Cormac

The in-game population has the most powerful voice of all: It elects the Delegate. This forum would not even be linked on the regional WFE if not for the Delegate elected by the in-game population willing it to be there, and if the in-game population disapproves of this forum or its community government, it can elect a Delegate who will link to a different forum and/or support a different community government.
 
This proposal doesn't strip anyone of anything. Any resident of the West Pacific would be free and more than welcome to participate in the Union via this forum. Where this proposal differs from yours is that the Union does not force participation on a diverse in-game population. Take a look at the poll Darkesia is running right now. Most of those who have voted in the poll have indicated that they've declined to join the forum because they don't care. They're entitled to not care. Another option getting a lot of votes is from people who only play on weekends and don't want more commitment. Why should we force these residents to care and make more commitments by shoving government in their faces via dispatches, RMB clutter, and polls that would increasingly be devoted to government rather than casual fun?
 
I've been critical of the West Pacific's system in the past, but one benefit of it is that this is one of the few regions in which not everyone has to participate in government in order to participate. Anyone who wants to can join this forum; let's not make them participate in government when they don't want to, and risk losing the other ways they participate, by inundating the in-game region with governmental matters.

The in-game population has the most powerful voice of all: It elects the Delegate. This forum would not even be linked on the regional WFE if not for the Delegate elected by the in-game population willing it to be there, and if the in-game population disapproves of this forum or its community government, it can elect a Delegate who will link to a different forum and/or support a different community government.
 
This proposal doesn't strip anyone of anything. Any resident of the West Pacific would be free and more than welcome to participate in the Union via this forum. Where this proposal differs from yours is that the Union does not force participation on a diverse in-game population. Take a look at the poll Darkesia is running right now. Most of those who have voted in the poll have indicated that they've declined to join the forum because they don't care. They're entitled to not care. Another option getting a lot of votes is from people who only play on weekends and don't want more commitment. Why should we force these residents to care and make more commitments by shoving government in their faces via dispatches, RMB clutter, and polls that would increasingly be devoted to government rather than casual fun?
 
I've been critical of the West Pacific's system in the past, but one benefit of it is that this is one of the few regions in which not everyone has to participate in government in order to participate. Anyone who wants to can join this forum; let's not make them participate in government when they don't want to, and risk losing the other ways they participate, by inundating the in-game region with governmental matters.

The in-game population has the most powerful voice of all: It elects the Delegate. This forum would not even be linked on the regional WFE if not for the Delegate elected by the in-game population willing it to be there, and if the in-game population disapproves of this forum or its community government, it can elect a Delegate who will link to a different forum and/or support a different community government.
 
This proposal doesn't strip anyone of anything. Any resident of the West Pacific would be free and more than welcome to participate in the Union via this forum. Where this proposal differs from yours is that the Union does not force participation on a diverse in-game population. Take a look at the poll Darkesia is running right now. Most of those who have voted in the poll have indicated that they've declined to join the forum because they don't care. They're entitled to not care. Another option getting a lot of votes is from people who only play on weekends and don't want more commitment. Why should we force these residents to care and make more commitments by shoving government in their faces via dispatches, RMB clutter, and polls that would increasingly be devoted to government rather than casual fun?
 
I've been critical of the West Pacific's system in the past, but one benefit of it is that this is one of the few regions in which not everyone has to participate in government in order to participate. Anyone who wants to can join this forum; let's not make them participate in government when they don't want to, and risk losing the other ways they participate, by inundating the in-game region with governmental matters.

I continue to oppose use of in-game polls in regional governance, but anyone is welcome to use this draft as a basis on which to build their own draft.

I have made a couple of significant changes to the draft (which can be found here, for anyone who missed it):
 
1. There is now a provision, 2(3), which permits the Voice to admit non-residents as members by two-thirds majority vote, provided the non-residents in question cannot reside in TWP. This was to address a concern raised in another thread that Tweedy not be barred from participating. For those who aren't aware, Tweedy is delete-on-sight from NationStates and thus physically cannot reside in TWP, but has made significant contributions to TWP's community over the years.
 
