POL111H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Bundesrat Of Germany, Responsible Government, Australian Senate
Document Summary
The candidate has to own at least ,000 in real property (meaning real estate, like a house for example), in the province he/she represents in the senate. Also, the candidate" total net worth orassets has to be ,000. In the 19th century, ,000 was a considerable sum. According to many liberal theorists of the 19th century, government should be run by people who had a vested interest in the success of their society. In a society where property ownership was regarded as a visible sign of success and gravitas, a chamber dominated by property-owners was supposed to be able to debate government legislation with a view to the long-term interests of society. These men of substance would not be influenced by the short-term focus of the lower, elected chamber. Keep in mind, in the 19th century few people were well-educated. Nowadays, the marker of gravitas and seriousness would be university degrees.
