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Cards in this deck (36)
- 1Sources of power (2)Authority and coercion
- 2The three branches of authoritative power- Traditional
- Charismatic
- Legal - 3Types of power (5)- Military
- Economic
- Diplomatic
- Social & cultural
- Pyschological - 4Features of democracy (6)1. Pluralism
2. Separation of powers
3. Rule of law
4. Free, Fair, and Frequent elections
5. Responsible and accountable gov't
6. Representative gov't - 5Define pluralism [in regards to a feature of democracy]A tolerance/acceptance of varied range of interests in government (and society). In a democracy, this means that there is more than one party, representative of diverse perspectives.
- 6Define separation of powers [in regards to a feature of democracy]Government is divided into branches that have independent powers and areas of responsibility. In a democracy, these branches must be balanced to ensure that no power is used at the expense of the others.
- 7Define rule of law [in regards to a feature of democracy]No one is above or outside the law, even those who govern. Within modern democracy this means; no arbitrary arrests, innocence until proven guilty, no imprisonment without a trial, right to trial by jury of one's peers, equality before the law, and transparency in legal processes.
- 8Define free, fair, and frequent elections [in regards to a feature of democracy]Free: Voters should feel no duress to vote for a particular candidate. This is enforced through the secret ballot.
Fair: The idea of 'one vote, one value'.
Frequent: Voting must occur at regular intervals to represent true public opinion as society views and values evolve. - 9Define responsible and accountable government [in regards to a feature of democracy]The responsibility of the government is that they're expected to be transparent in all decision-making processes. They should also be held accountable for its performance and outcomes. It also entails that any representative can be voted out by those who voted them in.
- 10Define representative government [in regards to a feature of democracy]Individuals are elected into government by the public to make decisions on their behalf, thus acting as a political delegate. In democracy, this is in place to ensure that all forms of public opinion are heard and respected.
- 11Washminister system: What elements of the Washington model does Australia take? (3)- Federal system with powers divided between central, state, and local governments
- Courts settle disputes between governments
- Structure of the States' house and the lower house (Senate and House of Reps) - 12Washminister system: What elements of the Westminister model does Australia take? (6)- Bicameral parliament
- Accountable and Responsible gov't
- Constitutional monarch acts on the advice of the PM
- Government is formed in the lower house
- Opposition is the second majority party
- Prime Minister is the head of Government
- Conventions - 13What does the Australian Constitution actually do? (4)- Sets out guidelines for structure and makeup of gov't branches
- Sets out powers for the three branches of government
- Sets powers and law-making jurisdiction of state and federal gov'ts.
- Sets guidelines for amending the Constitution or the adding of a new state - 14Features of Australian democracy: In what ways do we have an unclear separation of powers?The executive and legislative branch are not individual (the PM sits within the HoR), so there isn’t an efficient checks and balances regime. However, things get done much more quickly, as opposed to the American system, in which parliament and government have the ability to disagree more strongly.
- 15What are the factors of the Australian Electoral process? (4)1. Absolute majority
2. Preference voting
3. Compulsory voting
4. Australian Electoral Commission - 16What is absolute majority?Government is formed when a party has majority over all parties combined (eg. If group A=9 votes, B=3 votes, and C=4 votes, A has absolute majority. However, if A=6 votes, they do not have absolute majority, because B and C combined is more than 6.
- 17What is preference voting?Voters must select a preferred order of political candidates, in the case that their first preferred candidate is ruled out.
- 18What is compulsory voting?All Australians/Australian citizens over the age of 18 must vote in elections. This excludes people who are of unsound mind, or are serving imprisonment longer than three years.
- 19What is the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC)?The AEC is an independent body removed from the government that helps manage the electoral roll; conducts elections and referendums; educates and informs communities on their electoral rights and responsibilities; provides research and advice to parliament; provides assistance in overseas elections in support of wider government initiatives; and administers election funding.
- 20Features of American democracy (4)1. Electoral process
2. Separation between Executive and Legislative branch
3. Role of political parties in Congress
4. Bill of Rights - 21What are the factors of the American Electoral process? (3)1. Simple majority
2. No Independent electoral comission
3. Electoral college - 22What is simple majority?A ‘50% plus 1’ voting system. This means that whichever party has more votes, regardless of whether the other parties combined have more votes, they win via simple majority. However, it's not entirely representative of the 49% of votes who didn’t elect the winning party
- 23How is the Executive and Legislative branches of American democracy more fair than the Australian branches?Unlike Australian Parliament, the Executive (President) sits outside the Legislature (Congress). The Executive still has a political alliance, however the president does not have the capacity to influence Legislature in the way that the Australian Prime Minister does.
- 24What is the role of political parties in American Congress?America is less bound to party lines, while in Australia, it is taboo. This means that Australian reps may not always represent the values of their electorate, rather their party.
- 25What is the American Bill of Rights?Both the American and Australian government adhere to their respective constitutions, however, America has a separate document that entails all of the rights all Americans are entitled to. This is most commonly referenced when the topic of their gun laws are brought up, responding to ‘the right to bear arms’.
- 26Motivations for political involvement (7)- Challenge of achieving power
- Desire to improve society
- Desire to work for/serve the community
- Desire to represent views from a section of society
- Advancement of personal values/goals
- Personal ambition/desire to establish career in politics
- Desire to challenge the viewpoints of others - 27What is populism?Refers to a type of politics that claims to represent the opinions and wishes of ordinary people, however, it often involves short term, 'knee-jerk-' responses to public sentiment rather than policies based on principle. Such policies are designed to appease votes and maintain the government's popularity.
- 28What is classical Liberalism?A political ideology that values freedom and liberty of the individual, a free market economy, limited state control or interference, and civil rights to maintain a balance of power between the state and the individual.
- 29What is neo-Liberalism (otherwise known as small 'l' liberalism, Social Liberalism, or Welfare Liberalism)?Neo-Liberalism argues for the same economic policies as classical libs. (e.g. the free market) however, they believe in more government interference into public areas such as education, health, unemployment, and progressive taxing in order to dispel social disadvantage.
- 30What is Communism?A social, political, and economic ideology in which all property is owned by the community and each person contributes and receives according to their ability and needs. Hence, the bourgeois class can no longer exploit the proletariat.
- 31What is socialism?A theory or system of social organisation based on the holding of most property in common, with actual ownership ascribed to the workers. All individuals should have access to basic articles of consumption and public goods to allow for self-actualisation.
- 32What is a Social Democrat?- Urge for democratic practices in politics
- Does not work in capitalism; seeks to overthrow economic structure - 33What is a Democratic Socialist?-Exists within a free market
- Therefore, it does not seek to overthrow capitalism, just alter current economic structures
- Believes in community taxes and government being responsible for public services and welfare - 34What is Feminism?Feminism is the belief that all genders should be equal across the social, economic, and political spectrums.
- 35What was the main objective for the three waves of feminism?First wave; gain women's suffrage and legal rights
Second wave; dismantling workplace inequalities and introducing economic freedoms
Third wave; vanquish the disparities women still suffer across all platforms, as well as reproductive rights - 36What is Religious Fundamentalism?Religious fundamentalism is the approach to religion that sees believers embrace an early form of their religious readings, thus often acting in a supremacist, sectarian, or modernism-intolerant ways.
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- Year 11 Politics (UNIT 1) Flashcards on Exam revision flashcards, created by Gemma Fennessy on 30/05/2017.
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