Australian Constitution and Global Roles - Summary Notes

The Australian Constitution

What is a Constitution?

  • The Constitution provides guidelines for governing the nation.

  • It outlines responsibilities for each level of government.

  • It details the relationship between the Executive, Parliament, and Courts.

  • The Australian Constitution was written to unite the colonies into one nation (Federation) on January 1, 1901.

  • Initially, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were excluded from citizenship and federal law-making.

Key Terms

  • Constitution: Guidelines by which the nation is governed.

  • Referendum: A national vote on proposed changes to the Constitution.

  • Federation: The process of uniting states to form a single nation with a centralized government.

Reasons for and Against Federation

  • For:

    • Australian nationalism.

    • Controlled immigration.

    • National defense.

    • Free trade.

    • Improved communication.

  • Against:

    • Protectionism.

    • Loss of colonial power.

    • Distance between colonies.

    • Laborer movement concerns.

    • Cheap labor.

Branches of Power

  • Executive.

  • Legislature.

  • Judiciary.

Federal and State Powers

  • Federal government makes laws for all citizens.

  • State government governs specific areas/states.

  • Exclusive Powers: Law-making powers only for the federal government (e.g., defense, foreign policy, immigration).

  • Concurrent Powers: Law-making powers shared by federal and state governments (e.g., taxation, marriage, divorce).

  • Residual Powers: Law-making powers not in the Constitution, remaining with the states (e.g., health, education).

Australian Parliamentary System

Representative Democracy

  • People elect representatives to make laws on their behalf.

  • Elected representatives can be re-elected if they perform well.

Makeup of Parliament

  • Governor-General (King’s Representative).

  • Senate (Upper House).

  • House of Representatives (Lower House).

  • Government is formed by the party with the majority in the House of Representatives.

House of Representatives and The Senate

  • House of Representatives:

    • 151 seats.

    • Each state is an electorate.

    • Term of office is usually 3 years.

  • The Senate:

    • 12 Senators from each state and 2 from each territory.

    • 76 Senators total.

Choosing a Prime Minister

  • The leader of the party with the majority of seats in the House of Representatives becomes Prime Minister.

  • Representatives are elected at federal, state, and local levels.

Principles of the Australian Electoral System

  • Secret ballot.

  • Compulsory voting (introduced in 1924).

  • Fixed or maximum terms of parliament.

  • One vote, one value.

  • Combinations of single member (House of Representatives) and multimember electorates (Senate).

  • Preferential voting (House of Representatives) and proportional voting (Senate).

Principles of Australia’s Parliament

  • Representative Government: Government reflects the views of the majority.

  • Regular Elections: Government can be voted out if it doesn't represent the people.

  • Responsible Government: Government is accountable to voters.

    • Ministers are responsible to parliament and the people.

    • Ministers must act with integrity or resign.

    • Government resigns if it loses support of the lower house.

  • Separation of Power: Three separate types of powers.

    • Legislative power (Parliament).

    • Executive power (Governor-General, Cabinet, Ministeries).

    • Judicial power (Courts).

Federal Election Process

  • Held on a Saturday.

  • Polling places in schools, churches, etc.

  • Voters receive how-to-vote cards.

  • Electoral roll is checked.

  • Green ballot paper for House of Reps, white for Senate.

  • Informal vote if ballot paper not filled in correctly.

Influencing the Vote

  • Leaders debate.

  • Traditional media (TV, newspapers, radio).

  • Advertising.

  • Social media.

Political Protest

  • Protected by common law.

  • Implied freedom of political communication in the Constitution.

Australia’s Legislative Process

  • Legislative power resides with Parliament.

  • Executive power administers laws and manages government.

  • Judicial power enforces laws and settles disputes.

Political Opinions

  • Formed from cultural and ethnic background, education level, socioeconomic level, religious background, age, gender, profession, family and friends.

  • Informed opinions are crucial so democracies remain healthy and functional.

Exploring Governments Worldwide

  • Democracy.

  • Monarchy.

  • Dictatorship.

  • Theocracy.

  • Communism.

Forms of Government:

  • Democracy: People elect leaders and make decisions through voting.

  • Dictatorship: One person or a small group holds complete power.

  • Absolute Monarchy: Monarch holds complete power.

  • Constitutional Monarchy: Monarch is ceremonial head of state within a constitution.

  • Theocracy: Religious leaders hold power and the legal system is based on religious laws.

  • Communism: Seeks to create a classless and stateless society with collective ownership.

Australia’s Global Roles and Responsibilities

Key Terms

  • Roles - How Australia contributes on the international stage.

  • Obligations - What Australia is expected to do when dealing with international situations.

Global Citizenship:

  • Australia is an active global citizen.

  • The UN states that in order to be a global citizen a nation must foster an interconnected world that focuses on reducing inequality, safeguarding cultural and linguistic diversity, and the rights and responsibilities derived from being a global citizen.

Multilateralism:

  • Australia follows the principles of multilateralism- collaboration between several countries in pursuit of a common goal.

Foreign Aid

  • Money, food, or resources given/lent to another country.

  • Used for gender inclusion, climate financing, humanitarian aid, infrastructure, COVID-19, and health security.

Australian Peacekeeping

  • Helps countries create lasting peace.

  • Guided by consent of parties, impartiality, and non-use of force.

Foreign Trade:

  • Exports are goods/services Australia sends to other countries.

  • Imports are goods/services Australia brings in from other countries.

Trade Restrictions

  • Limits on trade; tariffs, quotas, product specifications.

The United Nations

Purpose

  • Develop friendly relations between nations.

  • Cooperation in solving international problems.

Key Principles

  • State sovereignty.

  • Peaceful dispute settlement.

UN Specialised Agencies

  • World Health Organisation (WHO).

  • UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).

  • International Monetary Fund (IMF).

  • UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

  • UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNIHCR).

The International Community

  • A term referring to a broad group of people and governments.