2. There is a new section 5 on the military of the Union, which fleshes out command of the military and oversight by the Voice, while also implementing Darkesia's compromise suggestion for a home defense division under the command of the Delegate. I hope this will prove an agreeable compromise, but as this is a new section I'm happy to discuss further revisions.
 
I also wanted to point out something that may not be immediately obvious. There is nothing in this draft that prohibits the Delegate from also serving as Advocate, so a Delegate who wants a more active role in the forum community government could have that by running for Advocate. In recognition that TWP has had Delegates who prefer a less active role as more of an in-game guardian, the Delegate's legal role is minimized and optional, but I would imagine any Delegate would be the odds on favorite for winning an election for Advocate if they chose to run for the office.

Charter of the Union of the West Pacific

Preamble

The Union of the West Pacific will endeavor to meet the needs of the West Pacifican community in a way that is unique to the polity and culture of this region. We, the residents who have assembled to ratify this Charter, will make no apology for maintaining a unique community. We will make no apology for thinking outside the box. We will make no apology for respecting the realities of Feeders and Sinkers in NationStates or the dynamics between Delegates and regional communities inherent to those realities. We will instead seek to provide a community government that is vibrantly active and open to participation by any resident of the West Pacific who wishes to participate, guided by reality rather than by ideological dogma. It is with this purpose in mind that we, the assembled residents, ratify this Charter and establish the Union of the West Pacific.
 
1. Relationship Between the Union and the Delegate
 
(1) The Union will recognize the absolute authority of the Delegate over the West Pacific as the reality of NationStates mechanics.
(2) The Union will recognize as legitimate any Delegate elected by the endorsements of the World Assembly nations of the West Pacific.
(3) The Union will recognize the right of the Delegate to exercise any power granted to the Delegate by NationStates mechanics.
(4) The Union will recognize the right of World Assembly nations of the West Pacific to elect a new Delegate at any time.
(5) The Union will recognize its own autonomy from the Delegate as an autonomous off-site community government of the West Pacific.
(6) The Union will cooperate with the Delegate whenever such cooperation is desirable or necessary for the welfare of the overall regional community of the West Pacific.
 
2. Voice of the Union
 
(1) The Voice of the Union will be the supreme governing authority of the Union of the West Pacific.
(2) The Voice will be comprised of all residents of the West Pacific who wish to participate in the Voice. Each resident will have only one vote in the Voice regardless of how many nations they have residing in the West Pacific.
(3) The Voice may, by two-thirds majority vote, admit non-residents to its membership provided the non-residents in question are prevented from residing in the West Pacific.
(4) The Voice will have only the powers enumerated by this Charter and may not assume additional powers except by amending this Charter.
(5) The Voice will have the power to enact, amend, and repeal its own procedural rules.
(6) The Voice will have the power to enact, amend, and repeal non-binding resolutions expressing the sense of the Voice in regard to all matters.
(7) The Voice will, with the approval of the Delegate, have the power to enact, amend, and repeal treaties.
(8) The Voice will have the power to confirm and rescind Union participation in treaties proposed by the Delegate.
(9) The Voice will, by two-thirds majority vote and with the approval of the Delegate, have the power to declare war and to repeal war declarations.
(10) The Voice will, by two-thirds majority vote, have the power to confirm and rescind Union participation in war declarations proposed by the Delegate.
(11) The Voice will, by two-thirds majority vote, have the power to amend this Charter or to repeal this Charter in its entirety in favor of a constitutional convention.
(12) Except where otherwise explicitly mandated by this Charter, all votes of the Voice will be determined by simple majority vote. The result of any vote will be determined by taking into account only members of the Voice who have voted and discounting abstentions cast in the vote.
 
