Civics Flashcards
Asylum seeker
A person who seeks protection as a refugee and is still waiting to have his/her application for refugee status assessed
Bicameral System
A parliament consisting of 2 houses
Bilateral
Where a treaty exists between Australia and one other country
Candidate
A person standing for election
Cause-and-effect relationship
Where one event or action is the result of another
Citizen
A person who is a member of a certain country or city, who is granted certain rights and privileges because of this and is expected to act responsibly
Citizenship
The legal status of being a citizen, granted by birth or naturalisation, giving the citizen certain rights and responsibilities
Civics
The study of government and the rights and duties of citizens
Coalition
Elected individuals or parties who have united to achieve a specific purpose
Cohesive society
A society where citizens live together peacefully
Concurrent powers
Areas in which both the Commonwealth and state parliaments can make law; if the Commonwealth and the states make laws in an area of power that conflicts, the Commonwealth law will prevail
Constitution
A set of rules that determines how an organisation will be governed
Constitutional conventions
A series of meetings held in the late 1800s, where representatives from each colony discussed the creation of a new central Commonwealth parliament
Contravening
Disobeying or breaching
Court hierarchy
A ranking of courts from lowest to highest in order of the seriousness of the type of case they can determine
Crown
The Queen of England, who is the Head of State and part of each parliament in Australia; the governor general at Commonwealth level, and the governor at state level represents the Queen
Democracy
A system of government in which the people have the power to determine how they will be ruled or managed and so elect a parliament to make and implement laws on their behalf
Democratic election
An election where voters have the right to vote for whomever they choose
Democratic values
The beliefs and values that are held by our society as a democracy
Direct democracy
Citizens meeting together to make laws for their society
Discrimination
Treating or proposing to treat, a person or group of people unfavourably because of personal characteristics such as age, race, disability, physical features or political beliefs
Dispute
Legal, an argument or disagreement between 2 or more parties to be resolved by the legal system
Double majority
The requirement that any proposed change to the wording of the Australian Constitution must be passed by a majority of voters in Australian and the states
Electorate
A designated geographical area that is represented by an elected member of Parliament
Executive
A group of senior members of parliament aka the cabinet
Exclusive powers
Areas in which only the Commonwealth Parliament can make law
Federal system
A system of government wear for the purposes of governing and lawmaking the nation has one central parliament and numerous state parliaments
Federation
This establishment of a system of government with one central Parliament and numerous state parliaments
Federation day
1 January 1901, the day when the British parliament passed a law called the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution act 1900, to unite the separate colonies of Australia and form one nation with the federal system of government
Freedom of political communication
The right to freely discuss and debate political issues
Global citizen
A person who identifies as being part of the world community and acts according to and seeks to build world community values and practices
Government
The elected members of parliament who make decisions for a nation or state. The government is made up of the party or coalition that has won a majority seat in the lower house of Parliament.
Governor general
The Queen’s representative in Australia
Guilty
Verdict in a criminal case where the accused is found to have committed an offence; also referred to as a conviction
House of representatives
The lower house of the Commonwealth Parliament
House of review
The term often used to refer to the senate in that its role as reviewing legislation that has come from House of Representatives
Human rights
Rights that all human beings possess whatever Their nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language or any other status
Humanitarian
Concerned with or seeking to promote the welfare of humans
Implied rights
Rights that are deemed to exist by the High Court interpreting the Constitution
Judge
The person who presides over the western Australia district and supreme courts
Judiciary
The courts
Jurisdiction
The power authority of the court to hear a particular type of dispute
Jury
The group and randomly selected citizens who are called to determine the verdict in a criminal trial
Justice
All people should treat each other in a manner that is fair and balance for all
Justice system
A range of Organisations or bodies that make and enforce the law; including the courts, parliaments, police and prisons. Also referred to as the legal system
Justices
Experienced and senior judges that generally sit in the Supreme Court or higher
Kyoto protocol
An international treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Laws
Formal legal rules that are designed to govern the way in which people behave and act so we can all live together in one peaceful and united society
Legal obligations
A duty that is enforced by law
Legal system
A range of Organisations or bodies that make and enforce the law; including the courts, parliaments, police and prisons. Also referred to as the justice system
Legislation
