Skip to content
Our democratic beliefs · 1 min read

Parliamentary democracy

Australia’s system of government is a parliamentary democracy. As part of this system, the power of the government comes from the Australian people because Australian citizens vote for people to represent them in parliament. The representatives in parliament must answer to the people, through elections, for the decisions they make.

Test yourself on this topic

3 questions on this topic, each with the answer explained.

  1. 1. How do representatives in parliament answer to the people for the decisions they make?

    • Through the newspapers
    • Through church leaders
    • Through the police
    • Through elections

    Explanation: Voters judge their representatives at elections, and can choose someone else if they are unhappy.

  2. 2. In Australia's system of government, where does the power of the government come from?

    • From the Australian people
    • From the judges of the courts
    • From religious organisations
    • From the largest business groups

    Explanation: Citizens vote for the people who represent them, so the government's power comes from the people.

  3. 3. What is Australia's system of government called?

    • A military government
    • A parliamentary democracy
    • An absolute monarchy
    • A one-party republic

    Explanation: Australians elect representatives to parliament, which makes the system a parliamentary democracy.

From Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond, the official booklet