The Australian Constitution, in effect since 1901, is the legal foundation for how Australia is governed — it establishes the structure of parliament, divides powers between federal and state governments, and can only be changed by a referendum where a majority of voters in a majority of states agree. Australia is a representative democracy: citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf, rather than voting directly on every issue.
Example
To change the Constitution — like the 1967 referendum that changed how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were counted and legislated for — a proposal needs a "double majority": more than half of all voters nationally, AND a majority of voters in at least four of the six states.
Key terms
Constitution:
The legal foundation setting out how a country is governed.
Referendum:
A vote on a proposed change to the Constitution.
Representative democracy:
A system where citizens elect representatives to govern on their behalf.
Questions
1. The Australian Constitution has been in effect since:
1901
1788
1945
2000
2. A referendum is:
A vote on a proposed change to the Constitution
An election for parliament
A type of tax
A court case
3. A representative democracy means citizens:
Elect representatives to govern on their behalf
Vote directly on every single issue
Have no say in government
Are ruled by a king only
4. The Constitution establishes:
The structure of Australia's government
Only sports rules
Only school rules
Nothing important
5. Changing the Constitution requires a:
Referendum
Coin flip
A single person's decision
No process at all
6. Australia has how many states?
Six
Two
Ten
Three
7. The Constitution divides powers between:
Federal and state governments
Only local councils
Only the Prime Minister
No levels of government at all
8. A "double majority" for a referendum requires:
A majority of voters nationally AND in a majority of states
Only a majority of voters nationally
Only a majority in one state
Unanimous agreement from every voter
9. The 1967 referendum changed how the Constitution treated:
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Only immigration laws
Only tax laws
Only sports regulations
10. Why is changing the Constitution deliberately made difficult through the referendum process?
To ensure changes have broad, genuine public support before altering the foundational law
To make sure it is impossible to ever change
To let one person decide alone
There is no real reason for the difficulty
11. In a representative democracy, if citizens are unhappy with their representatives, they can:
Vote them out at the next election
Do nothing at all
Only complain with no formal recourse
Change the Constitution instantly
12. Federalism refers to:
A system dividing power between national and state/regional governments
A single, all-powerful central government with no states
A monarchy with no elections
A type of referendum
13. Why might a proposed referendum fail even with over 50% support nationally?
It might not achieve a majority in enough individual states (the double majority)
Referendums cannot fail once proposed
National support alone always guarantees success
Referendums are decided by a single official, not voters
14. The Constitution can be seen as different from ordinary laws because it:
Sets out the fundamental rules and structure of government itself
Can be changed by any single politician instantly
Has no connection to how government works
Only applies to one specific town
15. Why do most successful Australian referendums involve bipartisan (cross-party) political support?
Broad political agreement tends to build the public trust and awareness needed to win a difficult double majority
Bipartisan support has no effect on referendum outcomes
Referendums never involve political parties at all
Only one political party is allowed to discuss referendums
16. Why is the founding document of a nation's government often intentionally harder to change than regular legislation?
It provides long-term stability and protection from short-term political pressure
Stability is not a goal of a constitution
Constitutions are meant to change as often as possible
There is no meaningful difference between a constitution and regular law
17. Which best explains why federalism (dividing power between federal and state governments) can create both benefits and complications?
It allows regional flexibility but can create overlapping responsibilities or disputes over authority
Federalism only ever creates problems with no benefits
Federalism only ever creates benefits with no complications
Federalism has no effect on how government functions
18. Since Federation, most proposed Australian referendums have failed. This pattern suggests:
Achieving a double majority for constitutional change is genuinely difficult to secure
Referendums are simple to pass with high success rates
No referendum has ever been proposed in Australia
Only one referendum has ever occurred
19. Why might representative democracy be considered more practical than direct democracy (voting on every issue) for a large modern country?
It would be impractical for every citizen to vote on every single decision, so elected representatives specialise in governing
Direct democracy is always faster and easier for large countries