Terminology: Semester 2

Question 1

Accountability

Answer 1

Being held responsible and in check for your actions/inactions, conduct or decisions. An essential feature of responsible parliamentary government.

Question 2

Electoral systems

Answer 2

Systems that translate votes into representation, eg single member preferential

Question 3

Electoral procedures

Answer 3

Rules around votes, who stands and electoral boundaries, which are determined by the AEC

Question 4

Matters of public importance

Answer 4

An opportunity for people to make statements to the parliament concerning issues not currently being legislated on.

Question 5

Hansard

Answer 5

A record of everything said in parliament, which can be reviewed at any time.

Question 6

Cabinet secrecy

Answer 6

The convention that discussions that happen within the cabinet be kept secret. This allows for full and frank discussion, as well as for the cabinet to publicly present as a united government.

Question 7

Cabinet solidarity

Answer 7

The convention that the cabinet present as a united government, binding ministers to publicly support the cabinet’s position on all issues. Ministers should not challenge the pm from within cabinet, and by convention should resign if they can’t support cabinet.

Question 8

Legal and constitutional affairs committee

Answer 8

A legislative committee which ensures proposed bills don’t breach existing laws

Question 9

Senate estimates hearings

Answer 9

Biannual hearings in each of the 8 senate legislative committees which examine proposed government expenditure. Committee members can question senate ministers and public servants from their department.

Question 10

Auditor general

Answer 10

A public servant responsible for performance and financial reviews as well as assurance audits into the public service, other executive agencies and the government. Reports to the parl on executive performance.

Question 11

Administrative appeals tribunal

Answer 11

A statutory dispute resolution body that conducts merit based reviews of administrative decisions. It can’t review all decisions, only ones for which the process is written into law. Its decisions don’t hold the same legal power as court decisions.

Question 12

Human rights

Answer 12

Universal claims to certain freedoms and entitlements which ensure dignity, equality, respect and the ability to make genuine choices about one’s own life.

Question 13

First generation/negative rights

Answer 13

Rights defined by areas in which the govern shouldn’t be involved/things they shouldn’t do. These fit with the libertarian idea of a limited role for government.

Question 14

Second generation/positive rights

Answer 14

Rights that require positive action by the government eg the right to health and education

Question 15

Third generation rights

Answer 15

Culture, religious and indigenous rights. The most controversial generation of rights (they get more controversial as they go up)

Question 16

Universal

Answer 16

Applies to all humans

Question 17

Interdependence

Answer 17

For any right to be experienced fully, all the rights must be enjoyed. To breach any right diminishes the others.

Question 18

Indivisibility

Answer 18

Rights can’t be ranked into an order of importance or only partially allowed

Question 19

Inalienability

Answer 19

You can’t separate a person from their human rights. The only exemption is loss of rights by law (ie prison)

Question 20

Civil rights

Answer 20

Freedom of speech and association, right to life

Question 21

Political rights

Answer 21

Right to vote and stand for election, assembly and association rights.

Question 22

Economic rights

Answer 22

Right to work, own property, have a minimum standard of living

Question 23

Social rights

Answer 23

Freedom to choose your partner and have children

Question 24

Cultural rights

Answer 24

Right to practice cultural traditions

Question 25

Legal rights

Answer 25

Right to procedural justice

Question 26

Rule of law

Answer 26

The key democratic principle that all people are equally bound and equally subject to the law.

Question 27

Bill of rights

Answer 27

A codified law containing a list of rights. It may b either constitutional or statutory.

Question 28

Parliamentarianism

Answer 28

Assigning the ultimate power over rights to the legislature, who theoretically represent the democratic will of the people. It is an alternative to judicial supremacism.

Question 29

Charter of rights

Answer 29

Rights codified in statute law, which must be taken into account by the government parliament when legislating and the executive when making decisions. Victoria, Queensland and the act all have one

Question 30

Judicial supremacy

Answer 30

Assigning the ultimate power over rights to the judiciary. The judiciary is immune to influence from the other two arms of government; theoretically, this impartiality and independence provides the best guarantee of rights.

Question 31

Individual ministerial responsibility

Answer 31

A Westminster convention by which a minister may be held to account by the lower house.

Question 32

Collective ministerial responsibility

Answer 32

A convention by which an entire government may be held to account by the lower house.

Question 33

Public service

Answer 33

Appointed officials who provide administrative services to executive government. It is accountable to the people through the Westminster chain of responsibility.

Question 34

Prorogue

Answer 34

To bring a parliament to an end without dissolving it. S5 of the constitution gives this power to the Governor General.