Hass Revision

Civics: Parliament and elections

Houses of Parliament

Composed of two houses: House of Representatives and Senate.

House of Representatives

Contains 151 seats in the Australian Parliament.

Senate

Contains 76 seats in the Australian Parliament.

Federal system

Power is divided between the Federal government and state governments.

Separation of power

Government divided into three branches: Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary.

Legislative Branch

Responsible for making laws.

Executive Branch

Responsible for enforcing laws.

Judiciary Branch

Responsible for interpreting laws.

Compulsory voting

Requirement for citizens over 18 to vote in elections.

Constitutional Monarchy

System where Australia recognizes the British monarch as head of state.

Parliamentary democracy

System where elected representatives make decisions on behalf of the people.

Preferential voting

A voting system where voters rank candidates in order of preference.

Voter eligibility

Any citizen over 18 on the electoral roll, not serving a prison sentence exceeding three years.

Majority of votes in House of Representatives

A political party must win 76 votes to form a government.

Majority of votes in Senate

A political party must win 39 votes to form a government.

Free election

Voters can vote without external pressure or fear of punishment.

Fair election

All votes counted equally and hold the same value.

Regular election

Elections must occur at regular intervals, allowing citizen participation.

Coalition

Parties join together to form a government when no party secures a majority.

Labour Party

Advocates for workers' rights with a focus on improving conditions for the working class.

Leader of Labour Party

Anthony Albanese.

Liberal Party

Emphasises free-market policies and lower taxes for economic growth.

Leader of Liberal Party

Peter Dutton.

Nationals Party

Represents regional interests, supporting agricultural and rural development.

Leader of Nationals Party

David Littleproud.

Greens Party

Focuses on environmental issues and sustainability.

Leader of Greens Party

Adam Bandt.

Political ideology

A party’s belief about how a country should be run.

Policy

An actual law proposed by a party based on its beliefs.

Factors influencing voter behaviour

Include appeal via platform, debates, and biased media coverage.

Appeal to voters

Aligning party platforms with voters’ values to gain support.

Negative campaigning

Attacking opposing parties to influence voter opinion.

Biased media coverage

Media presenting misleading information to sway public opinion.