3. Government of the Union
 
(1) The government of the Union will be administered by the Advocate, who will be elected by and preside over the Voice.
(2) Elections for Advocate will consist of a three day period for declarations of candidacy followed by a five day period for voting.
(3) Any member of the Voice who has held continuous membership in the Voice for one month or more will be eligible for candidacy for Advocate.
(4) Any resident who participated in the constitutional convention to enact this Charter will be eligible for the first election for Advocate immediately following enactment of this Charter.
(5) In the event that the office of Advocate is vacant during an election for Advocate, the Delegate may administer the election, may appoint an election administrator, or the member of the Voice with the longest continuous membership and who is available to serve will administer the election.
(6) In the event that no candidate receives a simple majority on the first election ballot, a run-off election will be conducted between the two highest voted candidates, starting no sooner than 24 hours and no later than 72 hours after the previous election has closed. This election will also last for a five day voting period.
(7) In the event that an election results in a tie between only two candidates, the incumbent will be re-elected or, if the incumbent is not a candidate, the candidate who first declared candidacy will be elected.
(8) The Advocate will serve terms of four months, with a limit of two consecutive terms.
(9) The Advocate may appoint officials to assist in government and may dismiss such officials.
(10) The Voice may, by two-thirds majority vote, dismiss the Advocate from office.
(11) The Voice may dismiss any official appointed by the Advocate from office.
 
4. Justice in the Union
 
(1) The Voice will vote on whether to hear any complaint for unacceptable conduct filed against a member of the Voice by another member.
(2) If the Voice votes to hear the complaint, the matter will be referred to a public hearing by three Arbiters elected by the Voice prior to the hearing.
(3) Elections for Arbiter will follow the same procedure as elections for Advocate. Arbiters may determine hearing procedures. Arbiters will serve and their hearing procedures will be binding only for the duration of the hearing for which they are elected.
(4) During all hearings, the complainant may present their case against the defendant and the defendant may present a defense.
(5) At the conclusion of a hearing, Arbiters will find the defendant guilty or not guilty of unacceptable conduct.
(6) If a defendant is found guilty, they will be removed from the Voice for a period of time sentenced by the Arbiters.
(7) A defendant may appeal to the Voice within fourteen days of a guilty verdict imposed by the Arbiters.
(8) The Voice will vote on all appeals and may, by two-thirds majority vote, overturn a guilty verdict and its accompanying sentence. All appeal votes will be final and will not be conducted more than once.
(9) The Voice may, by two-thirds majority vote, commute a sentence imposed by the Arbiters at any time following imposition of the sentence.
(10) The Voice will have no jurisdiction to impose justice on residents, or any other persons, who are not members of the Voice.
(11) The Voice will not infringe upon the right of forum administration to resolve out-of-character offenses at their discretion.
(12) The Voice will not infringe upon the right of the Delegate to resolve game-side offenses at their discretion.
 
5. Military of the Union
 
(1) The military force of the Union will execute the policies determined by the Advocate and officials appointed by the Advocate to assist in military command.
(2) The military force of the Union will maintain a division for home defense that will operate under the command of the Delegate and officials appointed by the Delegate to assist in command of the home defense division.
(3) The Voice will have the power to adopt and amend an official name for the military force of the Union.
(4) The Voice will have the power to override and bring to an immediate end any deployment of the military force of the Union.
(5) No participant in the military force of the Union will be compelled to participate in any military operation against their conscience or prudent judgment.
(6) The existence of an official military force of the Union will not prohibit other residents of the West Pacific from creating alternative military forces with the consent of the Delegate.
 

 
Above is the draft Elegarth and I have come up with so far. I wasn't entirely sure how to incorporate Vlagh's and Darkesia's suggestions, which don't appear to be entirely the same, into the draft, so maybe now that the draft is posted they'll be able to suggest revisions to specific clauses.
 
