Threats & Safeguards to Democracy
Name at least 1 threat to democracy.
Options:
- Corruption
- Media Bias
- Lawlessness
- Organised Crime
- Influence of those with vested interest
What island was Eddie Mabo from?
Murray Island
Where is the High Court of Australia located?
Canberra
How many bodies is the parliamentary power broken into?
3
Name one American civil rights leader who inspired Australian activists
Martin Luther King Jr, Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, John Lewis, etc.
Why do we have mandatory voting in Australia?
To ensure that the government truly represents the majority of the people's views
What is 'Terra Nullius'?
Land belonging to no one
Why do we have separation of powers?
So that no one party/person gets too powerful.
If one strand is corrupt, it won't influence the others.
Etc.
What document outlines the roles of each of the groups?
The Australian Constitution
What was the outcomes of the 1967 Referendum for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia?
The vote was YES, resulting in the Indigenous community being included in the census
What safeguard does protesting represent?
The right to dissent
The success of the Mabo Case resulted in what?
The Native Title Act (1993)
What year was the High Court established?
1901
Name all 3 groups that make up the separation of powers
Judiciary, Executive and Parliament
What year did the Australian Freedom Ride occur?
1965
How can media bias act as a threat to democracy?
Not sharing factual information, not sharing all sides or perspectives of a story, using either overly positive or negative words or phrases to show an opinion, etc.
- First time that the land rights and ownership of Indigenous people were recognised since prior to English settlement.
- Resulted in Native Title Act
- A big step towards reconciliation with the indigenous community
Name at least 1 of the 4 roles of the High Court.
•Interprets and understands the constitution in matters
•Keeps the constitution relevant
•Acts as an ‘umpire’
•Protects human rights
The Governor-General (representing the King), the Prime Minister and ministers make up which of the 3 groups?
The executive
What was the exact percentage of people that voted 'YES' in the 1967 referendum?
90.77%
How does the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) contribute to safeguarding democracy?
- Conducts federal elections (ensures voting is done fairly)
- Maintains electoral rolls (ensures everyone eligible is registered to vote)
- Educates the public about voting (promotes the values and importance of democracy)
Who was the Mabo case between?
Eddie Mabo vs. Queensland State
What is a 'justice' when referring to the high court?
They are the judges of the high court, appointed by the Governor-General
What 3 chapters of the Constitution outline the roles of each group?
Chapters 1, 2 & 3
Who was the 1st Indigenous Australian university student, who also helped lead the Freedom Rides?
Charles Perkins