Language Anaylsis

* * Representative and responsiable government 1. Representative Government * Our democratic system allows people over the age of 18 to vote for who they want to represent them in parliament * A representative government represents the views, values, concerns and demands of the people. * If the government does not effectively represent the peoples wishes or perform to the peoples satisfaction, they can dismiss the government at the next election * In a representative government the people have the power over the government by putting pressure on the government to change laws * For example: Mandatory reporting of child abuse, uniform gun laws and the 40km speed zones near schools * The principal of representative government is established in the Constitution * S7 states that “The Senate shall be composed of senators for each State, directly chosen by the people of the State”. * S24 states that “The House of Representatives shall be composed of members directly chosen by the people of the Commonwealth”. * The bicameral system contributes towards a more representative government because the lower house reflects the will of the people 2. Responsible Government * Refers to the government’s responsibility to the voters * A democratically elected government must be answerable and accountable to the people for their actions * Ministers are drawn from within the government and they must maintain the confidence of the government * The Senate is able to scrutinise bills before they are passed and become law. This helps the government in being accountable to the people * The principles of a responsible government are: * Ministerial accountability, which means that ministers are responsible to parliament and therefore the people – a minster can be called upon to explain in parliament his or her actions and those of the department and agencies under his or her control * Members of parliament have