In a referendum to change the Australian Constitution, more than half of the total number of voters across Australia vote 'Yes', but a majority of voters in only three out of the six states vote 'Yes'. Which of the following describes the outcome of this referendum?
- The proposed change is rejected because it failed to achieve a majority of 'Yes' votes in at least four out of the six states.Answer
- BThe proposed change is successful because a majority of the total number of voters in Australia supported the amendment.
- CThe proposed change is successful because reaching a majority in half of the states (three out of six) satisfies the state-based requirement.
Answer
The proposed change is rejected because it did not receive a majority of 'Yes' votes in at least four out of the six states.
For a referendum to be successful in Australia, it must satisfy the 'double majority' rule. This means the proposal needs a majority of 'Yes' votes from all voters across Australia AND a majority of 'Yes' votes in at least four out of the six states. In this scenario, while the national majority was achieved, only three states voted 'Yes', which is not a majority of states (4/6). Therefore, the proposed change is rejected.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
The Double Majority Requirement
Hints
1
Recall that changing the Constitution requires two different types of majorities to be met at the same time.
2
One majority is the total number of 'Yes' votes across the whole country. The other is how many of the six states have a 'Yes' majority.
3
Is 3 out of 6 a 'majority' of states, or is it exactly half? Think about how many states must say 'Yes' for it to be more than half.
Practice More
Review why the Australian Constitution makes it difficult to change the law through this double majority system.
Estimated Time:1m 15s