petitions Flashcards
(9 cards)
topic sentence
Petitions have emerged as a powerful tool for promoting political participation in Australia. They provide an avenue for citizens to express their views directly to their representatives.
positive 1
A positive about petitions is that they have become a key tool for advocacy groups and non-governmental organisations seeking to influence policy, and have been successful in generating public support and influencing decision-making at all levels of government.
negative 1
However, there are also limitations to the effectiveness of petitions in promoting political participation. While they can be effective in raising awareness and mobilising citizens, petitions do not always lead to concrete action or policy change which is often because of the lack of other forms of pressure.
example 1
- 2019
-400,000
An example of this is In 2019, a petition calling for urgent action on climate change was launched by school students across Australia, and it quickly gathered over 400,000 signatures. The petition was presented to the Australian Parliament, but the government dismissed the calls for a more ambitious climate policy, stating that it would compromise economic growth. Resulting in 400,000 Australian citizens (typically younger adults) futures being compromised due to the past governments own selfish reasons.
second lead in
Furthermore, petitions are now more often than not leading to clicktivism,which both positives and negatives.
positive 2
One of which being that because it is online it is a lot more simpler to sign up and convenient because a significant number of Australians do not have the time to dedicate to going to a protest to sign petitions. This has led to a rise in the number of people engaged in political participation, particularly among the younger generation who are more likely to use social media.
negative 2
However clicktivism is not without its limitations. It can create a false sense of accomplishment, where individuals believe that they have made a significant impact simply by signing a petition. This can lead to a decrease in actual political action, as individuals may feel that they have done enough by participating in clicktivism.
example 2
- scomo
-90,000
An example of this is the “credit card surcharges” online petition that gathered over 90,000 supporters due to the fact that the amount businesses would charge would be so high . Which ended up being heard by past prime minister Scott Morrison and later approved, meaning that businesses could only charge as much as it costs the business to use that payment type. As a result petitions are moderately effective in Australian political participation.
lead out
As a result petitions are moderately effective in Australian political participation.
