Parliament & Executive

Short Answer Questions

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1. What is meant by the term parliamentary privilege? (2m)

2. Briefly describe three parliamentary roles of ministers. (3m)

3. Evaluate the argument that parliamentary committees achieve little. (5m)

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1. What is meant by the term frontbenchers? (2m)

2. Briefly describe three parliamentary roles of backbenchers. (3m)

3. Evaluate the effectiveness of the Speaker of the House of Representatives. (5m)

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1. What is meant by the term 'crossing the floor'? (2m)

2. Briefly describe three roles performed by parliamentary committees. (3m)

3. Evaluate the claim that Question Time is an unequal contest between ministers and backbenchers. (5m)

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1. What is a 'Dorothy Dixer'?

2. Identify three types of debates which are part of parliamentary procedure.

3. Evaluate the claim that television coverage of Federal Parliament has improved the operation of the Parliament.

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1. Define the term 'public servant'.

2. Identify three functions of cabinet ministers.

3. Discuss two reasons why the collective responsibility of cabinet is important for government.

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1. Name two functions of the Opposition in the Commonwealth Parliament.

2. Outline two tactics that can be used by the Opposition in Parliament.

3. Evaluate the claim that the Opposition cannot be effective without the support of the media.

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1. Identify two roles of a minister in the Commonwealth Government.

2. Outline two examples of policy contributions made by individual Commonwealth ministers in the 1990s.

3. Discuss one argument in favour of, and one argument against, the election of ministers by the parliamentary party.

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1. Name two roles that independents and/or minor parties can perform in the Commonwealth Parliament.

2. Outline two separate examples where independents and/or minor parties have had influence in the current Commonwealth Parliament.

3. Explain how independents and/or minor parties can assist the Commonwealth Parliament to fulfil its functions.

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1. Identify two roles of a prime minister in a coalition government.

2. Outline two examples where ministers have been made accountable to the Prime Minister in the 1990s.

3. Evaluate the argument that a prime minister in a coalition government has too much power.

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1. What is a "Guillotine motion"?

2. Name two other ways by which the government can regulate parliamentary proceedings.

3. Discuss one argument for and one against government domination of parliament.

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1. What is meant by the term "leak"?

2. State two roles of cabinet ministers.

3. Evaluate one argument in favour of cabinet solidarity.

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1. What is a "hung parliament"?

2. State two ways in which backbenchers can contribute to the parliamentary decision-making process.

3. Evaluate one argument in favour of having members in the House of Representatives who do not belong to any political parties.

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1. Define the term "ministerial responsibility".

2. State two incidents involving the principle of ministerial responsibility.

3. Discuss one argument in favour of and one against the idea of appointing ministers only from the House of Representatives and not from the Senate.

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1. What is the role of the Speaker in the federal parliament?

2. State two purposes of question time.

3. Discuss one argument for and one against making the Speaker completely independent of party politics.

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1. Define the term "reserve power".

2. State two functions of the Governor-General.

3. Discuss one argument in favour and one against retaining the position of Governor-General.

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1. What is meant by "gag the debate"?

2. State two ways (other than blocking legislation in the Senate) by which the Opposition can impede passage of legislation through the Parliament.

3. Outline and evaluate one argument in favour of and one argument opposed to the Senate's having the power to block legislation.

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1. Define "representative government".

2. List two functions of the Australian parliament.

3. Explain two reforms which could improve the operations of parliament.

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1. Define the term "cabinet solidarity".

2. What is meant by the term "caucus"?

3. Discuss one argument in favour of and one argument opposed to the principle of cabinet solidarity.

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1. Define "backbencher".

2. Explain three reasons why the Executive is able to dominate Parliament.

3. Evaluate two reforms that would enable Question Time to function more effectively.

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1. Define "Cabinet".

2. Explain 3 roles of the House of Representatives.

3. Evaluate the importance of parliamentary committees in the Australian Parliament.

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1. What is the role of the Secretary of a Government Department?

2. Explain three roles of the Prime Minister.

3. Evaluate the power of the Governor-General in relation to the Prime Minister.

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1. What is meant by the "Westminster" system?

2. Explain one recent case where a Federal minister has been held to account by the Parliament.

3. Discuss one reform to the Senate and one reform to the House of Representatives that would allow each house to more effectively fulfil its functions.

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1. What is the ministerial code of conduct?

2. Name three ministers who have resigned or been dismissed because of allegations about their ministerial conduct and outline the reasons for their departures.

3. Evaluate the proposition that government ministers should be required to devote themselves full-time to their portfolio responsibilities.

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1. Define "prime minister".

2. Explain three specific powers of the Australian prime minister.

3. Evaluate the proposition that an Australian prime minister has too much unfettered power.

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1. What is Question Time?

2. Explain 3 tactics the Opposition in the House of Representatives may use to challenge the government, other than in Question Time.

3. How accurate is it to describe Question Time as an unequal contest between Ministers and questioners?

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1. What is a Joint Select Committee of the Federal Parliament?

2. Identify three occasions when Parliament can probe the executive government.

3. Evaluate one argument in favour of having only members in the House of Representatives who do not belong to political parties.

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1. What is meant by the term responsible government?

2. Outline 3 ways in which the executive government is scrutinized by the Parliament.

3. To what extent is it true to say that the public service simply implements the policies of the government of the day?

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1. Define Cabinet.

2. Explain two roles of a government department.

3. Evaluate the power of an Australian Prime Minister in relation to the Cabinet and the Parliament.

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1. What is the federal parliament?

2. Outline how three principles of representation are achieved in the federal parliament.

3. Evaluate the proposition that the terms of federal members of parliament should be increased.

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1. What is the Cabinet?

2. Which Cabinet Committee has been especially influential in recent times, and why has this been the case?

3. To what extent is the Prime Minister the first among equals in the Federal ministry?

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1. Define federal ministry.

2. What is the main difference between the methods used by the Australian Labor Party and the Liberal Party to choose ministers?

3. Discuss the extent to which the Executive Government is able to dominate the Parliament and evaluate the effect on the democratic process.

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1. What are the two main roles of a government minister in Australia?

2. Name three current federal government ministers and their portfolios, and give an example of a policy proposal advocated by one of them.

3. Evaluate one argument for and one argument against appointing ministers who are not members of parliament.

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1. What is the outer ministry?

2. Outline 3 factors a Liberal Prime Minister may consider when selecting ministers.

3. Evaluate the proposition that there should be no ministers in the Senate.

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1. What is meant by a convention?

2. Outline 3 conventions that govern the operation of Executive Government in Australia?

3. Evaluate the impact political parties have had on the operation of the Westminster system in Australia.

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1. What is meant by representative government?

2. Explain one convention of parliamentary government and give an example where a minister has resigned from a government because of that convention.

3. Discuss one argument for and one argument against the proposal that the Senate's powers should be curtailed.

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1. What is the role of the Governor-General in the Australian Executive Government?

2. Outline 3 specific powers of the Prime Minister.

3. Evaluate the argument that the Federal Parliament is unable to adequately control the Executive Government in Australia.

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