We the Nations...

First topic message reminder :

Several issues need to be decided before we begin drafting a constitution. I think it will be easier to decide these things now then write the document than to write it and then need to make fundamental changes (if that comes to pass.)

Issues:

Legislature:
1) What should it be called?
2) How many members? Or alternatively how should we decide the number of members in the legislature?
3) How long is the term?
4) Whether to micromanage? (This is a fairly easy issue to me... We need to reduce the amount of specifics in the constitution that were always in the CC ones. Other regions do this by passing a 'Standing Orders' for each body. This would contain the vote procedure and stuff. If we did that we'd still need to decide what goes in the Constitution and what goes in teh Standing Orders. The reason for it is the constitution shouldn't need to be changed for every little thing since it usually takes longer to change that way.

Executive:
1) What should head of state be called?
2) Delegate? This is a limiting feature. If the commander and chief is also the delegate our military can't do much, as the leader's WA nation is stuck in the region. I like the idea of making the head of state someone other than the delegate. That leaves the who is the delegate question up if we do that though... Possibly an appointment or cabinet postion, which leads us to...
3) Cabinet: What positions do we need if any?
4) Term length for all of the above?

Judicial:
1) Do we have enough people? And if not do we want to use RWA's idea of an activation clause?
2) Same micromanage issue of the Legislature. A judiciary can make a standing orders as well.

Collective Region Group:
This is an idea RWA brought up on MSN. We could allow other regions to join this forum/gov't organization. If so we'd have to include how to get membership here. I'd caution against allowing members to have their own regional gov't other than something small like the CC's council. Mainly because a big active regional government frequently contradicts the Collective government. And supremacy is hard to assert. But I suppose it's up for debate.

Other:
1) Bill of rights of nations?
2) Perhaps a preamble that lists the purposes/goals/values of the region?

These are just some (hopefully most) of the concepts we need to decide for the government.

I would write up a long list but since I'm basically with Anti on everything it would be a waste of breath but I'll vote for something that is similar to what anti outlined.

I still like "Consul", but everything else seems fine.

I liked everything Anti said, save the term WA Citizen. This is something I didn't like about the old CC, I don't think there should be a punishment for non-WA nations, mainly because other large regions have a lot of people in positions who have other regions they work with. Dyr in particular comes to mind as I think he holds a position in almost all the feeders and a several big userite regions. Also nations like me who do FRA work would be a WA citizen for two days and then not for a week.

I'd say we should just define Citizen as someone with a nation in the region that has logged onto the forums in the last X days. Possibly even an X post/day ratio. A ratio of those would be fine... Although I think we should use the minimum of 3 line we used in the CC.

(Non-WAs probably shouldn't be able to vote in WA stuff if we have delegate vote democratically.)

Also just thought I'd put this out there, I talked to RWA on MSN about the military issue to which should have been in the OP. We thought splitting the forces into two sections the Guardsman (equivalent to the old militia of CC, would only be needed if the region was attacked or in rare situation) and the Calvary (or some other more-active sounding name) would be the defender force that works with the FRA. That way there's still an opt out for people who would prefer to stay clear of the defender stuff.

(To add to Anti's idea of adding a future second body of the legislature, the East Pacific elects it's Magisterium by having nominations, self nominations are allowed and common, and then a campaign (which we wouldn't really need much of probably) followed by all citizens being able to vote Aye or Nay on all candidates. This way they have a body almost everyone can participate in but the spammer/troll/gossy-like nations can be left out. I know that's far down the road but it would be a good way to let most participate but still have a political process connected to it.)

Two months for President is a good idea, I think we should just have the cabinet serve at the President's discretion, and that he can appoint a new secretary whenever he wants, the term of the incumbent ending as soon as the new secretary is approved by congress. That way the President has a little more control over the Cabinet.

The rest I completely agree with Anti and RWP.

*pokes forum with stick*

I didn't think this was going to be an issue as I had pictured us already done with the constitution by now, but i'm going out of town Sunday afternoon and will be gone all day monday and part of the Tuesday.