Definitions

Question 1

Bicameralism

Answer 1

Governments are made up of two houses

Question 2

Federal system

Answer 2

One over-arching government and six state governments

Question 3

Colonial-monarch heads of state

Answer 3

State governors and Governor General

Question 4

Judicial review

Answer 4

High Court

Question 5

Westminster system

Answer 5

UK political system

Question 6

Washington system

Answer 6

US political system

Question 7

Rule of law

Answer 7

System of transparent laws - Constitutional

Question 8

Parliamentary government

Answer 8

Voters elect members of parliament

Question 9

Bill

Answer 9

Pre-law - a draft of a law that is up for debate

Question 10

Act

Answer 10

A law - passes through the two houses as a bill before becoming a law

Question 11

Case law

Answer 11

Laws enacted by judges as part of judicial proceedings - judges make decisions that are then binding as precedent

Question 12

Executive government

Answer 12

Apex of govt - proposes laws, implements changes made in Parliament

Question 13

COAG

Answer 13

Council of Australian Governments - meeting between Prime Minister and state governors (premiers)

Question 14

Cabinet

Answer 14

Prime Minister and senior ministers

Question 15

Hung parliament

Answer 15

No political party or coalition holds a majority - eg 2010 election

Question 16

Backbenchers

Answer 16

Parliament members without a department

Question 17

Standards of Ministerial Ethics

Answer 17

Formal document outlining principles of executive government

Question 18

Collective ministerial responsibility

Answer 18

All ministers must support Cabinet decisions

Question 19

The Opposition

Answer 19

Second biggest party in Parliament (lower house)

Question 20

Shadow cabinet

Answer 20

Ministers within Opposition party

Question 21

The Senate

Answer 21

Upper house of parliament

Question 22

Elections

Answer 22

Free, fair and frequent calls to Australian public to vote

Question 23

Compulsory voting

Answer 23

All eligible citizens must take part in an election

Question 24

Plurality voting

Answer 24

Voters indicate only one preference and candidate with most votes win, regardless of majority

Question 25

Preferential voting

Answer 25

Voters rank all candidates according to preference, majority required for win

Question 26

Federal division of power

Answer 26

Powers are divided between Commonwealth govt and state govts

Question 27

Section 51 of the Constitution

Answer 27

Lists areas over which the Cth govt holds power, and all others belong to the States

Question 28

Section 52 of the Constitution

Answer 28

Lists areas of which the Commonwealth holds exclusive power - limited

Question 29

Section 109 of the Constitution

Answer 29

Where there is an inconsistency between Cth and State law, the Cth law will prevail

Question 30

Local government

Answer 30

Third tier of govt - councils

Question 31

Section 96 of the Constitution

Answer 31

Tied grants - funding requests from the States to the Cth

Question 32

Majoritarianism

Answer 32

Two party system

Question 33

Consensus systems

Answer 33

Multiple parties - diverse

Question 34

Influence groups

Answer 34

Groups or organisations that fight for change to legislation

Question 35

Press barons

Answer 35

People/corporations that own media in Australia - Fairfax/News Ltd

Question 36

Inside lobbying

Answer 36

Private interactions with the government to influence change

Question 37

Outside lobbying

Answer 37

Transparent, public lobbying to influence change

Question 38

Fourth Estate

Answer 38

The media - acts as another arm of the government as a watchdog for political parties