state in Australia is the king, in India, it’s the president.
- Elections in Australia every 3 years, India every 5 years
