Now that the NSW state election is behind us and new ministers have been sworn in, it's a good time to reflect on the state of democracy.
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As an American I have to say, seeing a peaceful transition of power is like getting a breath of fresh air, but that's not the only thing I like about Australian politics.
Here's five more:
1. Mandatory Voting
Mandatory voting is fantastic for encouraging civil participation.
When more people vote, more voices are heard regardless of who wins.
Nearly everyone votes in Australian elections, but in the US, roughly two-thirds of the country gets to make nationwide decisions for everybody, and it gets even worse on a state and local level.
I've heard some people worry that mandatory voting encourages people to vote blindly on things they know little about, and my response to that is twofold:
One, mandatory voting also has the opposite effect because people are more likely to go out and research their candidates if they know they have to vote anyway.
And two, idiots will always vote blindly on things regardless of whether it's mandatory.
At least by having more people involved in the process there are more chances to discuss the issues and engage people in civic education.
2. Quick and Easy Weekend Elections
One of the great things about mandatory voting is it's simple, you show up, order your preferences (more on that below), drop your ballot, and leave.
You can pre-poll if you want, but even if you can't find the time Australian elections are designed to be quick and painless.
Depending on where you live in the US, you might end up queueing for hours to vote, as people fill out pages upon pages on their ballot, deciding on every position from county judges to school board members.
In Texas, where I'm from, some local elections are held on Saturdays, but for some unholy reason the powers-that-be decided that most state-wide and federal elections are held on Tuesdays.
Not having a day off to vote depresses voter turnout, and to me is just plain depressing.
Early voting mitigates this a bit, but each state has its own regulations on when and where you can vote early, and four states (Alabama, Connecticut, Mississippi, and New Hampshire) don't allow in-person early voting at all.
3. The Democracy Sausage
It's impossible to talk about Australian elections without mentioning the cultural icon that is the democracy sausage.
I'll avoid romanticising the meat-stuffed skin log too much, but it's not an exaggeration to say the democracy sausage plays a crucial role in maintaining social cohesion.
It shows that no matter who you vote for, or what your beliefs are, you're still welcome to come out and have a snack with your neighbours while supporting your local community.
Meanwhile in the good ole US of A, you might remember headlines coming out a couple of years ago about the state of Georgia banning food and water from being handed out to voters, even as they wait in nearly 40-degree heat.
Thankfully Georgia is alone in this (for now, at least).
Being able to share food with your fellow citizens after collectively taking part in one of the most fundamental building blocks of democratic society makes the taste of voting so sweet ... or perhaps savoury in this case.
4. Preferential Voting
Who doesn't feel a little sense of glee when putting their least-preferred candidate in last place?
Outside of that visceral pleasure, preferential voting also allows minor voices to be heard.
Even if your first-choice preference doesn't get in, your vote isn't wasted as it's given to the next-best candidate.
This gives politicians a clear understanding of which issues matter to voters as they see which party platforms gain or lose voters each election.
It also allows smaller parties to show support for larger ones, bringing a large tent of constituents together while maintaining individual issue-based identities.
Most importantly, it prevents the contest from coming down to a choice between the lesser of two evils.
5. Candidates are Approachable
In Tamworth, you might run into councillors and parliamentarians at a local festival, or even at your favourite pub.
Indeed, politicians Australia-wide are expected to be men or women of the people.
This came as a culture shock to me.
A couple of months ago, I did a story about the difficulties a water security group had in meeting with the water minister, and at the start I had no idea why it was even news.
"Of course it's hard to meet with your minister," I thought at the time, "Why wouldn't it be?"
In the US, even state-level senators and representatives are considered to be in a position of respect and authority. For most, you'd be lucky to get a meeting even if you write a letter, call their office, message their Twitter, and hold a séance to summon them from their tombs - I mean, offices.
6. (Relatively) Short Election Cycles
Lastly, I'm very grateful that we can all move politics to the background of our minds for the next few years.
The official campaign season doesn't start until less than a month before the election, and it's rare for candidates to declare more than two months out.
Compare that to the US, where the freshly-indicted Donald Trump has long-since declared his candidacy almost two years before voters will cast their ballots.
Part of why politics divides Americans is because they have to think about it almost all the time.
This has the unfortunate consequence of elevating politicians to celebrity status, further isolating them from the problems of everyday people.
In Australia you keep your politicians grounded, and I admire you guys for that.
Keep it up Oz, in my opinion you guys are the ones that deserve to be called a "beacon of Democracy".