Key Terms
What is government?
The political party with the majority of seats in the House of Representatives.
True or false, common law is created by judges and courts.
True
Which political party is currently in government?
Australian Labor Party
What is democracy?
A system of government where the people have the power through elections and voting.
What is public debate?
A formal, public discussion where two candidates discuss their platforms and important issues.
What is the senate?
The upper house of Parliament, with 76 seats representing each state and territory.
What are the two types of legal disputes?
Civil and Criminal
Name two factors that influence government policy
International reaction, party principles, voter opinion, minor parties, parliamentary scrutiny, leadership views, interest groups and media
How can citizens participate in democracy?
Voting, protest, political party membership, running for parliament.
Why is social media a growing influence on voters?
More people are on social media, it is cheap and easy to use, information spreads quickly.
What is a representative democracy?
A system of government where the citizens vote for candidates to represent their interests in parliament.
What are the two types of criminal disputes?
Summary and indictable
Name one of the key principles of the Liberal Party.
Low government intervention, coalition with the Nationals and socially conservative.
What are rights and responsibilities?
Rights are the freedoms all citizens are granted, responsibilities are the duties citizens must fulfill.
How do opinion polls influence voters?
The bandwagon effect can result in voters supporting the party leading in the polls.
What is an electorate? Bonus 20 points if you can say how many voters are in an electorate.
A designated geographical area represented by a member in parliament (Bonus: 94000 voters)
What are the three types of civil disputes?
Negligence, breach of contract and defamation
Why do minor parties still hold power despite not holding many seats in Parliament?
Minor parties can sway the government, particularly if the government needs their votes to pass a bill.
What is justice?
Justice is the idea that everyone should be treated equally and held accountable for their actions.
Give three examples of media that would be used during political campaigning.
e.g. Newspapers, social media, website ads, text messages, billboards, flyers etc.
What is statutory law?
Laws made through parliamentary legislation
What are the two ways common law is created?
Precedent and statutory interpretation
Name 5 Australian Prime Ministers.
e.g. Scott Morrisson, Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd, Malcolm Turnbull, Tony Abbott, Anthony Albanese etc.
What is the Westminster System?
A parliamentary system originating in Britain that the Australian system is based on.
What is an interest group?
Groups that campaign on a specific issue or in support of a particular candidate.