Post by CSP on Feb 20, 2021 3:11:17 GMT
It's about time that we get started talking about how we intend to structure our regional government. For now, I don't want to get bogged down in formatting and style. There will be plenty of time for that. Rather, I'd like for us to have a free flowing discussion about how we'd like to see things work, what structures appeal to us and why. I'll start by describing my vision for the Executive side of things.
Background
It's important to note that my proposed government structure borrows quite heavily from the historical government structure of the Plymouth Colony and that structure is a unique one. Perhaps most immediately noticeable is the lack of separation of powers, or at least how we understand them today. Their government performed executive, legislative, and judicial functions but these functions were not performed by wholly separate and co-equal branches of government. For example, the Governor presided over the General Court and criminal as well as civil court proceedings were handled by the General Court rather than independent judges. As our community grows and there is demand for more positions in government and a more sophisticated structure, we may want to move in a more modern direction but for now, I think this is actually a great approach for us to emulate even if we make a few tweaks.
Office of the Governor
The chief executive officer of the region will be a Governor, elected by and from the General Court every 45 days. The Governor will be responsible for managing the Council of Assistants and their respective portfolios and serve as commander-in-chief of the Militia.
Election & Removal of the Governor
A secret ballot vote on the forums by the General Court (all Freemen) every 45 days will decide who shall serve as Governor. It will be possible to petition for the removal of the sitting Governor and Council but we'll have to talk about what the threshold for triggering such a referendum should be.
Council of Assistants
This part is kind of clunky so I'm very open to suggestions. The Council of Assistants is sort of like a cabinet. You would probably have, for example, an Assistant for Foreign Affairs, an Assistant for Immigration, a Captain of the Militia, and so on. I see these offices being created via separate legislation and then their occupants being elected concurrently with the Governor. In this way, we ensure a couple things. We can make sure everybody gets a chance to run for the office they want instead of waiting for an appointment. Should they be unsuccessful, they would be able to serve in any of these departments as a staff member. Second, without an elected legislature we ensure there are enough elections to keep our political scene exciting. There will be conflicts. What if a Governor's chosen Council candidate loses? Yeah, that could get weird but it's an intriguing challenge AND a way for the larger public to have a direct hand in dictating Executive policy even if they disagree with their chosen candidate for Governor on one or two issues. Again, it's sort of a strange arrangement but I think it's fun and unique and allows us to do a lot with a little.
Community Administration
Out-Of-Character, security, and safety issues will continue to be dealt with at my discretion (and that of a future Admin team) and not of our RP government. This part isn't really negotiable but bears mentioning. There will be political and in-character criminal matters for us to debate and write laws about. However things like sexual harassment, IRL criminal activity, terms of service violations and the like are the purview of the Admin team and we can clarify that further with legislation specific to administration.
Background
It's important to note that my proposed government structure borrows quite heavily from the historical government structure of the Plymouth Colony and that structure is a unique one. Perhaps most immediately noticeable is the lack of separation of powers, or at least how we understand them today. Their government performed executive, legislative, and judicial functions but these functions were not performed by wholly separate and co-equal branches of government. For example, the Governor presided over the General Court and criminal as well as civil court proceedings were handled by the General Court rather than independent judges. As our community grows and there is demand for more positions in government and a more sophisticated structure, we may want to move in a more modern direction but for now, I think this is actually a great approach for us to emulate even if we make a few tweaks.
Office of the Governor
The chief executive officer of the region will be a Governor, elected by and from the General Court every 45 days. The Governor will be responsible for managing the Council of Assistants and their respective portfolios and serve as commander-in-chief of the Militia.
Election & Removal of the Governor
A secret ballot vote on the forums by the General Court (all Freemen) every 45 days will decide who shall serve as Governor. It will be possible to petition for the removal of the sitting Governor and Council but we'll have to talk about what the threshold for triggering such a referendum should be.
Council of Assistants
This part is kind of clunky so I'm very open to suggestions. The Council of Assistants is sort of like a cabinet. You would probably have, for example, an Assistant for Foreign Affairs, an Assistant for Immigration, a Captain of the Militia, and so on. I see these offices being created via separate legislation and then their occupants being elected concurrently with the Governor. In this way, we ensure a couple things. We can make sure everybody gets a chance to run for the office they want instead of waiting for an appointment. Should they be unsuccessful, they would be able to serve in any of these departments as a staff member. Second, without an elected legislature we ensure there are enough elections to keep our political scene exciting. There will be conflicts. What if a Governor's chosen Council candidate loses? Yeah, that could get weird but it's an intriguing challenge AND a way for the larger public to have a direct hand in dictating Executive policy even if they disagree with their chosen candidate for Governor on one or two issues. Again, it's sort of a strange arrangement but I think it's fun and unique and allows us to do a lot with a little.
Community Administration
Out-Of-Character, security, and safety issues will continue to be dealt with at my discretion (and that of a future Admin team) and not of our RP government. This part isn't really negotiable but bears mentioning. There will be political and in-character criminal matters for us to debate and write laws about. However things like sexual harassment, IRL criminal activity, terms of service violations and the like are the purview of the Admin team and we can clarify that further with legislation specific to administration.
