Australia

Federal constitutional monarchy — Westminster-style parliamentary democracy

Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy: King Charles III, also sovereign of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, is represented day to day by a Governor-General — Sam Mostyn since July 2024 — who exercises nearly all constitutional functions in his name, on the advice of the government of the day. The Prime Minister, leader of the party holding the confidence of the House of Representatives, heads the federal government, whose powers are shared with six states and two mainland territories with their own executives. A referendum on becoming a republic was rejected in 1999 (54.9% No), and Australia has since remained tied to the British Crown, though fully sovereign since the Australia Act of 1986, which ended the last constitutional and judicial links with London.