LEGITIMATEAUTHORITY

Liberal Democracy LEGITIMATE AUTHORFTY

Notes from board

Additional information

• Frequency of elections

Australian Parliament (Federal)The House of Representatives has a maximum term of three years.

The Constitution provides for senators to have fixed terms of six years, with half of the places of the statesenators turning over after elections every three years.

Tasmanian Parliament

Legislative Council: Elections are conducted on a 6 year periodic cycle. Elections for 3 members are held in May

one year, with elections for 2 members held in May the following year and so on. Each elector may only have one

opportunity to vote in Legislative Council elections once every 6 years.

House of Assembly: term of office = 4 years

Social contract

A number of political theorists have discussed the concept 'social contract'. A few lessons ago we

spoke, briefly, about John Locke's view of social contract. When we look at the words liberal

democracy, Locke was "bringing the liberal" to the democracy. In other words, he was concerned that

individual rights and freedoms may be quashed by government. This way of thinking was very much

part of the Enlightenment period. Locke believed people had "natural rights" (life, liberty and

estate/property) that were inalienable and therefore a "contract" ought to exist between the govt and

the people.

For a government to be considered legitimate they needed to protect these rights.

Rousseau was another very influential political theorist during the 1700s who wrote a book titled The

Soc/o/ Contract (1762). He argued that self rule (democracy) was the best way of ensuring general

freedom while maintain individual freedom under the rule of law. He argued that what makes

law/authority legitimate is when it is an expression of the "general will".

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Legitimate Authority (Nate)

Legitimate Authority is based on a system of rules that is applied

administratively and judicially in accordance with known principles.

The persons who administer those rules are appointed or elected by

legal procedures. Superiors are also subject to rules that limit their

powers, separate their private lives from official duties and require

written documentation.

This image gives a really good example of legitimate authority. This is the

senate where the representatives meet and perform a number of

functions for example;

They decide who will govern.

They make laws.

They debate issues.

They make representations on behalf of their constituents to the

government and the public service.

They monitor the expenditure of public money and the actions of the

government.

Representative government is where the people elect representatives at

regular elections.

"The achievement of representative government is the central

achievement of modern politics. In its European homeland, it took

several centuries (and as often as not a revolution) to consolidate

representative institutions. Monarchs had to be brought under the

control of the assembly. Then parliament, in its turn, had to be

subjected to democratic election. Democratic elements had to be

grafted onto ancient pre-democratic institutions of representation. -

Tomparative Government and Politics"", Hague, Harrop & Breslin,

(Macmillan, 1998)

House ofRepresentatives

This is a ballot box in which are used in elections. People are given a sheet of paper with

several boxes and names on them. The people must rank the people from 1-5 with 1 being

their first vote. This picture is a really good example of levitate authority/ the people are

picking someone to represent them and put forward similar ideas and beliefs, "For the

people by the people".

Sadie Nelson and Montanna McVicar

LEGITIMATE AUTHORITY

(Whiley, 2016)

This image shows Australian citizens that are lined up to vote for an Australian election whilst in London.

The image represents universal suffrage as it refers to the fact that everyone who is eligible to vote must,

regardless of where they may be or what situation they may be in at the time of election. Universal

suffrage ties in with legitimate authority as it reflects how the process of legitimate authority is

created/carried out in government by voters who are supporting their preferred political party or

politician. Universal suffrage was adopted in the early 20th century and has since transformed and shaped

the framework of liberal democracy.

(Saggin, 2016)

This image relates to legitimate authority as it represents the people who are voting to determine who has

authority in the government, and therefore, their participation in the process of legitimate authority. You

are eligible to vote in Australia if you are; 18 years of age or older/ and Australian Citizen or an eligible

British subject (someone who is British but living in Australia who is eligible to vote in Australia under the

Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918), you have lived at your address for at least one month and you are not

currently in prison serving a sentence of, or in excess of, 3 years.

Sadie Nelson and Montanna McVicar

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This image represents the aspect of legitimate authority that refers to who can stand for election.

In Australia, almost anyone who is eligible to vote is eligible be nominated to run for a federal election as

long as they meet the following regulations; they must be eighteen or older, an Australian citizen and they

must have a minimum of one-hundred nominations to be considered.

However, you are unable to run in the election if; you have ever been convicted of any offence which has

resulted in a sentence of twelve months or more in prison or if you are still in the process of undischarged

bankruptcy. This ties in with legitimate authority because these rules help the public choose who to elect

as a representative that will make important decisions on their behalf.

