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civics and citizenship - Coggle Diagram
civics and citizenship
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Federal System
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6 state parliaments, 1 Commonwealth Parliament (federal) in Canberra
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State parliaments divided further into local parliaments/municipal councils, e.g. City of Canning
Head of State
Australia’s government based on the Westminster System
A sovereign (king, queen, governor general) acts as the Head of State and hold various powers, including being required to give final approval to all laws made by parliament
Separation of Powers
Ensures that no single group/body within our parliamentary system has power over both the political and legal systems
Executive power - power to administer/implement the law; held by the governor general, Prime Minister and senior ministers
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Judicial power - power to apply and interpret the law; held by the courts and allows them to enforce the law (criminal) and settle disputes (civil)
Compulsory Elections
Federal parliament elections are held in Australia every 3 years, and state elections are held every 4 years
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Bicameral Parliament
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Aims to avoid a concentration of power in a single house and the risk of abuse that this would cause
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Constitutional Monarchy
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The Queen is represented in Australia by the governor general, who is elected by the federal government/Prime Minister, and is always prominent and well-respected - currently David Hurley (former senior officer in the Australian army)
Grant royal assent/final approval, on behalf of the Queen, for a Bill to become an Act of Parliament or law
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Can also end the term of parliament and call a federal election if both houses fail to agree over the passing of a significant law
Activity
Respond to the following question in your exercise books:
“The parliament is the heart of Australia’s democracy, whilst the executive is the brain. Discuss what this statement means.”
Activity
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You will have to elect a leader for your political party. How are you going to do this while still keeping accountable?