Civics Flashcards
What are the four main principles of democracy?
Belief in the individual
Belief in reason and progress
Belief in a consensual society
Belief in shared power
What type of democracy is Australia?
Representative democracy
What are Australias core defining values?
Freedom of election and being elected
Freedom of assembly and political participation
Freedom of speech, expression and religious beliefs
How often are elections held?
Every 3 years
How many people are voted into the House of Representatives?
150
How many senators are elected?
40 (half of 72 and 4 are represented for the territories)
How old do you have to be to vote?
18 or older
What percentage of votes does the candidate have to get to be elected?
50% +1
What are the two options of proportional representation?
Voters can either place a 1 new to their preferred party or candidate or they can number each candidate in order of preference.
In what house is proportional representation used in?
It is used in the senate.
In the state, what percentage of votes do you need in order to gain a seat?
14.3% of the votes
In a territory what percentage of votes do you need in order to gain a seat in government?
33.3%
What happens in the House of Representatives in a by-election?
A sitting member resigns or dies, their seat is then available to anyone.
What happens in the senate in a by-election?
If a senator dies or resigns, they are replaced by a member from the same party.
What happens if an Australian citizen doesn’t vote?
They are punished by a fine
What are some of our rights as Australian citizens?
Allow us to participate in Australian politics without being persecuted.
What are some advantages and disadvantages of the Australian democracy?
Advantage: it is important for everyone to have a vote n order to have a fair representation of the publics opinion.
Disadvantage: It is unfair because some people don’t have an informed opinion on Australian politics so they vote with out sufficient information.
What are some other ways to get involved with Australian politics if you may be underage to vote?
You can join a lobby group, post a comment on social media about politics.
Who were the first group to believed to draw up law codes?
Mesopotamia
Who was said to have written the oldest set of laws?
The Code of Hammurabi, king of Babylon from 1792-1759BC
How did Hammurabi make sure everybody saw his laws?
He carved them in stone and then put them up around the city.
Where’s the word Parliament come from?
Come from the French word ‘Parlement’ meaning to speak
What type of government is our government?
Westminster government because we use the same government as Westminster in England
Our government is divided into 2 houses, what is that called?
Bicameral
Where do most bills start?
The House of Representatives
What happens in the first reading?
A minister reads out the bill and then members vote on the bill
What happens a few day after the firs reading?
The minister comes back and does the second reading, the bill is then open to the public
What do government officials do before coming into the third reading?
They consult with the public, then the third reading and the final vote
What happens if the bill is approved by the first house?
It goes to the second house where the same process occurs.
What is the last step before a bill can become a law?
The Governor General has to sign the bill
What is civil law sometimes called and why?
Private law because it involves disputes between individuals rather than the whole community.
Wha are the three types of civil law?
Contract
The law of Tory
Family
Why is contract law necessary?
It is necessary to protect people who make agreements.
What does family matter concern?
It concerns the matters of birth, death, marriage, divorce, wills and care of children.
Where does the word Tory come from?
The French word, wrong
What does the law of Tort deal with and what are the main types of actions?
Deals with people who do something wrong, the main types of actions covered are negligence, nuisance, defamation and trespass.
What is criminal law?
It is a situation when a person has done something that is seen as a threat to the community. It involves a dispute between the accused person and the state or government.
Who is the accused person taken to court by in criminal law?
The government
What are the four main types of criminal law
Laws that protect property
Laws that protect people
Laws that protect a society as a whole
Laws that protect nation and legal system.
What is customary law?
A ,aw that has developed over a long period of time. It outlines punishments for breaking rules
When becoming an Australian, you are asked to sign Statement of Australian values, what are some of these values?
Equality, dignity for all and fair play
Australia is a pluralist society, what does this mean?
They value all people regardless of race, gender, religion or sexuality.
What is dual-citizenship?
When migrating to another country, keep citizenship of both countries.
