How do Australians have a say in their government?
Who makes decisions in government and how?
What limits are there on the powers of the Commonwealth and State governments?

These are fundamental issues which go to the heart of Australian democracy and provide the themes in this book.

Writing with great insight and clarity, wearing her renowned scholarship lightly, Saunders enables all Australians to take an informed part in the current debates. She outlines how the Constitution can be altered and many of the issues which affect all Australians.

Saunders describes:

• how the Senate and House of Representatives work
• how much power the Prime Minister really has
• why the High Court is so important
• the role of the Governor-General
• who decides how to spend taxes
• how State and Commonwealth Governments work together

The book also contains a full copy of the Australian Constitution.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1: Introduction
What is a Constitution?
Three important questions
How did we get the Constitution?
What does the Constitution do?
Changing times

CHAPTER 2: Having a say
We the people
The idea of Parliament
The Australian Parliaments
The House of Representatives
The Senate
Disagreements between the Houses
Democratic rights
Changing the Constitution

CHAPTER 3: Making decisions
Different kinds of decisions
Government and Parliament
The Head of State
Who’s who in Executive Government
Judges and courts
Commonwealth or State
Money matters

CHAPTER 4: Limits on government
Rule of law
Checks and balances
The separation of powers
Protecting rights
Making a nation

CHAPTER 5: The future
The Constitution turns one hundred

APPENDIX: The Australian Constitution

"[J]ust about the best book for non-lawyers on the nature and workings of the Australian Constitution I have ever encountered....Public debate on constitutional issues in Australia would be greatly improved if journalists, let alone the general public were to read this work in great numbers."

-- Ethos (Law Society of the ACT), No 190, December 2003