Democracy Flashcards
Who is the current Prime minister?
Scott Morrison
What is the current day party?
The liberal party of Australia
Who is the opposition of the current day party and their leader?
Party: The Australian Labour Party
Leader: Bill Shorten
Name 5 parties and their wing sides
Left :
The Australian Liberal Party
Australian Greens
Right:
The liberal party of Australia
One nation (Pauline Hansen)
The Nationalist Party of Australia.
What is Democracy?
Democracy is a system of government where the citizens exercise power by voting to achieve the values of the citizens of the country, such as equality and freedom.
Explain the 2 types of Democracy
- Direct Democracy: The citizens as a whole form a governing body and vote directly on each issue.
- Representative Democracy: The representative democracy the citizens elect representatives from among themselves.
Name The Different Types of Government
- Absolute Monarchy
- Communist
- Dictatorship
- Democracy ; direct or indirect
What is the Role of the Government?
- ensure all members of society can live together in unison, safe and peaceful manner
- make laws that reflect prevailing laws views, moral standards of the citizens
- Citizens have access to basic services Eg. Water, Internet, electricity, health care, roads, education
- support citizens in maintainable a reasonable standard of living
What is a Parliament?
Group or Assembly of Representatives who have been elected by the People to make laws on their behalf.
- is a law making body
What is Parliamentary Democracy?
A system of government where people elect representatives to parliament in order to make laws that reflect the majority of voters’ views.
What is the Parliaments Role?
- make new laws and altering existing laws so they reflect the views and values of the majority of the people and benefit society.
- discussing and debating matters that affect the voters
- examining problems that exist within society
- reviewing perceived injustices in the law
What is a federal system of government
A federal system of government means a nation is divided into states, each of which has its own parliament that is responsible for making laws for the residents of that state.
What are the 3 levels of Government and their Areas of Responsibility
Federal; Marriage, Defence, Trade, Customs, Citizenship, Money
State; Education, Food, Health, Electricity, public Transport, water
Local; Roads, Footpaths, Drainage, Waste Collection, Recreational Facilities, Age Care, Child Care
Why does Australia have 3 levels of government?
Each level of government is responsible for providing services and they each raise money through taxes or charges to pay for those services.
What are the Principles of Government?
- gov must protect rights and freedoms of individuals
- gov must make laws that reflect the views and values of the people
- gov must be accountable for the actions to the people
- there must be separation of powers
Why are the principles of government important?
These principles aim to manage the nation in a fair and just manner to all citizens in the country.
Explain: Governments must protect the rights and freedoms of the individual.
Ensures the parliament does not make laws that are excessive or unnecessarily limit the activities of individuals
- protect broad right to freedom of speech
- protect basic right of freedom to assembly and expression
- limit individuals from behaving in an offensively indecent manner in public
What does liberal democracy mean?
Means it is a system that aims to protect individuals rights and freedoms, places limits to gov interference
Explain: Government must make laws that reflect the views and values of the people
- by holding free, fair and regular elections for people to represent them in parliament
- these representatives will debate and create laws to benefit the views of citizens
Pros and Cons of Compulsory voting
Pros;
- ensure parliaments have the support of the majority of people, and not just those who votes
- forces candidates and parties to consider the needs of all society when making laws
Cons
- forces those uninterested to make ill-informed votes
- is a violation of individual rights
Explain: Governments must be accountable to the people
The current government must be able to justify the needs of their done or is to be done actions and decisions to the voters.
*also dishonourable leaders has duty to resign from position
Explain; There must be separation of powers
So that our government system does not abuse its power the authority levels are separated. Which means no one single group or body within the parliamentary system has power over both political and legal systems
- Executive power: administer and implement laws; Governor General, Prime Minister, Senior Ministers
- Legislative Power: power to make laws, held by parliament
- Judicial Power: Power to apply, interpret the law, held by courts to enforce law and settle disputes
What is the Constitution?
