(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)
(WHISPERS) Hey...
Hey Australia. What's happenin'?
Democracy.
What's democracy?
I'm a democracy.
That means my people govern themselves.
(teen) That's cool.
(Australia) Yeah.
When you're an adult (YAY, NAY NOISES)
you get to vote on decisions.
But there's lots of decisions to make all the time
so people vote for someone to vote for them. (SOFT CHATTERING)
They're called politicians.
(teen) I knew that.
(Australia) Sure.
But sometimes everyone has to vote on a decision.
Like in a referendum.
(teen) But that's just for changing the Constitution.
(Australia) Yeah.
When voters vote on a decision
that's an example of direct democracy.
(teen) Because everyone votes themselves?
(Australia) Yeah.
Rest of the time politicians (YAY, NAY NOISES)
vote on everyone's behalf.
That's representative democracy.
(teen) But what if they don't vote how we want? (BOING)
(Australia) No one votes for them.
(teen) What if we don't want to wait to vote?
(Australia) You don't have to.
You can call the politicians,
send them emails, go visit them...
(teen) Do a big march!
(Australia) Yeah! That's democratic dissent.
It's kind of necessary sometimes
but voting is still super important.
It turns me from A country...
into YOUR country.
You're super weird Australia. But you're cool.
You're weird.
You're a talking country.
- You are. - You are. - You are.
I said it first. (SHHHH).
(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)