 
Well, it originally was more like that because we were in the proposal stage of the convention rather than the drafting stage. I hope the above draft looks more like a constitutional document, and would welcome any suggestions you have for its revision.

Agreed

I'm happy with the new military section.
 
Keep on rocking, Cormac.

Cormac, you are kicking ass! Just wanted to put that out there.
Carry on.

I have made a couple of significant changes to the draft (which can be found here, for anyone who missed it):
 
1. There is now a provision, 2(3), which permits the Voice to admit non-residents as members by two-thirds majority vote, provided the non-residents in question cannot reside in TWP. This was to address a concern raised in another thread that Tweedy not be barred from participating. For those who aren't aware, Tweedy is delete-on-sight from NationStates and thus physically cannot reside in TWP, but has made significant contributions to TWP's community over the years.
 
2. There is a new section 5 on the military of the Union, which fleshes out command of the military and oversight by the Voice, while also implementing Darkesia's compromise suggestion for a home defense division under the command of the Delegate. I hope this will prove an agreeable compromise, but as this is a new section I'm happy to discuss further revisions.
 
I also wanted to point out something that may not be immediately obvious. There is nothing in this draft that prohibits the Delegate from also serving as Advocate, so a Delegate who wants a more active role in the forum community government could have that by running for Advocate. In recognition that TWP has had Delegates who prefer a less active role as more of an in-game guardian, the Delegate's legal role is minimized and optional, but I would imagine any Delegate would be the odds on favorite for winning an election for Advocate if they chose to run for the office.

I don't agree regarding the military, and will not be amending that into this draft. Either we're going to have the forum government autonomous from the Delegate or we aren't, and either we're going to allow WA nations to organize against the Delegate if they choose to do so or we aren't. If we aren't, we should drop any charade of the forum government being autonomous from the Delegate and implement a government similar to the New Pacific Order. That is an approach I would not support.
 
This military isn't supposed to be the West Pacific's military. This military is supposed to be the Union of the West Pacific's military, e.g., the forum government's military. If the Delegate wants a separate military she can set one up herself*, but if we're going to make the forum government's military subject to the Delegate then we might as well drop this separation altogether and make the entire forum government subject to the Delegate.
 
* I'm using female gender pronouns in recognition that the current Delegate is female, but I'm speaking generally.

I don't agree regarding the military, and will not be amending that into this draft. Either we're going to have the forum government autonomous from the Delegate or we aren't, and either we're going to allow WA nations to organize against the Delegate if they choose to do so or we aren't. If we aren't, we should drop any charade of the forum government being autonomous from the Delegate and implement a government similar to the New Pacific Order. That is an approach I would not support.
 
This military isn't supposed to be the West Pacific's military. This military is supposed to be the Union of the West Pacific's military, e.g., the forum government's military. If the Delegate wants a separate military she can set one up herself*, but if we're going to make the forum government's military subject to the Delegate then we might as well drop this separation altogether and make the entire forum government subject to the Delegate.
 
* I'm using female gender pronouns in recognition that the current Delegate is female, but I'm speaking generally.

I can't speak for Darkesia, but the repetitive, condescending refrain of "calm down," "calm down," "I'm glad to see you've calmed down" is on my last nerve. The constant references to ad hominem attacks like Elegarth is the only one who's engaged in them is also annoying. The fluffy kittens are also really condescending, like Elegarth needs to see kittens in order to "calm down." All of it seems very condescending, immature, and all around disrespectful, to be honest. Passive aggressive personal jabs are still jabs despite their passive aggressive nature.
 
Not meant as an attack on you, just pointing out some issues since you genuinely don't seem to understand what is frustrating people.

