| No government is simple and Australia's is no | | | | have a powerful voice in the affairs of the |
| different. There are three levels of Government | | | | country if he or she wishes to intervene, just like |
| in Australia and each of them has a specific | | | | the infamous Dismissal of Gough Whitlam by the |
| function, albeit overlapping, that benefits a | | | | then Governor-General Sir John Kerr in 1975. |
| common Australian in a general sense. Let us | | | | Powers that do not belong to state and local |
| check a simplified overview of how each of the | | | | governments are given to the Federal |
| government tiers in the country works for the | | | | Government led by the Prime Minister. |
| public. | | | | The State Government |
| The Federal Government | | | | The powers of the State Government are set |
| The headquarters of the Federal Government is in | | | | out by the Constitution of the Commonwealth of |
| Canberra, which is also known as the Australian | | | | Australia since 1901. Part of state level |
| Capital Territory. The structure of this territory is | | | | government's responsibilities is to ensure the |
| similar to the US's District of Columbia. The | | | | maintenance of highways that are not funded by |
| general pattern of Australia's Federal Government | | | | the federal government as well as giving additional |
| is more like of the US than the UK. The Federal | | | | logistical support to police forces in its jurisdiction. |
| Government is made up of bicameral chambers: | | | | Funding for correction centers and some hospitals |
| the House of Representatives and the Senate. | | | | come from state level government. |
| A party with most members in the House of | | | | There are some cases of laws and powers that |
| Representatives defines the government, while | | | | are being gradually passed on to the Federal |
| the second party with most number of members | | | | Government under the guidance of the |
| is considered the Opposition. The Senate's main | | | | constitution. And speaking of laws, some of the |
| function is to check the laws being passed by the | | | | six states have either bicameral chambers or only |
| lower house or the House of Representatives. | | | | one. There are states that elect politicians into |
| There is no President in Australia. Instead, the | | | | one member seats thru preferential voting, while |
| Queen's representative, the Governor-General, is | | | | others are elected into multi-party or -member |
| the true head of state although much of the | | | | electorates via a system of proportional |
| function of this seat is more of ceremonial than | | | | representation. |
| political. However, the Governor-General can still | | | | |