A law made by Parliament also referred to as an act of parliament or statute
Liberal democracy
A form of government that is a representative democracy. A liberal democracy seeks to protect the rights of the individuals such as the right to vote in free and democratic elections
Lower house
One of the two houses of parliament where draft legislation bills are introduced
Millennium development goals
A UN initiative in which eight international development goals were established following the millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000
Multilateral
Where at treaty exists between Australia and two more countries
National budget
Annual estimate of how much money the government expects to receive and how it plans to spend it
Opposition
The second largest political party or coalition of parties after the government party, in the lower house of Parliament, that works to scrutinise and oppose government policies
Parliament
The National state lawmaking body that is made up of elected representatives in both the upper and lower house with a head of state. In Australia at the national parliament is referred to as the Commonwealth or federal parliament
Parliamentary democracy
A system of government when people elect representatives to parliament in order to make laws that reflect the majority of voters views
Participation
refers to the way good citizens contribute to take part in society
People’s consultative assembly
The Indonesian national parliament which is responsible for making laws apply to the whole country
People’s Representative assembly
The lower house of Indonesian National Parliament often referred to as the House of Representatives
Policy
Statement of principles and aims that will shape future decision-making
Political system
Structure that determines who has power to make decisions for members of a state or country
Preamble
Short introduction commonly provided at the beginning of an act of parliament that explains its broad aims and objectives
Precedent
A legal principle that must be followed by magistrates and judges in lower courts in the same hierarchy in cases where the facts are similar
Provincial legislative assembly
Local state parliament elected by the residents of a specified geographical area called province
ratification
A process that legally binds Australia to implement the treaty
Referendum
The process of changing the words of the Australian Constitution
Refugee
Someone who has been assessed as being forced to flee their country due to war, persecution or natural disaster
Regional representatives council
The upper house of the Indonesian national parliament
Representative government
Parliamentary principle that requires members of parliament to make laws for and on behalf of the majority of voters. if the government does not make laws that reflect the views and values of the majority, they risk not being re-elected
Republic
A system of government whether people vote to determine the government rather than being governed by a hereditary monarch or crown
Residual powers
Areas of lawmaking power not mentioned in constitution and so belong to the State only
Resolution
A formal proposal to be adopted in law
Responsible government
A parliamentary principle that requires members of parliament to be answerable to The voters and carry out their duties in an honest manner or resign
Rights and responsibilities
refers to entitlements and duties as citizens
Royal Assent
Written approval by the Queen’s representative, on behalf of the queen, for a bill to become law, after both houses of parliament have passed the bill
Rule of law
The principle that the laws apply equally to all individuals and organisations throughout a nation and must be upheld by all. The rule of law also means that the law can only be enforced and altered by those within the legal authority to do so
Senate
The upper house of the Federal Parliament of Australia that has 76 senators. 12 from each of the six states and 2 from the territories
Senators
Individuals elected to the upper house of the federal parliament
Separation of powers
Parliamentary principle that ensures no single group or body within our parliamentary system- that is not of the parliament the government or the courts -has the power to make, implement, apply and interpret the law
Social cohesion
The ability of a group of people or community to live together in a peaceful and unified manner
Specific powers
Areas in which the Commonwealth Parliament can make laws. specific powers and maybe concurrent or exclusive
Supreme Court
The highest court in a state hierarchy that hears the most serious criminal and civil cases
Treaties
Reaching international obligations which country is bound to observe
Trial
A hearing to resolve and determine the outcome in a criminal or civil dispute heard in the district or Supreme Courts
United Nations
An international organisation formed in 1945 with the aim of increasing political and economic corporation amongst member countries
Universal declaration of human rights
The declaration adopted by the United Nations General assembly on 10 December 1948 that sets out basic human rights that should be universally protected
Upper house
The second chamber of the two chamber parliament. the Senate is the other house in federal parliament and the legislative council is the upper house of the Western Australian state parliament
Verdict
The decision made by a magistrate judge or jury in a court hearing on trial
Vilify
To speak or write about another person in an insulting or degrading manner
West minister system
The Parliamentary system of Great Britain where Parliament consists of two houses and the crown. it is the Parliamentary system used in Australia
