The United States federation, like the Australian, was created through an agreement among delegates of self-governing, distinct states. While the states differ vastly in population, economy, and resources, every state demanded to be treated as a constitutive equal while forming the federal constitution. The similarities between American and Australian constitutions isn’t a coincidence; Australia actually modeled their system after the American example.
The states of both countries around the creation of rules and legislations were a very equality focused environment. All the people of the federation needed to be represented as a whole. That explains why both countries have a House of Representatives and a Senate. Both the American and Australian Senate have seats that are equal, no matter the size of the state. The American Senate has two seats per state; in contrast, the Australian Senate has 12 seats per state. Concerning the house, both countries also have a house that is popularly elected, where the popular vote primarily determines the electorate size.
Concerning how the parliament deals with legislation, in both systems, the Senate and the House have to pass all legislation. Both America and Australia have written constitutions that control the actions of the government. Both have an independent judiciary platform, the supreme court in America, and the High Court in Australia.
The primary difference between the federation lies in how they control the countries. In America, the government was founded as a republic, while Austalia was founded as a constitutional monarchy. In the US system, the president is the head of the government and head of the state. In the opposing regime, the Australian head of state is represented by the governor-general.
The ruling Prime Minister in Australia is elected by members of the parties that have the majority of the seats in the House of Representatives. In contrast, the United States President is elected by the people utilizing an electorate. Possibly, one of the most striking differences lies in how people vote. In America, voting is voluntary and a privilege. In Australia, voting is compulsory.
Both systems are incredibly exciting and appear to be working well, generally speaking, it both countries. Both countries were previously ruled by Great Britain and were founded on liberty focused ideals. Freedom shaped both countries, in incredibly similar and simultaneously unique ways.
