Politics Test Questions Flashcards
(42 cards)
Bicameral
parliament with two houses: A upper (senate) and lower (House of representatives) house. They bothe uphold different values e.g state, peoples house.
Cabinet
A selective group of members who meet regularly to decide major issues of government.
Whip
member of parliament who is responsible for making sure other members are available for important votes and meetings.
Hansard
official record of debates held in parliament
Trade unions
organisation of employees formed for mutual support and to bargain collectively with employers regarding pay and working conditions.
Electorate
one of 150 areas within Australia, each having approximately the same population, that elects a person to represent its people in the house of representatives.
Preferences
the order in which a voter lists other candidates in an election
Bill
A proposed law put forward for debate in both houses of parliament (if approves, a bill becomes and Act of Parliament)
Independent
a candidate or elected member of parliament who is not a member of a political party
Royal assent
When the governor general gives approval to a Bill that has been passed by both houses of parliament. (The Bill then becomes an Act and after it is proclaimed, becomes a law)
explain why Australia is a constitutional monarchy
because its based on a constitution - a framework, system of law Australia is based on, but its head of state is a monarch - Queen Elizabeth the II
explain the main role of the senate, and what a half- senate election is
- The senate is the states house. It reviews proposed law and its job is to protect the interests of state. Each state has 12 senators and territories have 2 senators.
- A half senate election is an election to vote the new senators into position. Although the senate has a term of 6 years, it is shared between two groups of senators, one sits for the first three years and the other sits for the next three.
What is a political party and give an example of one
large group of candidates, members who are fighting to be in government, to have their core values and beliefs expressed.
Example: Labour, Liberal
What happens if you are 18 and don’t vote? Why do you think this occurs?
- Heavily finned, as its a crime in Australia to not vote.
- This occurs so each individuals (Australian citizens) point of view/vote is counted.
- its so the democratic system functions properly and correctly.
Describe the differences in roles between the Prime Minister and the leader of the opposition.
Prime Minister:
- Proposes new policies
- Creates new opportunities
- representative of the people
- leader of the party with the majority of seats in the House of Reps
- Makes key decisions in Parliament
Opposition Leader:
- leader of the party who came second
- opposes policies brought forward by prime minster
- questions and reviews
- shadow of the PM, checking on him and his doings
Why is the Australian Constitution such an important document?
- Sets out the framework, rules and principals by which Australia is governed.
- Foundation on which Australia is built on.
What is the difference between the LEGISLATURE, the EXECUTIVE, and the JUDICIARY?
- They are the separation of powers
- LEGISLATURE (parliament): creates/makes the laws
- EXECUTIVE (ministers/cabinet): applies and administrates the law
- JUDICIARY (judges/courts): enforces the laws
Why is it important in democracy to keep the functions in the previous questions separate?
- So that corruption is prevented.
- If all three powers lie in one hand. democracy could turn into dictatorship.
- Its important they remain separate, so power is evenly shared, making sure our system works fluently.
- The separate powers keep each other in check.
Fill in the gaps..
a) The Australian………established our federal system of government where………making powers are divided between the …. and the ……..
The Australian CONSTITUTION established our federal system of government where LAW making powers are divided between the STATES and the COMMONWEALTH
b) A special vote called a………… can be held to change the words in our constitution.
REFERENDUM
c) The federal and Victorian parliaments are ………………………. This means they have an upper…….. and a ……… house.
The federal and Victorian parliaments are BICAMERAL. This means they have an upper HOUSE and a LOWER house.
d) The head of the federal government is the ………….. and the head of the Victorian government is the ……….
The head of the federal government is the PRIME MINISTER and the head of the Victorian government is the PREMIER.
e) The Australian Constitution provides for three branches of government including the …………………. the ……….. and the …………..
The Australian Constitution provides for three branches of government including the LEGISLATIVE the EXECUTIVE and the JUDICIARY
what is a commonwealth?
an international association consisting of the UK together with states that were previously part of the British Empire, and dependencies
