What are Australia's democratic beliefs?
Last updated 23 October 2026
What are Australia's democratic beliefs?
Part 2 of Our Common Bond names four democratic beliefs. They are parliamentary democracy, the Rule of Law, living peacefully, and respect for every individual whatever their background.
You will meet these ideas in the pledge you make at your citizenship ceremony. One of your promises there is to share these beliefs, so the test expects you to know them.
Parliamentary democracy
In Australia the people are the source of the government's power. Voters choose representatives, and those representatives sit in parliament.
The main idea is that representatives must answer to voters. If people are unhappy with decisions, the next election gives them a chance to say so. Think of it as a loop: you vote, they decide, you judge them at the next vote.
The Rule of Law
Everyone is equal under the law. No person, no group and no religious rule stands above it.
The booklet is clear that this covers people with power too. Government leaders, community leaders, religious leaders, business people and the police all have to obey the same laws as you. Nobody is above the law.
Living peacefully
Australians want change to happen through talk and persuasion, and through the democratic process. They reject violence as a way to win an argument or to change a law.
This does not mean you must agree with every law. You can disagree loudly. You can campaign and you can vote. What you cannot do is use force.
Respect for all individuals
Australian law gives every person rights and equal standing, whatever their background. The booklet lists many kinds of background, from race and birthplace to gender, age, disability, culture, politics, money and faith.
The word to hold on to is dignity. The booklet wants people to treat one another with dignity and respect, and the law backs that up.
Why these four belong together
The four beliefs support each other. Voting only means something if everyone obeys the same law, and the law only works if people settle disagreements without force. Respect for every person is what makes the whole system fair to newcomers as well as to people born here.
When a question is worded in an unusual way, go back to this idea. Ask which belief the situation touches: a vote, a law, a conflict or a person's dignity.
How to remember the four
Use a short chain. People vote (parliamentary democracy), everyone obeys (Rule of Law), nobody uses force (living peacefully), everyone is treated with respect (respect for all).
If you want the bigger picture, these beliefs sit next to the freedoms and equalities in the same part. Read what freedoms people have in Australia next, then the rights and responsibilities of citizens. The full text is in Part 2 of the booklet. When you are ready, try the free practice test.
Check yourself
- Can you explain the Rule of Law to a friend in one sentence?
- Can you name who must obey the law, including people with power?
- What are the peaceful ways to try to change a law?
Questions people ask
- Where do the democratic beliefs appear in the citizenship pledge?
- The pledge includes a promise about these beliefs, and a second one about rights and liberties. That is why Part 2 of the booklet sets them out.
- Does the Rule of Law apply to the police and the government?
- Yes. The booklet says leaders in government, business, the community and religion, and the police, must all obey the law like everyone else.
- Can people try to change a law?
- Yes, by peaceful means. Talking, persuading and voting are accepted. Violence is not.