Government

In a sense，the structure of the Australian government is an amalgam of that of Great Britain and the United States.It is similar to the British model in that it is a constitutional monarchy，whereby the British monarch is also Australia’s Head of State，and also because the governments of both the Commonwealth and the states are chosen from the majority party in Parliament.It resembles the American model as it is a federation with a clear division of responsibilities between the Commonwealth and the states，and because its constitution provides for the separation of powers between the executive，legislative and judicial branches of government.The constitution can only be altered by agreement of the majority of the voters both nationally and in at least four of the six states.In the event of disputes relating to the constitution，the final power of decision rests with the High Court of Australia.

Although Australia recognizes the British monarch as its Head of State，it is a wholly independent country.The British role is purely formal and ceremonial，and is exercised through a Governor⁃General who resides in Canberra，as well as by a governor in each of the six states that were former British colonies.The governors are all appointed by the British monarch upon the recommendations of the Australian government.

The duties of the federal government headed by the Prime Minister of Australia，as defined by the constitution，include defense，foreign policy，immigration，customs and excise，and postal services.Other powers，such as justice，education，health and internal transport are left to the states.In this sense the states hold significant power as they are responsible for most things that immediately concern citizens in their daily lives.This，however，is true only in theory.In practice，the powers of the states have been diminishing，especially since World WarⅡwhen the federal government became the sole collector of a broad range of taxes，leaving the states largely dependent on Canberra for financial support.

Australia is divided administratively into six states（New South Wales，Tasmania，Western Australia，Victoria，South Australia，and Queensland），and two Internal Territories（the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory）.Both the Australian Capital Territory（called ACT for short）and the Northern Territory are administered directly by the federal government through resident administrators.Australia is a parliamentary democracy，Members of the two houses of Parliament（called the House of Representatives and the Senate，as in the United States），are elected through universal adult suffrage，with the voting age being 21.The party which wins the majority of seats in parliament organizes the government，and the head of the winning party usually becomes Prime Minister.The two major parties in parliament now are the Australian Labor Party and the Coalition.The Australian Labor Party is known for promoting a greater degree of social equality and is considered to be center⁃left on the political spectrum.The Coalition is formed by the Liberal Party of Australia and its minor partner（s）such as the Liberal National Party and the National Party of Australia.It generally represents the interests of business along with many people in the suburbs and rural areas，and is considered to be a party of the center⁃right.Apart from the major parties，there are also numerous smaller parties，such as the Australian Greens，which is an environmentalist party.

To ensure continuity of government policies，Australia has instituted permanent office for civil servants.These officials are supposed to be politically neutral，and must carry out their duties irrespective of any changes that may occur in the government.