BSI 15 marker evidence

Representative democracy - power structure

• allows that conflict is dealt with in a way that aligns with the majority

• Electoral representatives - ensures that representative politicians reflect the beliefs of the area they’re apart of

• Effectivness dwindling - 74% think elected officials don’t care what people like them think.

• 42% say no political party in their country represents their views. (Pew research centre, 2024)

judiciary/courts + law enforcement - power structures

• courts used a way to systemically and peacefully resolve issues of conflict

• Judges play a key role in applying laws passed by parliament - cooperation between different structures to ensure sucesfful resolving of conflict

• High court - deals with constitutional matters

• Law enforcement- micro/meso level - limitation - overenforcement of indigenous australians - failuure to protect vunerable groups in democratic society

prime minister and leader of the opposition

• prime minister- elected by members of the government party thats in power - represents ideas of people - effective

• Not above the rule of law - ensures PM does not use his power to fuel or initiate a conflict that would be self-serving

• Opposition leader: responsible for helping to hold the prime minister/power in party accountable - helps ensure policies addresses as many people as possible, thus reducing the possibility that the passing of policies results in conflict within a country - increases effectivness

Tech - information about democracy

• media as the fourth estate - key institution in delivering political news to the public - shifted online + existence of social media

• Change - easier for disinformation to occur

• Echo chambers: social media platforms can reinforce resistance to new ideas among polarised groups - changing the basis of truth needed for democracy to occur

• Example: Hungary had backlash against LGBTQI+ laws due to misinformation campaigns

Tech based information - hungary study

• Hungary had backlash against LGBTQI+ laws due to misinformation campaigns - distorion and misinterpretation of Western countries legislation and laws - misinformation based on the idea that unlike Hungary, western govenrments are unable to protect children - claims that scotland allowed gender reassignment surgeries from age 4, which was a distortion of the truth and was DELIVERED VIA A VIDEO STATEMENT

Change + resistance to change can now occur online

• protests allow people to voice their opinion on changes within democracy, and can be used as a way to resist change -  organisation of such protests can now occur online

  • Example: Arab spring protests organised on facebook - protests were pro democracy - technology helping non-democratic societies transition to democracy

• petitions - change and resistance to change can now occur entirely online without real life action

  • Australian parliamentary website showcasing open e-petitions

Women - other factors have influenced nature of change and in some instances, technology is limited

the role of technology in this instance is limited

• change - further inclusion of women in politics - Julia Gillard in Aus in 2010, Jacinta Arden in New Zealand in 2017-2023, showcases how shifts in nature of change aren’t just due to technology

• Resistance to change - whilst involvement of female politicians is a significant change, women in parliament continue to face gendered criticisms and sexism - misogynist campaigns ran in national newspapers - cartoons depicted her naked

• Glass cliff - women appointed as leaders during/right after a crisis - example; UK PM Teresa may who came into power post-brexit

Time - early exampel of dissent

Paragraph 1 - early example of dissent - American revolution

• establishment of declaration of independence - key document - role of establishing new policies/cornerstones of democracy

• Caused changes to the structure of democracy - the US no longer under the british monarchy and could now operate as a republican democracy - outcome of dissent

• Less globalised - more local/regional specific protests due to the time period and significantly less global interactions - change only occured in a very small area of the world

time and globalisatin paragraph 2 - Vietnam war protests

• time - more organised form of dissent - formal protest in streets of melbourne against australian involvement in vietnam war + conscription -

• Globalisation: protesting australian involvement in the overseas war in vietnam, showcasing how globalisation and awareness of the vietnam war resulted in protests

• Large scale protest: showcased how over time actions of dissent have become more organised and collectivised

• Use of video - captured dissent on camera, showcasing how time’s impact on technological advances has made actions of dissent more visible

Paragraph 3 - dissent via the internet

• globalisation - issues all over the world can now be seen on the internet, which has led to global protests - ex: the US protests black lives following the murder of George Floyd led to similar protests in australia over indigenous deaths in custody - happened due to social media and international journalism raising awareness of US protests - impact of dissent more prominent due to globalisation

• Online protests - the internet has allowed for the signing of petitions and for discourse to occur strictly online - shifts the role of dissent, as whilst online action can be more widespread, it can result in les concrete action, mitigating the role and impact of dissent

Ethical issues paragraph 1 - abortion

moderately effective at adressing this ethical issue

• Ireland 2018  referendum  to legalise abortion - 66.4% of voters voted yes

• 2022 overturning of Roe V Wade in the US - gave states the power to make own laws on abortion + was not voted on by public

• Full on ban on abortion in 13 states - whilst some states such as California and Vermont polled their citizens this did not happen in all places

Paragraph 2; LGBTQI rights - moderately effedxive bu some gaps

• 2017 legalisation of gay marriage referendum in aus - gave the people the power to vote on this issue - democratic - 61.6% voted yes

• Anti-LGBTQ protests happening, and the government not doing anything + former labour leader mark Latham attended - failure to protect those vulnerable in democratic society from harm.

• Victoria - no law that protects LGBTQ people from hate but there is lobbying by other groups   

• Thus, in regards to the ethical issue of LGBTQI rights, australia as a democratic nation has only been moderately effective in addressing it.

paragraph 3: enviromentalism

• goal of 82% of australian energy being renewable by 2030

• This showcases how by directly responding to the public, democratic governments can effectively address democratic issues within society.

• Limited - reliance on fossil fuels - in 2024 91% of australia’s enemy came from fossil fuels

• Short-terminsm - australian politicians only in power for 3 years - lack of change - aus climate policies still labelled as ‘ineffective’