Civics exam revision

What is the primary aim of criminal law?

To punish, rehabilitate, deter the offender, denounce the crime, and protect society.

What type of law deals with crimes committed against the public?

Criminal law.

Give examples of crimes that violate criminal law.

Murder, rape, and manslaughter.

Who takes legal action when a crime is committed?

The state (parliament) takes the offender to court.

What is the main goal of civil law?

To restore individual rights to their original position, usually through monetary compensation.

What type of disputes does civil law concern?

Disputes between two individuals.

Provide an example of a civil dispute.

A fence dispute between neighbors or suing someone for breaking a contract.

Who holds the burden of proof in a civil case?

The plaintiff, as they are the individual or group bringing action against the defendant.

What is the standard of proof in civil law?

On the balance of probabilities.

How does the standard of proof in civil law compare to that in criminal law?

It is a lower standard than in criminal law.

What does the constitution outline regarding Australian governance?

It sets out how the Australian and state parliaments share law-making power and details the roles of the executive government and the High Court of Australia.

What is the role of citizens in a democracy?

Citizens vote for members of parliament to make laws on their behalf.

What are the key ideas of democracy in Australia?

Active and engaged citizens, an inclusive society, and free elections.

How many members are in the House of Representatives?

151 members, but this can change depending on population.

How often are members of the House of Representatives elected?

Every 3 years.

What is the primary function of the Senate?

To review laws, make laws, provide for the responsible and representative government, and scrutinise the government.

How many members are in the Senate?

76 members.

What is the role of the Crown in Australian governance?

To grant royal assent to legislation, appoint times for parliament, dissolve the House of Representatives, and grant pardons.

What is the difference between laws and rules?

Laws are formal, legally binding, and enforced by the government, while rules apply to specific groups and are often not legally enforceable.

What is preferential voting in Australia?

A voting system that allows people to rank candidates in order of preference.

What is proportional voting?

A voting system used for multimember electorates, particularly in the Senate, where voters number their preferences.

What are some Australian values?

• Respect for individual freedom

• Commitment to the rule of law

• equality of opportunity

• mutual respect.

Cost-of-living - Labor

• Provide energy bill assistance

• Eliminate 20% of student loan debt.

Cost of living - Liberal

• Cutting back on unnecessary spending

• repairing the budget

Cost of living - Greens

• Solar battery subsidies for homes and businesses

• pension increases and retirement age reductions

Cost of living - ToP

• guarantee no Australian goes to bed hungry

• Reduce government waste

Healthcare - Liberal

• Guarantee the growing funding of Medicare

• support Australians to access suicide prevention services

Healthcare - Labor

• Open more Medicare urgent care clinics

• Make medicines cheaper

Healthcare - greens

• see a GP for free

• better resources for public hospitals

Healthcare - ToP

• no more vaccine mandate

• investigations into deaths surrounding COVID-19

Education access - Greens

• Fully funded public schooling

• free school meals for every public-school child.

Education access - Labor

• make early education simple, accessible and affordable

• make free TAFE permanent

Education access - Liberal

• prioritise a new literacy and numeracy guarantee

• back parents to teach kids to read at home

Education access - ToP

• get the woke agenda out of our schools

• focus on reading, writing, and arithmetic, not ideology

Media articles - Liberal

• They are seen as having unstable ideas and constantly contradicting themselves

• very few members of different cultures

Media articles - Labor/greens

• most diverse culturally and gender

• seen as the only right option

• praise for Albanese's reliable leadership

• together claimed 81% of young voters

Media articles - ToP

• unsuccessful

• spamming voters

• portrayed negatively

Interviews - opinions on each party

• Labor is out of touch with the cost-of-living crisis

• Liberal will be better for the economy but some policies are unclear

Interviews - vote for

• All said they would vote for Liberal - although the media favoured Labor