Charter of the Union of the West Pacific

Preamble

The Union of the West Pacific will endeavor to meet the needs of the West Pacifican community in a way that is unique to the polity and culture of this region. We, the residents who have assembled to ratify this Charter, will make no apology for maintaining a unique community. We will make no apology for thinking outside the box. We will make no apology for respecting the realities of Feeders and Sinkers in NationStates or the dynamics between Delegates and regional communities inherent to those realities. We will instead seek to provide a community government that is vibrantly active and open to participation by any resident of the West Pacific who wishes to participate, guided by reality rather than by ideological dogma. It is with this purpose in mind that we, the assembled residents, ratify this Charter and establish the Union of the West Pacific.
 
1. Relationship Between the Union and the Delegate
 
(1) The Union will recognize the absolute authority of the Delegate over the West Pacific as the reality of NationStates mechanics.
(2) The Union will recognize as legitimate any Delegate elected by the endorsements of the World Assembly nations of the West Pacific.
(3) The Union will recognize the right of the Delegate to exercise any power granted to the Delegate by NationStates mechanics.
(4) The Union will recognize the right of World Assembly nations of the West Pacific to elect a new Delegate at any time.
(5) The Union will recognize its own autonomy from the Delegate as an autonomous off-site community government of the West Pacific.
(6) The Union will cooperate with the Delegate whenever such cooperation is desirable or necessary for the welfare of the overall regional community of the West Pacific.
 
2. Voice of the Union
 
(1) The Voice of the Union will be the supreme governing authority of the Union of the West Pacific.
(2) The Voice will be comprised of all residents of the West Pacific who wish to participate in the Voice. Each resident will have only one vote in the Voice regardless of how many nations they have residing in the West Pacific.
(3) The Voice may, by two-thirds majority vote, admit non-residents to its membership provided the non-residents in question are prevented from residing in the West Pacific.
(4) The Voice will have only the powers enumerated by this Charter and may not assume additional powers except by amending this Charter.
(5) The Voice will have the power to enact, amend, and repeal its own procedural rules.
(6) The Voice will have the power to enact, amend, and repeal non-binding resolutions expressing the sense of the Voice in regard to all matters.
(7) The Voice will, with the approval of the Delegate, have the power to enact, amend, and repeal treaties.
(8) The Voice will have the power to confirm and rescind Union participation in treaties proposed by the Delegate.
(9) The Voice will, by two-thirds majority vote and with the approval of the Delegate, have the power to declare war and to repeal war declarations.
(10) The Voice will, by two-thirds majority vote, have the power to confirm and rescind Union participation in war declarations proposed by the Delegate.
(11) The Voice will, by two-thirds majority vote, have the power to amend this Charter or to repeal this Charter in its entirety in favor of a constitutional convention.
(12) Except where otherwise explicitly mandated by this Charter, all votes of the Voice will be determined by simple majority vote. The result of any vote will be determined by taking into account only members of the Voice who have voted and discounting abstentions cast in the vote.
 
3. Government of the Union
 
(1) The government of the Union will be administered by the Advocate, who will be elected by and preside over the Voice.
(2) Elections for Advocate will consist of a three day period for declarations of candidacy followed by a five day period for voting.
(3) Any member of the Voice who has held continuous membership in the Voice for one month or more will be eligible for candidacy for Advocate.
(4) Any resident who participated in the constitutional convention to enact this Charter will be eligible for the first election for Advocate immediately following enactment of this Charter.
(5) In the event that the office of Advocate is vacant during an election for Advocate, the Delegate may administer the election, may appoint an election administrator, or the member of the Voice with the longest continuous membership and who is available to serve will administer the election.
(6) In the event that no candidate receives a simple majority on the first election ballot, a run-off election will be conducted between the two highest voted candidates, starting no sooner than 24 hours and no later than 72 hours after the previous election has closed. This election will also last for a five day voting period.
(7) In the event that an election results in a tie between only two candidates, the incumbent will be re-elected or, if the incumbent is not a candidate, the candidate who first declared candidacy will be elected.
(8) The Advocate will serve terms of four months, with a limit of two consecutive terms.
(9) The Advocate may appoint officials to assist in government and may dismiss such officials.
(10) The Voice may, by two-thirds majority vote, dismiss the Advocate from office.
(11) The Voice may dismiss any official appointed by the Advocate from office.
 
