Salient Feature of Constitution of Australia & Switzerland – Polity UPSC Notes

Salient Feature of Constitution of Australia & Switzerland – Notes for UPSC 🇦🇺 Australia 1. Form of Government Australia follows a hybrid model of representative democracy and constitutional monarchy . It is a federal state , modeled on the US federation . Residuary powers rest with the States , unlike India. 2. Nature of the Constitution Written Constitution (1900), came into force on 1 January 1901 . Divided into 8 chapters and 128 parts . Defines 3 organs: Parliament, Executive, and Judiciary. 3. Parliament Consists of the Queen (represented by the Governor-General) , the Senate , and the House of Representatives . Senate : Elected directly, 6-year term, represents the States. House of Representatives : Elected directly, number of members roughly equals senators. 4. Elections Held under a uniform federal electoral system . Held every 3 years , date decided by the Governor-General . 5. Voting Compulsory for citizens aged 18 and above. Non-participation can lead to penalty/fine . 6. Federal Structure Three layers…