JSK Year 6 - Australia as a Nation: What is Democracy?

What is the Magna Carta?

Magna Carta (the Great Charter) is an important historical document that has shaped the human rights and freedoms of all Australians.

In particular, Magna Carta helped promote ideas of freedom, justice and the rule of law, principles which have become key parts of Australian democracy.

Explore the Magna Carta infographic (an interactive story)

What is a government?

• The government of a modern nation, or country, is an organisation that does many things.
• It defends the country from outside enemies.
• It keeps order within the country.
• It provides services for its people. In return, the people of the country must pay money called taxes to the government.
• They also must obey the government’s rules, which are called laws.

(information from Britannica)

Different countries have different types of governments.

More than half the world's governments are democratic.

Different Types of Democracy

Direct democracy

In a direct democracy, such as ancient Athens, all citizens (only adult males who had completed their military training; women, slaves and plebs were not citizens) are invited to participate in all political decisions. This form of democracy is no longer practiced. In this form of democracy citizens are continuously involved in the exercise of power and decision is by majority rule.

Representative democracy

In a representative democracy, representatives are elected by the people and entrusted to carry out the business of governance. Australia is a representative democracy.

Constitutional democracy

In a constitutional democracy a constitution outlines who will represent the people and how. Australia is also a constitutional democracy.

Monitory democracy

Political scientist John Keane suggests that a new form of democracy is evolving in which government is constantly monitored in its exercise of power by a vast array of public and private agencies, commissions and regulatory mechanisms. 

(information from MOAD)

Websites

• Museum of Australian Democracy
• Timelines in Australia's Democracy
• Biographies of People Involved in Australia's Democracy
• Democracy Down Under
• An Overview of Democracy in Australia
• Parliamentary Education Office - Democracy
• Kids Cyber - Democracy in Australia

What does 'democracy' mean?

The word ‘democracy’ has its origins in the Greek language. It combines two shorter words:

• ‘demos’ meaning whole citizen living within a particular city-state
• ‘kratos’ meaning power or rule.

(information from MOAD)

Kids Britannica - Democracy

What are the principles of democracy?

It is generally agreed that liberal democracies are based on four main principles:

• A belief in the individual: since the individual is believed to be both moral and rational;
• A belief in reason and progress: based on the belief that growth and development is the natural condition of mankind and politics the art of compromise;
• A belief in a society that is consensual: based on a desire for order and co-operation not disorder and conflict;
• A belief in shared power: based on a suspicion of concentrated power (whether by individuals, groups or governments).

(information from MOAD)

What are the core values of Australian democracy?

• freedom of election and being elected
• freedom of assembly and political participation
• freedom of speech, expression and religious belief
• rule of law
• other basic human rights

What are the principles of Australian democracy?

• Responsible Government - the government is answerable to the parliament for its actions.
• Ministerial Responsibility - a minister is expected to accept full responsibility for decisions made by his or her department.
• Rule of Law - all Australian people (including Australian authorities) are equally required to uphold the law and are subject to legal and judicial processes. 
• Parliamentary Sovereignty -  the government is required to seek the approval of the parliament for many decisions including to create new or to amend existing law.
• Separation of Powers -  power is distributed between the Ministry, the courts and the Parliament so as to define discrete and distinct roles and functions and such that a monopoly of power is avoided. 

(information from MOAD)