ATAR Humanities & Social Sciences 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In Australian history, the 1967 referendum is significant because it:
- Granted women the right to vote
- Allowed Aboriginal Australians to be counted in the national census (Correct answer)
- Established Australia as a republic
- Gave states the power to manage immigration
Correct answer: Allowed Aboriginal Australians to be counted in the national census
The 1967 referendum amended the Constitution to include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the national census and gave the Commonwealth power to make laws for them.
Question 2: Which economic concept describes the cost of the next best alternative foregone when making a decision?
- Marginal cost
- Sunk cost
- Opportunity cost (Correct answer)
- Variable cost
Correct answer: Opportunity cost
Opportunity cost is the value of the best alternative given up when a choice is made, a foundational concept in economics.
Question 3: In political science, 'separation of powers' refers to:
- The division of government into legislative, executive, and judicial branches (Correct answer)
- The process of dividing a country into states or territories
- The distribution of tax revenue between federal and state governments
- The separation of domestic and foreign policy
Correct answer: The division of government into legislative, executive, and judicial branches
Separation of powers divides government authority among the legislature (makes laws), executive (implements laws), and judiciary (interprets laws) to prevent concentration of power.
Question 4: The term 'push and pull factors' in geography most directly relates to:
- Tectonic plate movement
- Ocean current patterns
- Human migration (Correct answer)
- Urban sprawl
Correct answer: Human migration
Push factors (e.g., poverty, conflict) drive people away from a place, while pull factors (e.g., jobs, safety) attract them to a new location.
Question 5: Which philosopher is most associated with the concept of the 'social contract' as described in 'The Social Contract' (1762)?
- John Locke
- Thomas Hobbes
- Jean-Jacques Rousseau (Correct answer)
- Immanuel Kant
Correct answer: Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau's 'The Social Contract' (1762) argued that legitimate political authority comes from a collective agreement among citizens.
Question 6: In economics, 'inflation' is best defined as:
- A decrease in the money supply
- A sustained increase in the general price level (Correct answer)
- A rise in unemployment rates
- A reduction in government spending
Correct answer: A sustained increase in the general price level
Inflation refers to a sustained general increase in the price level of goods and services, reducing purchasing power over time.
Question 7: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) was adopted by:
- The World Bank
- The International Court of Justice
- The United Nations General Assembly (Correct answer)
- The League of Nations
Correct answer: The United Nations General Assembly
The UDHR was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1948 as a global standard for human rights.
ATAR Humanities & Social Sciences 2
In Australian history, the 1967 referendum is significant because it: