Clickview: Democracy in Australia, an Introduction
Learning all about Australian democracy doesn't have to be dry and boring. It can be dynamic and fun! Using attention-grabbing images and colourful animations, our youthful presenter takes students on a whirlwind tour of the basics of the Australian democratic system. We begin with an overview of Australia's secular representative government and major parties, followed by a step-by-step outline of the electoral process and three levels of government. Next we explore what it means to be an Australian citizen including our duties and responsibilities, and finally we discuss how we can exercise our rights and responsibilities as Australian citizens.
Parliamentary government means that the Executive Government comes from within the Parliament; responsible government means that the Executive Government is responsible to the Parliament. This is the central feature of a Westminster-style government following the United Kingdom model—in contrast to other systems of government where the Executive is quite separate and not directly answerable to the Legislature—for example, in the United States of America.
Australia is a representative democracy. In this political system, eligible people vote for candidates to carry out the business of governing on their behalf. Australia’s system of government—its institutions and practices—reflect British and North American traditions combined in a way that is uniquely Australian.
The separation of powers is the idea that there are checks and balances on the powers of government. The Australian Constitution creates three arms of government which check each other’s use of power...
The Australian Constitution is the set of rules by which Australia is run. The first three chapters of the Constitution define three largely separate groups – the Parliament, the Executive and the Judiciary – and the roles they play in Australian governance. The power to make and manage federal law is divided between these three groups. This division is based on the principle of the 'separation of powers'.
