Political action
and decision
making
Syllabus
Political action
 issues that concern the community
 how to take action on political issues
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individual action
political parties
lobby groups
Media
Decision-making
 organisations which make decisions that impact on the community
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government organisations
businesses
welfare organisations
media
processes involved in decision-making
Lingo List
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activist An individual who takes
direct action, usually in support
of, or in opposition to, one side of
a controversial issue.
current issues Issues that are of
relevance and significance
today.
decree An order that usually has
the force of law.
direct action Action that is either
planned or spontaneous; for
example, marches and sit-ins.
independent A member of
parliament who does not belong
to a political party.
interest groups A group of
people organised to further some
cause or interest that they have
in common. Also known as lobby
groups and pressure groups.
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petition A formal, written
request made to an official
person or organised body and
signed by people who are
concerned about a particular
issue.
regulation A law made under
the authority of an Act of
Parliament.
sit-in The act of sitting in the
seats, or on the floor, of an
institution or public place as a
form of organised protest.
trade union An organisation of
employees that acts
collectively for the mutual
protection and assistance of
the employees and is
concerned with wages and
conditions of employment
Issues that concern the
community
 While
some issues will affect all Australians,
others will be of interest to particular
groups within Australian society.
 The issues of interest to Australian
teenagers, for example, may be quite
different from those affecting retirees
 Name 3 issues that might be of interest to
teenagers, young adults (those in their
twenties and thirties) and retirees
Specific Issues May Include….
Teenagers
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May include:
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Access to permanent
and part-time work
the wage rates paid to
young people,
changes to rules
governing the granting
of a driver’s licence
changes to the
contribution people are
required to make
towards the cost of a
tertiary education.
Young Adults
 May
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include:
the cost of housing,
interest rates,
employment security
access to child care.
And finally…
Retirees
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include:
Pension paid by the
government
Tax on
superannuation
Official retirement
age
Taking action on political
issues
 When
there is an issue that you feel
strongly about there are a number of
actions you can take to influence
decision-making processes.
 These include:
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joining a political party,
taking individual action,
becoming an activist in an interest group
contacting the media.
Political parties
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A political party is an organisation of people
with similar ideas or philosophies.
The aims of such organisations include the
development of policies that the party
believes will appeal to voters.
When Australian citizens vote for a political
party, they usually choose a party that they
believe reflects their ideas and beliefs.
In Australia there are more than 40 political
parties
Individual actions
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Individuals can influence decision-making
processes.
For example:
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write or meet with their local member of
parliament or councillor (a representative on the
local council)
write a letter to a newspaper
phone a talkback radio program.
engage in direct action (protests and
demonstrations, such as sit-ins), but must be
careful not to break any laws.
Importantly every Australian citizen has the right to
stand for election
Lobby Groups
A
Lobby group is a group of people who
lobby (or seek to influence the opinions of
politicians) by presenting them with
information on political issues
 They are composed of people who unite
in an attempt to change government
policy on a particular issue
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E.g. a lobby group may form to preserve an
area of bush land or to stop a new airport
being built at Badgery’s Creek
Media
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The term media refers to the all the different
ways information can be widely distributed. It
includes:
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Print media – newspapers & magazines
Electronic media –radio & tv
Internet – as an interactive form of media
Media can reach local, state or national or
international audiences
The independence of media is an important
aspect of a democratic country
Decision Making
Organisations That Make Decisions That
Impact On The Community
In a democratic society, such as Australia, decisions affecting
communities are made by a range of organisations
Government Organisations
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Governments, at all levels,
make decisions which impact
on our daily lives.
Only decisions that create new
law or endorse government
spending need to be brought
before parliament and the
Queen’s representative.
Some decisions can be made
by regulation or decree E.g.
Australia’s decision to support
the US invasion of Iraq in 2003
did not need to be endorsed
by the Australian Parliament.
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The decision to commit
Australian troops to war was
taken by the Prime Minister
and Cabinet.
The funds used to finance
Australia’s commitment were
drawn from the defence
budget already passed by
parliament.
Businesses
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These decisions can
also impact on our
daily lives.
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For example, a
decision to invest in
a new factory will
help to create new
jobs.
A decision to close
or relocate a factory
will increase
unemployment in a
community.
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The way a business is
conducted will affect its
workforce and the
community in which it is
located.
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If the company is a
good corporate citizen
these impacts are likely
to be positive.
A bad corporate citizen
may exploit its workers,
pollute the environment
and care little about its
broader community
responsibilities.
Welfare Organisations
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With one in five households living on less than $300
a week (most of which is made up of government
welfare payments) welfare agencies play an
important role in the life of many Australians.
Many welfare agencies distribute assistance to the
poor and needy.
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Some of this money is donated by members of the
community, but the majority comes from
government
Government sees welfare organisations as being
well placed to distribute assistance to those most
in need.
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Welfare organisations also lobby governments to
secure a better deal for the poor and
disadvantaged.
The main supporter of low-income and
disadvantaged people in Australia is the Australian
Council of Social Service (ACOSS)
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In 2010, an estimated 2,265,000 people or 12.8% of all
people, including 575,000 children (17.3% of all children),
lived in households below the most austere poverty line.
This is set at 50% of the median (middle) disposable
income for all Australian households. In the case of a
single adult, in 2010 this poverty line was $358 per week.
In the case of a couple with two children it was $752.
Media
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The editorial decisions made by the media
help to shape public discussion and
debate−the issues we talk about.
By highlighting some issues and ignoring
others the media can influence the decisionmaking processes of government.
If the media emphasises law and order as an
issue, for example, a government may
respond by increasing police numbers and
the length of prison sentences.
Processes Involved In Decisionmaking
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An important part of living in a democracy is that we,
as citizens, have the right to speak up about issues
that concern us.
Not only can we freely voice our opinions, we can
also do something about changing the situation if we
can persuade a majority of people to support our
point of view.
Alternatively, we are free to protest if the
government does something (or proposes
something) that we disagree with.
We can undertake political action in order to make
things better or to prevent them from getting worse.
By engaging in political action we hope to influence
the decision-making processes of those who
represent us.
In Summary
 When
there is an issue that you feel
strongly about there are a number of
actions you can take to influence
decision-making processes.
 These include:
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Joining a political party,
Taking individual action,
Becoming an activist in an interest group
Contacting the media.