4. Justice in the Union
 
(1) The Voice will vote on whether to hear any complaint for unacceptable conduct filed against a member of the Voice by another member.
(2) If the Voice votes to hear the complaint, the matter will be referred to a public hearing by three Arbiters elected by the Voice prior to the hearing.
(3) Elections for Arbiter will follow the same procedure as elections for Advocate. Arbiters may determine hearing procedures. Arbiters will serve and their hearing procedures will be binding only for the duration of the hearing for which they are elected.
(4) During all hearings, the complainant may present their case against the defendant and the defendant may present a defense.
(5) At the conclusion of a hearing, Arbiters will find the defendant guilty or not guilty of unacceptable conduct.
(6) If a defendant is found guilty, they will be removed from the Voice for a period of time sentenced by the Arbiters.
(7) A defendant may appeal to the Voice within fourteen days of a guilty verdict imposed by the Arbiters.
(8) The Voice will vote on all appeals and may, by two-thirds majority vote, overturn a guilty verdict and its accompanying sentence. All appeal votes will be final and will not be conducted more than once.
(9) The Voice may, by two-thirds majority vote, commute a sentence imposed by the Arbiters at any time following imposition of the sentence.
(10) The Voice will have no jurisdiction to impose justice on residents, or any other persons, who are not members of the Voice.
(11) The Voice will not infringe upon the right of forum administration to resolve out-of-character offenses at their discretion.
(12) The Voice will not infringe upon the right of the Delegate to resolve game-side offenses at their discretion.
 
5. Military of the Union
 
(1) The military force of the Union will execute the policies determined by the Advocate and officials appointed by the Advocate to assist in military command.
(2) The military force of the Union will maintain a division for home defense that will operate under the command of the Delegate and officials appointed by the Delegate to assist in command of the home defense division.
(3) The Voice will have the power to adopt and amend an official name for the military force of the Union.
(4) The Voice will have the power to override and bring to an immediate end any deployment of the military force of the Union.
(5) No participant in the military force of the Union will be compelled to participate in any military operation against their conscience or prudent judgment.
(6) The existence of an official military force of the Union will not prohibit other residents of the West Pacific from creating alternative military forces with the consent of the Delegate.
 

 
Above is the draft Elegarth and I have come up with so far. I wasn't entirely sure how to incorporate Vlagh's and Darkesia's suggestions, which don't appear to be entirely the same, into the draft, so maybe now that the draft is posted they'll be able to suggest revisions to specific clauses.
 
 
Well, it originally was more like that because we were in the proposal stage of the convention rather than the drafting stage. I hope the above draft looks more like a constitutional document, and would welcome any suggestions you have for its revision.

I can't speak for Darkesia, but the repetitive, condescending refrain of "calm down," "calm down," "I'm glad to see you've calmed down" is on my last nerve. The constant references to ad hominem attacks like Elegarth is the only one who's engaged in them is also annoying. The fluffy kittens are also really condescending, like Elegarth needs to see kittens in order to "calm down." All of it seems very condescending, immature, and all around disrespectful, to be honest. Passive aggressive personal jabs are still jabs despite their passive aggressive nature.
 
Not meant as an attack on you, just pointing out some issues since you genuinely don't seem to understand what is frustrating people.

I can't speak for Darkesia, but the repetitive, condescending refrain of "calm down," "calm down," "I'm glad to see you've calmed down" is on my last nerve. The constant references to ad hominem attacks like Elegarth is the only one who's engaged in them is also annoying. The fluffy kittens are also really condescending, like Elegarth needs to see kittens in order to "calm down." All of it seems very condescending, immature, and all around disrespectful, to be honest. Passive aggressive personal jabs are still jabs despite their passive aggressive nature.
 
