Australia is a constitutional monarchy where the King is the Head of State. Given that the King does not have a day-to-day role in government, which statement best describes how the Governor-General's constitutional and executive powers are exercised in practice?
- The Governor-General acts as the King's representative and generally performs their constitutional duties on the advice of the Prime Minister and Ministers.Answer
- BThe Governor-General must receive a direct personal instruction from the King in London before giving Royal Assent to any bill or appointing a government minister.
- CThe Governor-General is an independently elected official who has the supreme authority to create laws and manage the Federal Cabinet without government advice.
Answer
The Governor-General acts as the King's representative and generally performs their constitutional duties on the advice of the Prime Minister and Ministers.
In the Australian system, the Governor-General represents the King but functions within the framework of a parliamentary democracy. This means that for constitutional actions like giving Royal Assent to a bill or appointing ministers, the Governor-General follows the advice of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, who are the elected leaders accountable to the Parliament.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
The Relationship between the Head of State, the Governor-General, and the Executive Government
Hints
1
Consider who is the 'Head of State' and who is the 'Head of Government' in Australia.
2
Recall that Australia is a democracy; think about whether the King's representative would act independently or follow the advice of elected leaders.
3
The Governor-General is appointed on the advice of the Prime Minister and continues to act on that advice for most official duties.
Practice More
Review the composition of the Federal Parliament to see how the King, the Senate, and the House of Representatives interact to make laws.
Estimated Time:1m 30s