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Australian Democracy

Decent Essays

Democracy is a broad term, but in its barest definition means a system wherein the power to make an ultimate decision lies in society, or the general population. In a political context, the government of a community would be utilising a democratic way of governing by holding elections by referendum to decide laws or changes and having courts of justice.
There are three basic types of political democracy. Australia is a representative democracy, which is run based on election of the leaders entrusted with leading the nation. A system based on freedom of several types - but it was not always this way.

Australia's Democracy

Australia's way of democracy is built on the foundation of the freedom of all the citizens in their elections, speech, …show more content…

It soon became apparent that the colony needed a means of discipline, which inspired the first criminal court in Australia. This became more elaborate over time, having acquired new members and officers appointed and whole new variations of court, such as the Supreme Court.

In 1801, a girls' orphan centre and welfare centre - the Benevolent Society of New South Wales - is opened, the latter open to all the poor and homeless for free aid; the first signs of attempted equality among the community, perhaps inspired by Poland's 1791 new constitution creating nondiscrimination among the nobility and ordinary …show more content…

This group consisted of women who had suffered abuse from their husbands and those who simply believed that women should have equal rights to those of men. The first Australian organisation formed to obtain a woman's right to vote was in 1884, in Melbourne.

Women did not need really to have a reason to want to vote. They were being excluded from taking part and having their say in the most important political and economic way of making decisions and changes whereas men were. The opposition's argument against the women was rather ridiculous. The men against the petitioning women claimed that females let their emotions get too out of hand, which would apparently prevent them from making logical decisions in their voting. It was also implied that their home life would be disrupted. This generalisation only spurred the women on in their pursuit of

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