The people
Directly elect members of both the Senate and House of Representatives under sections 7 and 24.
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🇦🇺 Formal national power · source bounded
Who selects whom in Australia?
Both houses are directly elected, the government depends on House support, and the High Court tests constitutional validity.
Dots are institutions · arrows are sourced powers
Federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Australia's Constitution and official civic sources connect direct election of both federal houses, House support for the government, the Governor-General's commissioning, ministerial appointment, dissolution, writ, Royal Assent, and judicial-appointment powers, and High Court review of constitutional validity.
Explore the whole systemHow voters choose power
Elections2 paths
The dots
Institutions represented on this map.
Each institution below has an attached source. Being listed does not imply an unshown formal relationship.
House of Representatives
The directly elected lower house whose majority support a party or coalition must retain to stay in government.
Senate
The directly elected federal upper house representing the States under the Constitution.
Governor-General
The King's representative, with constitutional and conventional roles in Parliament and executive government.
Prime Minister and Ministers
Form the political executive and require majority support in the House of Representatives to remain in government.
High Court of Australia
Interprets and applies Australian law, including challenges to the constitutional validity of laws.
Evidence and limits
Every line has a source. Every missing layer stays visible.
The map describes formal national relationships only. It does not measure democratic quality, legitimacy, actual compliance, or informal influence.
Official or constitutional source
Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act
Federal Register of Legislation
- direct election of both houses
- dissolution
- Royal Assent
- executive power
- ministerial appointment
- judicial appointment
Separation of powers: Parliament, Executive and Judiciary
Parliamentary Education Office
- separation of powers
- responsible government
- House support
- Governor-General appointment powers
Civics and democracy
Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia
- dissolution and election writs
- commissioning the Prime Minister
- ministerial appointments
- reserve powers
Role of the High Court
High Court of Australia
- interpretation and application of law
- constitutional-validity challenges
- federal appellate role