civics test

Question 1

who is allowed to vote in a federal election

Answer 1

everyone over 18 that is a Australia citizen

Question 2

what does it mean to live in a representive democracy

Answer 2

gives the citizens a voice and a choice to elect a representative to represent Australia

Question 3

I know the basic structure of Australia’s political system and how it operates

Answer 3

Federal Government (national): controls all of Australia (eg, army and defence force)
State and territory governments: control each state individually (schools and PTV)
Local government: local towns (eg. Schools and hospitals)

Question 4

what is a rule

Answer 4

Made by groups or organisations (schools, parents) and apply to small groups or collections of people (students, workers, children).

Question 5

what is a law

Answer 5

Made by the government or parliament and apply to everyone in the country or state. These include things such as no crime, speed limits and assaults

Question 6

what is the rule of law

Answer 6

everyone must obey the law and no one is above the law

Question 7

I know where some of our democratic freedoms come from historically.

Answer 7

Magna Carta and constitution

Question 7

I can identify the roles in parliament

Answer 7

The governor, the senate, the House of Representatives

Question 8

• I know the difference between the two houses of federal Parliament

Answer 8

the house of Representatives (Lower House) makes laws and forms the government. The Senate (Upper House) reviews laws and specifically focuses on states

Question 9

I understand how a jury works and when it is used in the legal system.

Answer 9

A jury is a group of ordinary people who listen to a court case and decide if the person is guilty or not guilty. It is used in serious criminal trials, like murder.

Question 10

I know the basic responsibilities of jurors and the importance of fairness in trials.

Answer 10

Jurors help make trials fair. They listen to all the evidence, follow the judge’s directions, and work with other jurors to decide the case. They must stay fair and only use what they hear in court.

Question 11

I can name and explain key ideas that support fairness in Australia’s legal system.

Answer 11

Rule of Law (no one is above the law), Presumption of Innocence (innocent until guilty) and right to a fair trial

Question 12

I know what a statutory authority is

Answer 12

people or a group that help enforce the law and make sure everyone follows the rules, they are made by the parliament and the law gives them power to do certain jobs. But they don’t actually work or are run by the government but rather work for the public

Question 13

I understand why parliaments sometimes give law-making power to other organisations.

Answer 13

Parliament gives law-making power to other organisations because they have experts who understand areas like health, transport, or money better than politicians. It also saves time, so Parliament doesn’t need to make every small rule. This helps laws work better and faster, but Parliament still stays in charge overall.

Question 14

I can explain what political parties are and what they generally stand for

Answer 14

A political party is a group of people who share similar ideas about how the country should be run. They work together to get their members elected to Parliament so they can help make laws and decisions

Question 15

Liberals

Answer 15

For the people - Workers rights, centre link, aged care, education, climate change)

Question 16

Labor

Answer 16

Small businesses/work - Strong economy, lower taxes, support small businesses

Question 17

Nationals

Answer 17

Farmers/agriculture - Help small town farmers, promote export and agriculture)

Question 18

Greens

Answer 18

Clean energy/environmental protection - transition to renewable energy, fight climate change

Question 19

what is liberal democracy

Answer 19

A liberal democracy is a type of government where people vote to choose their leaders in free and fair elections. It also protects rights like free speech and religion, and makes sure everyone is treated equally under the law.

Question 20

Australian rights and values

Answer 20

Freedom/Freedom of speech, fairness and equality, right to vote, Rule of Law, Freedom of religion

Question 21

Pros of having a Jury

Answer 21

Not biased, More fair, more opinoins/POVs

Question 22

Cons of having a jury

Answer 22

Confused by legal concepts, Media influence

Question 23

I can explain why fairness and proper procedure are important in a trial.

Answer 23

so the defendant gets a fair punishment, fair trials = accurate results/punishments

Question 24

I understand how certain actions can affect the fairness of a legal process.

Answer 24

if a judge or juror is biased or doesn’t listen to all the evidence, it’s not fair. Hiding important information or not letting people speak or defend themselves also makes the process unfair.

Question 25

Legislative

Answer 25

is parliament (who makes laws)

Question 26

Executive

Answer 26

Is government (enforce law - cops)

Question 27

Judiciary

Answer 27

Is the courts (Apply the law and hand out punishments if breached)

Question 28

what legal system do we have

Answer 28

Our legal system is a constitutional monarchy, but we follow a liberal democracy

Question 29

what is out constitution called

Answer 29

Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act