References:

Anon, (n.d.). Legitimate Authority, [online] Available at:

http://casas.tas.edu.au/vle/links/files.phtml/58b8e4dec3e6b.594268774$100038650$/Resources/PART+l+Principles+and+Practise+of+Australia_prcent_26_prcent_23039_prcent_3Bs+Westminster+Parliamentary+System+

of+Government/1.2.1_prcent_3A+Legitimate+Authority+/l-2-l+lntroduction.pdf [Accessed 6 Mar. 2017].

Australian Electoral Commission. (2016). Enrol to vote. [online] Available at: http://www.aec.gov.au/enrol/

[Accessed 6 Mar. 2017].

Legalanswers.sl.nsw.gov.au. (n.d.). Who can stand for election? / State Library ofNSW. [online] Available at:

http://legalanswers.sl.nsw.gov.au/standing-election/who-can-stand-election [Accessed 6 Mar. 2017].

Saggin, G. (2016). [image] Available at: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-18/who-governs-what-in-local-

government/7255514 [Accessed 9 Mar. 2017].

SBS, (2017). [image] Available at: http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2013/08/14/explainer-what-preferential-voting [Accessed 6 Mar. 2017].

Whiley, A. (2016). Democracy & universal suffrage in action. Australians queuing along The Strand to vote at

Australia House.. [image] Available at: https://twitter.com/whileyandrew/status/748579655955943424[Accessed 6 Mar. 2017].

Legitimate AuthorityPaige and Josh

What is Legitimate Authority?

Legitimacy of an authoritarian position is often related to the manner in which someone has been elected into their

position and the ways in which they continue to maintain power. There are three types of legitimacy:

• Traditional Legitimacy - Focuses on the ideas and customs of traditions in the past. Often thought that if

the traditions have proved successful in the past then it should continue to be so in the future.

• Charismatic Legitimacy - A leader who is chosen for their ideas and charismatic persona. These people

often come across as alluring for the general public and so are voted in by public demand. Often these

leaders can charm people into agreement with the government, even if the government is weak and lacks

strong morals. The government in itself would disappear without the figure head being so charismatic.

• Rational Legal Legitimacy - Where Government institutions create and monitor laws in the public interest.

It is through public trust that these leaders have their power.

In history legitimacy was linked with spirituality (i.e Ancient Egyptian pharaohs were chosen due to their link withtheir mythology) where as in a civil legitimacy the leaders are often appomted by the institutions and then a publicelection is held.

Representative Government

"The political idea of representation is based on the idea that some person or instihition acts on behalf of the

people, by re-presenting their beliefs, attitudes and perspectives."

This essentially means that a Government or a single person who has been put in power by the people work to

represent the beliefs and ideals held by their people. For example the Australian Government is realistically meantto represent and protect the rights and beliefs of the public they serve.

Who can vote?

"The right to vote, without discrimination, is set out in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights(article 25) and the International Covenant on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (article 5(c)). Both of thosehuman rights treaties bind the Australian government. The right to vote is also set out in the Universal Declaration

on Human Rights (article 21)."

Australian government states that everyone has the right to vote, without discrimination. This means that there are

no longer boundaries on who can vote based on gender or ethnic differences.

In saying this there are three basic groups of people who can't vote.

• Those convicted of treason or treachery of state and have not been pardoned

• People who are of an unsound mental state

• Criminal serving a prison sentence of three or more years

Who can stand for election?

There are three qualifications for those who can be up for an election;

• Must be 18 years of age or older

• Must be an Australian citizen

• Must be able to vote in an election

Under section 44 there are some ways in which someone can be disqualified for running in a house of

representative election such as;

• A member of parliament in state or territory, unless they have resigned before lodging a nomination

• Citizen of a foreign country

• Serving a prison sentence of 12 or more months

Is an undischarged bankrupt or insolvent

Running a government funded occupation

A permanent member of the Australian defence force.

Liberal Democracy

In having legitimacy with authority in the Australian government we prove that we live in a Liberal Democracy.

In order to have a liberal democracy we have to have a pubic elected government that are open to accepting

different points of views, values and ideas about society. If we have legitimacy in our authority figures then they

should be representing the best interestsjrf'the public and maintain an openness to their ideas.

Who can vote? Who can stand for election? Are elections fair? Universal Suffrage

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What is Legitimate Authority?

Bibliography

"Legitimacy (Political)". En.wikipedia.org. N.p., 2017. Web. 6 Mar. 2017.

"The Right To Vote Is Not Enjoyed Equally By All Australians | Australian Human Rights Commission". Humanrights.gov.au.N.p., 2010. Web. 6 Mar. 2017.

"Representative Government | Australianpolitics.Com". Australianpolitics.com. Web. 6 Mar. 2017.

"Standing As A Candidate". Australian Electoral Commission. N.p., 2016. Web. 6 Mar. 2017.