What does it mean to say Australia is a democracy?
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.
What type of democracy does Australia have?
Australia has a mixed system of government; it is a representative democracy and a constitutional monarchy . It is also a federation of states.
What are the 4 key ideas of Australian democracy?
This fact sheet introduces the idea of democracy and explores the key principles of Australia’s democratic system of government. These include individual freedoms, justice, tolerance of opposing ideas and representative government.
What makes a democracy?
The Concept of Democracy The Webster New Encyclopaedic Dictionary (1995) defines democracy as a government in which supreme power is invested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through representation.
Is Australia a democracy or a dictatorship?
Australia has maintained a stable liberal democratic political system under its Constitution, one of the world’s oldest, since Federation in 1901. Australia is the world’s sixth oldest continuous democracy and largely operates as a two-party system in which voting is compulsory.
When did Australia become a democracy?
Finally in 1962 Australia became a ‘modern’ democracy with the passage of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1962 which enfranchised Australia’s Indigenous peoples.
What is our democracy?
Democracy (from Greek δημοκρατία (dēmokratía) dēmos ‘people’ and kratos ‘rule’) is a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation (“direct democracy”), or to choose governing officials to do so (“representative democracy”).
What characteristics define a democracy?
He describes democracy as a system of government with four key elements: i) A system for choosing and replacing the government through free and fair elections; ii) Active participation of the people, as citizens, in politics and civic life; iii) Protection of the human rights of all citizens; and iv) A rule of law in …
What are the 6 basic concepts of democracy?
The American concept of democracy rests on these basic notions: (1) A recognition of the fundamental worth and dignity of every person; (2) A respect for the equality of all persons; (3) A faith in majority rule and an insistence upon minority rights; (4) An acceptance of the necessity of compromise; and (5) An …
What are the 3 requirements for a democracy?
Legal equality, political freedom and rule of law are often identified as foundational characteristics for a well-functioning democracy.
Has Australia always been a democracy?
What are the territorial waters of Australia?
Australia’s territorial waters. It extends from the outer edge of the territorial sea up to 200 nautical miles from the territorial sea baseline. The outer limit is less than 200 nautical miles in some areas, in accordance with agreements with neighbouring countries.
What is territorial sea?
Territorial sea, as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is a belt of coastal waters extending at most 12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi) from the baseline (usually the mean low-water mark) of a coastal state.
What is territorial water?
Territorial waters are thus to be distinguished on the one hand from the high seas, which are common to all countries, and on the other from internal or inland waters, such as lakes wholly surrounded by the national territory or certain bays or estuaries.
How big is Australia’s territorial sea?
AUSTRALIAN waters can be divided into several zones. Australia’s territorial sea extends up to 12 nautical miles* from the territorial sea baseline (generally the low water mark). The proximity of Papua New Guinea means the territorial sea around some Torres Strait islands is only three nautical miles wide.