Civics And Citizenship

Question 1

Australia

Answer 1

Australia - representative democracy- parliament given power through elections to act on behalf of citizens

Question 2

Make up Australian democracy

Answer 2

Rule of law: no one above the law
Separation of powers: balance and provide checks on each other

Question 3

Democratic ideals and features of Australian representative democracy

Answer 3

Modern democracy allows:
- people contribute - political system - voting, forming political parties, organisations, assembling, protesting peacefully
- free and fair elections regularly
- House of Reps - lower house - parliament - represents majority of citizens vote
- courts: independent from influence by - legislation, executive
- basic rights protected - through constitution, legislation, parliamentary statutes, international agreements, conventions, court resolution

Question 4

People’s Republic of China - part 1

Answer 4

• China - unitary communist government system-central government hold nearly all power
• China is also oligarchy - one group - communist party in China
• government 3 branches - no true separation of powers
• communist republics: single party state - people’s rights and freedoms controlled
• people’s Republic of China - 1949 - Mao Zedong, leader of Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
• CCP strictly controls life
• Chinas head of state - president - selected by - National People’s Congress (NPC) - five year terms
• Two term limit abolished, effectively allowing president - position for life
• Citizens over 18 can vote every five years - only for regional congresses
• 3000-strong congress - convenes for two weeks of the year to approve legislation

Question 5

People’s Republic of China - part 2

Answer 5

• Citizens - few parties vote for - CCP controls eight smaller parties, must bet any of their candidates
• NPC selects judiciary - confirm to the principles and values - CCP
• Most judicial officials - CCP members
• individual rights and freedoms - rarely protected - Chinese state nations authority comes first
• All - right to private property, freedom of speech, press, assembly, association
• CCP controls Chinese media - many social media sites - blocked
• Freedom religion - allowed unless interferes - purposes, aims, goals of the CCP
• country - considered undesirable, critical of central government - imprisoned or sent - re-education camps
• Justice system, trials - often closed to public - suspected of crimes - detention before charges laid

Question 6

Australia’s system of government

Answer 6

• Australia is governed by a constitutional monarchy, worth three levels of government - federal, state, local
• constitution - 1 January 1901
• commonwealth parliament and all state parliaments except Queensland are bicameral
• these bicameral parliaments consist of the crown, a lower house, and an upper house
• parliaments of Queensland and territories are unicameral
• Reigning British monarch or crown is head of each parliament
• crown is represented by the governor general in the commonwealth parliament and by a governor in each state parliament
• people of Australia choose members of lower and upper house
• member of winning part federal election choose the Australian prime minister
• Prime minister sits in the House of Reps
• MLC - member of legislative council - upper house
• MLA - member of legislative assembly - lower house

Question 7

Separation of powers

Answer 7

• operation of government is the constitution
• each arm check and balance powers of the others - maintain fair and justice society
• Legislative arm - parliaments functions make new laws, change or remover existing ones
• parliament is supreme law maker
• Commonwealth parliament consists of House of Reps (lower) and Senate (upper) as well as crown
• draft laws know as bill
• to become a law a bill - read, debated, voted on by both houses of Parliament then approved by governor general
• law passed by parliament called legislation, a statute or an act
• Executive arm - administrates legislation passed by parliament
• lies with governor general or governor representing the crown
• Judicial arm - makes judgements about the law
• settling disputes and enforcing the law
• high court responsible interpreting and applying the constitution

Question 8

Information

Answer 8

House of Reps - preferential voting
Senate - proportional voting
Australia provided military and police personnel to 62 United Nations and other multilateral peace and security operations since 1947

The world heritage convention (WHC) was adapted on the 16th of November 1972 in Paris by United Nations educational scientific and cultural organisation (UNESCO) Australia became one of the first countries to ratify the WHC in August 1974. Australia rarifying the WHC sets out a process fore countries to identify significant natural or cultural sites with a view to protecting them from damage, destruction, or any other form of harm. Australia adopting these treaties can cause conflict in Australia as governments attempt to pass laws that enforce the treaties and hence dictate the direction of government policy. Australia signing the WHC in 1972 has led to a High Court case, a change in government policy and an election
UDHR - 1948