LESSON 12.9 Review 12.9.1
Key knowledge summary Use this dot-point summary to review the content covered in this topic. 12.1 Overview • Democracy means people choose their representatives through voting. • Australia’s system is based on the Westminster model. • Different levels of government serve different purposes. 12.2 How do political parties shape Australia’s democracy? • Political parties are groups with similar ideas about how the country should be run. • The party with the most seats in the House of Representatives forms government. • Minor parties and independents can hold the balance of power. • Government formation requires negotiation when no party has a majority. 12.3 How does Australia’s parliamentary system work? • Parliament has three parts: House of Representatives, Senate and Governor-General. • The House of Representatives is where government is formed. 12.4 How do state and territory parliaments work? • Each state and territory has its own parliament. • State parliaments provide essential services like health and education. • States have either one or two houses of parliament. • State governments work with federal government on many issues. 12.5 Why do we share power between different levels of government? • Different levels of government handle different responsibilities. • Federal government manages national issues. • States provide many day-to-day services. • Local councils handle community needs. 12.6 How can citizens participate in Australia’s democracy? • Citizens can participate through voting and elections. • People can contact their representatives about issues. • Interest groups and lobby groups inþuence decisions. • Direct action includes protests and campaigns. 12.7 How do Australia’s institutions protect our democratic freedoms? • Key freedoms include speech, assembly, religion and movement. • Different institutions work together to protect freedoms. • Parliament makes laws protecting rights. • Courts and other bodies help enforce these protections. 12.8 Inquiry: How do we share the power? • Different levels of government must work together. • The Senate reviews laws and represents state interests. • The Governor-General gives ýnal approval to laws.
• Sharing resources requires negotiation. • Balancing different needs is important. • Cooperation helps solve complex problems.
TOPIC12 Government and democracy 471
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