Revision notes.

Try this with Politics and Law

1. Close your notes and write the main idea in two sentences from memory.
2. Reopen the source and correct the first mistake or omission you find.
3. Add one example and one question to test whether you can apply the idea.

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Topics in the resource inventory

• Principles of power: responsible and representative government, separation and division of powers, Westminster conventions
• Legislative, executive and judicial powers: the Commonwealth Constitution compared with a non-Westminster system
• The Commonwealth Parliament: functions in theory and practice, Sections 7, 24, 51 and 53, House versus Senate
• The Governor-General: roles, reserve powers, Sections 61-64, 68, 28, 57, 72 and the 1975 crisis
• The Prime Minister, Cabinet and the Ministry: roles, sources and limits of power
• The Opposition, the shadow ministry and political mandates, including competing mandates
• Lawmaking in parliament and the courts: the influence of individuals, political parties and pressure groups
• The High Court of Australia: Sections 71-76, jurisdictions, common law and constitutional decisions
• Federalism: exclusive, concurrent and residual powers, Section 109 and the Commonwealth's financial powers
• The changing federal balance: fiscal imbalance, referral, COAG to National Cabinet, co-operative versus coercive federalism and High Court interpretation
• Constitutional change: Section 128 referendums, informal methods and reform proposals
• Practices of governance: participation, rule of law, human rights, open government and natural justice
• Accountability of the Commonwealth Parliament: elections, Privileges Committees, parliamentary procedures and judicial review
• Accountability of the Executive: ministerial responsibility, Senate Estimates and committees, the Auditor-General, the ART and judicial review
• Accountability of the Governor-General and of the courts: appointment, removal, the Hollingworth affair, appeals, public confidence and Section 72
• Protecting human rights in Australia: Constitution, common law, statute, charters of rights and international instruments
• Rights and democratic principles in Australia and one other country: representation, participation, rule of law, judicial independence, natural justice
• The changing experience of a particular group with respect to their political and legal rights in Australia
• Contemporary and recent issues: building an accurate evidence bank for political and legal power, accountability and rights
• Exam technique: short answers, the four-part source analysis and the 25-mark evaluate/analyse essay