The United States convention season provides a good opportunity to review the differences between a Monarchy and a Republic.
In November the American people will go to the polls to elect one person to run their country. That person will have great power - but not absolute power. The presidency is subject to the scrutiny of both the Senate and the Congress - the political nature of which may be the opposite of the view held by the president.
The president has the power of veto and can strike down legislation to which he or she is opposed.
In Australia the voters select a political party to run the country. The political party that wins government selects a prime minister who selects ministers to run the various sections of government.
In the event of that government losing the numbers by way of by-elections the politics of government changes - and so does the prime minister.
This process of government is subject to oversight by " the Crown " - in the person of the Sovereign - who remains politically neutral.
Both systems have positives and negatives. In Australia the " Crown " is located twelve thousand miles away in another country - and is represented here by a Governor General. This person is purely a figurehead and takes no active part in the politics of the day - unless the constitution is breached.
Pro Monarchy opinion sees this as a plus. The prime minister and the government are free to govern without the interference of a third party while the Governor General and the courts prevent that rule from straying from within the bounds of the constitution.
Republican opinion objects to the head of state being a person who is resident of another country. It calls for an Australian citizen, elected by the people to occupy that position.
The problem for some people is that such an elected person could have strong political views and could assume that voter support put the presidency into combat with the office of prime minister - a situation that does not happen where the monarchy is involved.
It seems inevitable that eventually this country will become a republic. An ever increasing percentage of the population is from countries other than Britain and loyalty to a British head of state is already perilously close to the even divide mark - as evidenced by a referendum on the subject.
The question of what sort of republic will emerge has yet to be decided. Whether a president will simply replace the governor general in a ceremonial role - or whether an active president will replace the power of prime minister is yet to be seriously debated.
The presidential system has worked well for America - and the monarchy has worked well for Australia - but this country's ties to Britain are drawing apart as the population grows and the present government has promised that the question of a republic will again be revisited.
Many will watch the emerging contest in America with interest and draw comparisons with politics in Australia !
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