exam Flashcards
Separation of power (roles)
Legislative - parliament; creates & changes laws
Executive - Government; puts laws into action
Judicial - courts; makes judgements, applies law to resolve disputes
The constitution
A set of rules of how a nation should be governed, passed by the British parliament & came into effect in 1901
Social cohesion 5 factors (SSSPA)
- Sense of Belonging
- Sene of Worth
- Social justice and Equality
- Participation
- Acceptance & rejection, Legitimacy
Social Cohesion (importance)
It holds a society together
4 principles of Australia’s democratic Government
- Govt must protect rights & freedoms of its citizens
- Govt must make laws that reflect the views & values of the people
- Govt must be accountable to the people
- Separation of powers
Bicameral meaning
2 houses or chambers
Crown
The governor-general, recommended by the P.M
The upper house
The senate, house of review or states house, 76 members, each state 12 and each territory 2. Elected every 6 years by all Australians that can vote.
Lower house
The house of representatives, known as the people’s house, has 151 members. Voters can elect a member every 3 years
3 levels of government
- Federal - Power to make laws for the entire country
- State - Parliaments at this level make laws that are enforced within their own state or territory
- Local - Councils are responsible for local issues
Preferential & Proportional Voting
Preferential is for the lower house. Winning candidate must get majority votes
Proportional voting is for the upper house. Voters are required to number their preferences on a piece of paper
Electorate
An electorate is all the people in a country or area entitled to vote
Why is the power separated
The power is separated so no one group holds all the power which could lead to an abuse of power.
The legislative power
makes & changes laws, also oversees the government
Executive power
Takes care of public order. (Government; police, army, mayors)
