Australia’s Governmentand Economics

Australia’s Government

• Federal parliamentary democracy.

• There are three key factors that determine Australia’s government:– form of leadership– type of legislature– role of the citizen

Form of Leadership

• Head of state– Queen Elizabeth II (England)

• Just a figurehead– She does not run the country– she signs laws– approves elections– commander-in-chief of the military.

Form of Leadership

• Governor General– The prime minister selects someone to

represent the Queen in Australia. This is necessary because the Queen lives in London!!!!

Form of Leadership

• Prime minister – head of the government– has the most political power– leader of the biggest political party in

Parliament

Type of Legislature

• Commonwealth Parliament-elected government that makes laws.– Every 4 years, citizens vote for members

• 2 houses of the Commonwealth Parliament: – House of Representatives– Senate

Type of Legislature

• House of Representatives: Selects Prime Minister– Australia is divided into areas called

electorates– people living in each electorate vote for

a person to represent them in parliament.

– elected person becomes the MP of the House of Representatives for that area

Type of Legislature

• Senate: 76 members – 12 people from each of the 6 states – 2 people from each of the 2 territories

Role of the Citizen• Democracy: voters choose the lawmakers

– 18 or over is required by law to vote.

• Citizens vote for members in Senate and House of Representatives.

• Voters do not vote for – head of state (Queen)– governor-general– directly for the prime minister.

Role of the Citizen

• Australians enjoy many freedoms.– freedom of religion, speech, job

choice, travel, etc.

• Their level of freedom is similar to what people have in the United Kingdom & the United States.

Australia’s EconomyUnit 12 Notes

Australia’s Economy

• one of the freest economies in the world

• It is technically a mixed economy, but it’s close to market because there are very few rules to restrict the market.

• government does not own major industry or business– prices are set by the agreement of

buyers and sellers rather than by government rules

Australia’s Economy

• There are no truly pure market economies, but Australia’s is close.– It is considered one of the most free

economies in the world.– Businesses operate without too many

rules from the government.– People are free to start a business and

can do so quickly.– Courts use the laws of Australia to

protect the property rights of citizens.

Australia’s Economy• People are free to own their own

businesses and property.– They decide what they want to produce.

• Buyers and sellers are able to agree on prices, and competition between sellers helps to keep the prices good for buyers.

• Business owners and consumers can depend on good laws to protect them.– The courts are considered fair and honest.

• It is very easy to start a business in Australia – the paperwork usually takes less than a week!

Economy Continuum

Command

Market

Cuba Russia

Germany

USAustralia

UK

Four Factors of Economic Growth

• There are four factors that determine a country’s Gross Domestic Product for the year: 1. Natural Resources2. Human Capital3. Capital Goods4. Entrepreneurship

Australia’s Natural Resources

• Arable land is a valuable resource.– Farmers grow lots of crops.– The land also provides pasture for beef cattle

(an important export).

• Minerals are a major export and include: coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, & petroleum.– world’s leader in bauxite (used to make

aluminum)

• Selling these natural resources brings in money from all over the world.

Australia’s Human Capital

• Australia invests heavily in human capital.• Children are required to attend school

from ages 6 to 18.– Taxpayers pay for schooling for all children.– The literacy rate is nearly 100%.

• The workforce is well-trained and well-educated.

• The healthcare system is very good.• All of these factors improve Australia’s

standard of living - one of the highest in the world!

Capital Goods in Australia

• Australia’s businesses use advanced technology to make their companies work more efficiently.

• If a company does not keep its machinery up-to-date, other companies will be able to produce similar goods for a better price.

Australia’s Entrepreneurs

• Australia is a world leader in entrepreneurship.– One (1) in twelve (12) adults owns his own

business.

• Laws in Australia are good for businesses because they protect entrepreneurs & their property, make it easy to start a business, and have few rules to restrict businesses.

• Entrepreneurs are good for Australia.– Businesses keep economy moving & provide

jobs for workers.

Your Task:• The Important Book by Margaret

Wise Brown was written in 1949 and is still in print today! It contains eleven short essays all written in the same style, with an introductory fact, five supporting details, and a repeat of the most important first fact.

• You are going to be creating your own version of The Important Book. Your topic is going to be Economic Growth in Australia.

Your Task:• Please Include:• A Cover = The Important Book of

Economic Growth in Australia• A page for each factor of economic

growth in Australia– Natural Resources– Human Capital– Capital Goods– Entrepreneurship

• An illustration for each factor