Australia's Formal Political System and Democratic Principles

A comprehensive vocabulary review of the Australian political system, covering parliamentary roles, democratic principles, federalism, and accountability mechanisms.

Parliament

An assembly of elected lawmaking representatives; in Australia, it consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

House of Representatives

The 'lower' of the two houses of Parliament, in which the government is formed; sometimes abbreviated to the House of the Reps.

Senate

The 'upper' of the two houses of Parliament, in which legislation and government actions are reviewed and scrutinised.

Parliamentarian

A general term for any person elected to either house of parliament.

Member

A person elected to the House of Representatives, such as Zoe Daniel MP.

Senator

A person elected to the Senate, such as Senator Jana Stewart.

Government

The parliamentary grouping that has the support of a majority of members in the lower house; it forms the executive and seeks to implement its agenda.

Opposition

The largest party or coalition of parties that does not have the support of the majority of members of the lower house to form parliament.

Crossbench

Parliamentarians in either house who are neither a member of the government nor the opposition.

Frontbench

Members of parliament from either the government or opposition who serve as ministers or shadow ministers.

Cabinet

The group of senior ministers including the prime minister who collectively make important decisions and form the core of the executive branch of government.

Shadow Minister

A member of the opposition who scrutinises the work of a particular minister and explains opposition policies; sometimes referred to as a spokesperson.

Minister

A member of the Government who has been given official responsibility and executive authority over an area of policy such as finance, health, or foreign affairs.

Portfolio

An area of policy that is overseen by a responsible minister or shadow minister.

Assistant Minister

A junior minister who assists another minister with a certain part of their portfolio; sometimes known as a parliamentary secretary.

Prime Minister

The head of the government who leads the parliamentary grouping that has the support of the majority of members in the lower house, as well as the Cabinet.

Leader of the Opposition

The member of parliament who leads the largest party grouping that is not in Government.

Parliamentary Party

A political party with at least one member in parliament.

Coalition

An ongoing agreement between two or more parliamentary parties to cooperate and act as a larger group.

Party room

Private gatherings of parliamentary party members where they discuss and coordinate strategies, particularly regarding legislative business.

Whip

A member or senator selected by the parliamentary party to coordinate them and manage their strategy when it comes to votes on motions or legislation.

Bill

A document detailing a proposed law; sometimes referred to as legislations.

Law

A written rule agreed to by both houses of parliament and made official with royal assent; also called legislation or an Act of Parliament.

Speaker of the House

A member chosen by other members to run meetings of the House and ensure standing orders are followed.

President of the Senate

A senator chosen by other senators to run meetings of the Senate and ensure standing orders are followed.

Democracy

Complex structures built on complex ideas and institutions, defined in its truest form as 'rule by the people'.

Question Time

A procedure in parliament that allows parliamentarians to question ministers about their portfolios.

Rule of Law

The principle that the law applies to all people and government equally, including features like the presumption of innocence and the right to a fair trial.

Disability Discrimination Act $1992$

An Australian law that supports legal and political equality by prohibiting discrimination based on characteristics like ethnicity, gender, and disability.

Exclusive Powers

Powers held only by the federal government under the Constitution, including areas such as defence, foreign policy, taxation, currency, and citizenship.

Concurrent Powers

Powers shared by both state and federal levels of government, such as education and health.

Tied Grants

A mechanism where the federal government provides funding to states with specific conditions attached, allowing it to influence state policies.

Neoliberal Approach

An economic approach with limited government intervention accepted by both major parties since the Cold War.

Democratic Backsliding

A global trend where democratic systems are gradually weakened or dismantled, often through legal or political means due to erosion of trust.

Australian Electoral Commission (AEC)

An independent body that plays a crucial role in maintaining electoral integrity and manages the independent role of drawing electorate boundaries.

Malapportionment

Unequal numbers of 'seats' per head of population, which breaks the rule of 'one vote, one value'.

Responsible Government

A Westminster system feature ensuring the executive is accountable to Parliament through Question Time, ministerial responsibility, and the federal opposition.

Australian Public Service

An independent and impartial body providing expert advice to the government of the day; Australia ranks $13$ out of $178$ countries on the Corruption Perceptions Index.

Australian Human Rights Commission

An statutory watchdog with the power to investigate and publicise human rights abuses.

Australian Law Reform Commission

An independent body that exists to provide recommendations on law reform to the government.