Politics and Law HASS T4 Y10

What is a democracy?

political system where citizens have the freedom to vote for politicians to represent them in parliament.

What type of political system does Australia have?

• Constitutional Monarchy.

• Headed by a monarch (King Charles III).

• People's rights are protected by a Constitution.

• Parliament makes the laws.

• Governor-General represents the monarch in Australia.

What are Australia's three levels of government and their responsibilities?

• Federal (Canberra): Immigration, defence and Indigenous Affairs.

• State: Education, communication, transport and law and order (State Police).

• Local: Waste collection, parks, libraries and building regulations.

What is separation of powers? Identify its three branches.

Divides government power between three branches to prevent one branch gaining too much control.

1. Legislative: Makes laws (Parliament).

2. Executive: Puts laws into action.

3. Judiciary: Courts interpret laws, hear cases and decide sanctions.

What does bicameral mean?

parliament with two houses involved in the law-making process.

Australia's federal parliament has:

• House of Representatives (lower house).

• Senate (upper house).

What is the role and structure of the House of Representatives?

• Lower house of federal parliament.

• 150 representatives, each representing an electorate of approximately 120,000 people.

• Members usually serve three-year terms.

• Introduces proposed laws (bills).

• Represents the people.

• Prime Minister is a member.

What is the role and structure of the Senate?

• Upper house of federal parliament.

• 76 senators.

• Reviews proposed laws from the House of Representatives.

• Ensures equal state representation.

• Each state has 12 senators; each territory has 2.

• State senators serve 6 years; territory senators serve 3 years.

What is the role of the Governor-General?

• Represents the monarch (King Charles III) in Australia at the federal level.

• Part of the executive branch.

What are the roles of the Speaker and President in Parliament?

• Speaker (House of Representatives): Maintains order, enforces parliamentary rules, manages proceedings and voting. Only votes when there is a tie.

• President (Senate): A senator elected by other senators who maintains order in the Senate.

What is the role of the Prime Minister?

• Leader of the party with the most seats in the House of Representatives.

• Political leader of Australia.

• Participates in parliamentary debates and discussions.

What are ministers and portfolios?

• Ministers are key politicians allocated areas of responsibility by the Prime Minister.

• These areas are called portfolios.

• Examples: Immigration, defence and education.

• Senators can also be appointed as ministers.

What are the roles of the Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Ministers?

• Leader of the Opposition: Leader of the party with the second-most seats in the House of Representatives; main spokesperson for the opposition.

• Shadow Ministers: Monitor government ministers, question their decisions and oversee their portfolios.

What are Independents and Hansard Reporters?

• Independents: Politicians elected to parliament who do not belong to a political party. Their votes can influence whether a bill passes.

• Hansard Reporters: Record parliamentary proceedings and produce reports of debates.

What type of political system does Indonesia have?

• Representative democracy and democratic republic.

• Citizens elect politicians to represent them.

• Headed by a President.

• President serves five-year terms, with a maximum of two consecutive terms.

What are Indonesia's three levels of government?

1. National: People's Consultative Assembly.

2. Provincial: 38 provinces, each with a Provincial Legislative Assembly.

3. District/city: Local government.

What is the role and structure of Indonesia's lower house?

People's Representative Council (House of Representatives):

• 580 members.

• Members serve five-year terms.

• Creates laws and determines the budget.

• Can question the President's actions.

What is the role and structure of Indonesia's upper house?

Regional Representative Council:

• 152 senators.

• Four representatives from each of the 38 regions.

• Represents Indonesia's regions.

• Can suggest bills to the lower house.

• Has limited power and authority.

Why is Indonesia not strictly classified as bicameral?

• lthough it has two houses, only the lower house has significant law-making power.

• The upper house has limited authority and does not play a significant role in passing bills.

What are the similarities between Australia's and Indonesia's political systems?

Both countries:

• Are democracies.

• Have three levels of government.

• Have three branches: legislative, executive and judiciary.

• Have separation of powers.

• Have a lower house called the House of Representatives (Indonesia's is officially the People's Representative Council).

What are the differences between Australia's and Indonesia's political systems?

Australia	Indonesia
Prime Minister	President
Lower house: 150 members	Lower house: 580 members
Senate: 76 members	Upper house: 152 members
Not fixed PM term	Fixed 5-year presidential term
Lower house: 3 years	Lower house: 5 years
Senate: 6 years (states)	Upper house: 5 years
Bicameral	Not strictly bicameral

What are safeguards and how does separation of powers protect democracy?

• Safeguards: Strategies put in place to protect democracy.

• Separation of powers: Divides authority between the legislative, executive and judiciary branches.

• Prevents excessive power, promotes accountability, protects rights and ensures fair decisions under the rule of law.

How do elections protect Australia's democracy?

• Allow citizens to choose their parliamentary representatives.

• Conducted impartially by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC).

• Voting is compulsory, helping represent the majority's views.

• Uses a secret ballot to prevent intimidation and protect voter privacy.

Who is eligible to vote in Australian elections?

• Be Australian citizens.

• Be 18 years or older.

• Not have a serious criminal record.

How do freedoms and the Rule of Law protect Australian democracy?

• Freedom of Assembly: form groups and protest peacefully, following the law.

• Freedom of Speech: Allows Australians to express political opinions appropriately without persecution. Implied by the Constitution through High Court rulings.

• Right to Dissent: Allows peaceful opposition to government decisions; not explicitly in the Constitution.

• Rule of Law: Everyone is treated equally under the law. Accused people are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.

How does the media protect and threaten democracy?

• Protects: Informs the public about government actions, decisions, law-making and budgets.

• Threatens: Media bias can favour particular political parties and give the public an inaccurate account of government decisions.

What are the three processes used to resolve differences?

1. Negotiation: Parties attempt to resolve disputes through discussion.

2. Mediation: A third party becomes involved when negotiation fails (e.g. court or tribunal).

3. Reconciliation: Renewing a relationship between parties.