WACE ATAR Politics and Law study guide
WACE ATAR Politics and Law · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The WACE ATAR Politics and Law course is a Western Australian senior-secondary subject examined by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) and used in ATAR calculations for university entrance. It suits students who want to understand how Australian political and legal systems actually work: Parliament and the executive, the High Court and the court hierarchy, the Constitution and federalism, voting and representation, and how law and policy change. The WACE ATAR Politics and Law study guide has 5 sections and about 1,674 words.
01Structures, Institutions and Processes of Government
You must be able to map the three branches of government and explain how they interact. The legislature (Commonwealth Parliament: King, Senate, House of Representatives) makes law; the executive (ministers, Cabinet, public service, Governor-General) administers it; the judiciary interprets and applies it.
377 words, about 2 min02Democracy, Representation and Participation in Australia
Australia is a representative liberal democracy with compulsory voting, preferential voting and a bicameral parliament. Distinguish representative democracy (delegates acting for electors) from participatory democracy (referenda, petitions, protests, consultation) and direct democracy (citizen-initiated decisions).
323 words, about 2 min03The Constitution, Federalism and the Division of Powers
The Commonwealth Constitution is a written, rigid, federal document entrenched by section 128 and interpreted by the High Court. Know federalism : powers are divided between Commonwealth and states.
329 words, about 2 min04Law, Justice, Courts, Rights and Dispute Resolution
Distinguish common law and statute , and explain precedent , ratio decidendi and obiter dicta . Understand the adversarial system, the roles of judge, jury, prosecution and defence, and the burden and standard of proof in criminal and civil matters.
317 words, about 2 min05Political and Legal Change, Reform and Contemporary Issues
Change occurs through legislation, constitutional amendment, High Court interpretation, referenda, executive action, and informal shifts in convention and public opinion. Understand the reform cycle : issue emergence, agenda setting, inquiry (law reform commissions, royal commissions, parliamentary committees), consultation, drafting, passage, implementation and review.
328 words, about 2 min