statement of the basic principles and laws of a nation, state, or group
*rules for parliament/government
Describe the Parliament of Australia (high authority - low authority)
Queen (head of state in Australia)
Governor General (@ commonwealth parliament)
Senate
House of Representatives
Commonwealth parliament
- Lower House (House of Rep)
- Upper Hose (Senate)
- Crown (GovGen)
State Parliament
- Lower House (Legislative Assembly)
- Upper House (Legislative Council)
- Crown (Governor)
House of Representatives
- how many ppl
- Role
- other names
- consists of 150 members ( one from each electorate ) democratically elected and represent citizens in their electorates
- Known as ‘people’s house’ as members represent views, values and desires of people all around the country
Roles of HOR
- determine government of the day
- discuss, debate and scrutinise proposals for creating or changing new commonwealth laws
The Senate
- how many ppl
- role
- other name
- consists of 76 senators
(12 from each 6 states and 2 from mainland territories (NT. CNBA) - senators displays views and values of each stat
Roles
* represent states
- stop commonwealth parliaments from passing laws that discriminate a particular state (Called house of review for this reason)
- can also make laws
The Crown
- HOS
- Role
- Queen is head of state
- represented by Governor General
Roles
- Perform ceremonially duties Eg Anzac Day
- ‘dissolve’ or end term of parliament and call for new federal election if both houses fail to agree to pass over a significant law
- final approval of proposed law to become act of parliament
Role of Members in Cabinet
direct government policy and make decisions about national issues.
* discuss issues in nation and how to solve
Role of the Opposition
question the government of the day and hold them accountable to the public
What are the Safe Guard of Democracy
Safe guard is meaning how the Democracy is protected by the government making laws
- equality, dignity, mutual respect
- right to dissent
- processes to resolve differences
- the people elect the government
- governments uphold our shared values
How Australia provides ‘cohesive society’
- free trial and freedom from torture
- life, liberty and secure of person
- working and living in a healthy society
- basic health care and education
How ACE safe guard democracy
- compulsory voting (support of majority)
- ACE;
- ensures no intimidation or force
- every vote equal value regardless of person
Similarities Between Australian And Indonesia Government
- Representative democracies
- 3 levels of government
- based on separation of powers
- bicameral system ( two separate assemblies, chambers, or houses.)
Differences between Australian and Indonesian government (9)
Indonesian gov believes in the death penalty and Aus does not
Laws in Indonesia needs to be gone through one house only whereas Aus it needs to go through 2 houses
Compulsory voting in Aus but not Indonesia
Indonesia a much larger government with rep 560, senate 132
Rep is called people’s representative council and senate is called regional representative council
In Indonesia ‘local, state and Federal’ is known as ‘District’- ‘Provincial’- And -‘national
Indonesia is a republic (has president) and Australia only has PM with Head of state being queen
Indonesia Elections - once every 5 yrs and Aus = 3yr term
- Indonesia Muslim based law
Explain 2 threats to democracy
- vested interests ; donations from major companies to politicians and parties to get their way on a law
- feeds secrecy and Distrust
- failure to mainstream media.
Eg major newspaper companies showcasing goods of their preferred parties and showcasing negatives of opposing parties
Sydney morning herald - labour
Telegraph - liberal - polling not genuine random selection anymore, polling organisations makeshift sampling - fixed phone lines, robo -polling due to no much ppl using landline
What were the Indigenous At federation ?(9)
- Not formally recognised as part of the population
- Not allowed to vote during Federal Elections unless previous registered
- Not allowed basic wages, pensions, baby bonuses
- Not allowed to serve in military
- segregation and assimilation polices took hold of them intensely
- controlled by colour
- reserved were moved in favour of increasing role of missions
What were the aboriginal protection boards?
Prior 1901
Older while men officers had to deal with the ‘black problem’
Stolen generation
Reserves and mission were set up for aboriginals to live away from white people
Outline segregation policy
Up to 1960s
Coloured had to live separately from white
Prohibited from some jobs
Black - benches, parks and other locations were set up
Assimilation Policy
absorbing Aboriginal people into white society through the process of removing children from their families.
1880-1970s
Trained as servants or unskilled workers
Half casts (mixed children) to wipe out black culture
