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Government Concepts Overview

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Government Concepts Overview

Read the short scenario and use your knowledge of New Zealand government to answer each question. For written responses, explain your reasoning and use relevant civics terms.

A decision at the netball tournament

At a regional netball tournament, organisers propose a rule that only spectators who support the host team may enter the final. Losa questions whether this is fair. Ari suggests asking the local council to review the use of its publicly funded venue. Kahu says that if the rule affects people’s rights, it should be checked against the law. The organisers agree to hear feedback before making a decision.

Core ideas

Choose the best answer for each question.

1.Which statement best describes the rule of law in New Zealand?

Only people who are not in government must obey the law.
Everyone, including government officials, is subject to the law.
Courts can make anyone exempt from the law without giving reasons.
A person’s wealth determines whether the law applies to them.

2.Which set correctly names the three branches commonly used to explain separation of powers?

Legislature, executive and judiciary
Parliament, police and media
Local councils, political parties and courts
Cabinet, voters and public service

3.Which branch of government in New Zealand is responsible for the judicial function?

4.Complete the sentence: The New Zealand Bill of Rights Act was passed in . It protects important rights and freedoms, although some rights may be subject to justified limits.

5.Match each concept to the best description.

Liberal democracy
Rule of law
Separation of powers

The law applies to everyone, including those who govern
A system with political participation and regular, free and fair elections
Government functions are divided among institutions to help prevent concentrated power

Apply and evaluate

Use the tournament scenario and your civics knowledge. More than one well-supported viewpoint may be reasonable where a question asks you to evaluate.

6.True or false: New Zealand has a complete separation between the executive and legislature, with no overlap between them. Explain your answer in one sentence.

7.Name one way people could participate in New Zealand’s democracy to raise concerns about the proposed entry rule. Explain how that action could influence decision-makers.

8.Explain how the rule of law applies to the tournament organisers’ decision. Give one example of a fair process they could use.

9.The New Zealand Bill of Rights Act protects rights and freedoms, but rights are not always unlimited. Identify one right or freedom that might be relevant to spectators, then explain what a decision-maker should consider before limiting it.

10.Suppose Parliament passes a law that some people believe unfairly limits a right. Explain one role the courts could have and one limit on what the courts can do under New Zealand’s constitutional system.

11.Assess the organisers’ decision to hear feedback before making a final rule. Explain one way this supports liberal democracy and one practical challenge the organisers should consider.