Not meant as an attack on you, just pointing out some issues since you genuinely don't seem to understand what is frustrating people.

I gotta be honest, this proposal is easily the most open and transparent form of governance I've ever seen for an NS region. I really do like this and I firmly believe that it can function well. Very good work Cormac! 

... Trying not to faint...
 
I like this one the best, thus far.  I've not had a chance to read it until now.  It's a good starting place.  If Archi's proposal and this one can get smushed together in some acceptable way, I will be a happy TWP citizen.

Introduction
 
This is a reform proposal to create the Union of the West Pacific. This proposal seeks to meet the community where it is, rather than where any individual or interest group would like it to go -- to provide a functional government to meet the needs and standards of the current community rather than some idealized future utopia (or, depending on one's perspective, dystopia). This is only a proposal; the point is to discuss the merits of it and then, once the details have been worked out, to formalize it into a constitutional document. I expect that this proposal will be competing with others' ideas, which is fine, and hopefully the constitutional document that emerges will incorporate ideas proposed by many participants. Comments on this proposal are welcome and encouraged!
 
The Union of the West Pacific
 
The Union of the West Pacific will aim to meet the following needs of the West Pacifican community:
Provide a functional forum government in which any resident will find it easy to participate, should they so choose; Ensure the autonomy of the in-game regional community and Delegate from the forum government; Ensure the autonomy of the forum community and government from the in-game Delegate; Provide a practical framework for cooperation between the in-game and forum governments when desirable or necessary. Relationship Between the Union and the Delegate
 
The Union will respect the absolute in-game authority of the Delegate as the reality of game mechanics, as well as the autonomy of the Union as the forum government of the West Pacific, by clearly adopting the following principles:
The legitimate Delegate of the West Pacific is the nation elected by the World Assembly endorsements of nations in the West Pacific, and the Delegate may exercise any power over the West Pacific granted to the Delegate by game mechanics. The Union will have no authority over the in-game region. The Union will respect the right of World Assembly nations of the West Pacific to elect a new Delegate at any time. The Delegate will have no authority over the Union. The Union will cooperate with the Delegate whenever such cooperation is desirable or necessary for the welfare of the overall community of the West Pacific. The Voice of the Union
 
The Voice will not be a typical legislature but will instead function as more of a town hall, comprised of any resident of the West Pacific who wishes to participate in the Voice. To avoid the development of complicated legalism and bureaucracy, the Voice will not legislate except to amend the Charter of the Union and to adopt and amend rules of order. Instead, the Voice will have broad governing powers exercised by simple majority vote, including:
The power to adopt and amend rules of order; The power to elect an Advocate to preside over government of the Union on behalf of the Voice; The power to hear complaints against members and to remove members from the Voice after such hearings; The power to propose treaties for the approval of the Delegate; The power to approve treaties proposed by the Delegate; The power to declare war against other regions or organizations, with the approval of the Delegate; The power to approve a declaration of war proposed by the Delegate against other regions or organizations; The power to amend the Charter of the Union of the West Pacific. A note on treaties and declarations of war: This is the one area where the in-game Delegate and the forum community are interdependent, in recognition that treaties and declarations of war affect the entire community. Naturally, as the Delegate can in reality do anything that game mechanics permits, the Delegate could still enact a treaty or declaration of war without the approval of the Union, but under this proposal such a treaty would not be recognized as valid or binding upon the Union and whatever military it establishes. Because of the negative effect treaties and declarations of war can have on the in-game region, the Union couldn't enact either without the approval of the Delegate.
 
Government of the Union
 
Government of the Union will be administered by the Advocate:
The Advocate must be a member of the Voice. The Advocate will serve terms of two months, with a limit of three consecutive terms. The Advocate will be elected by the Voice in elections that last ten days (five for nominations, five for voting). In the event that no candidate receives a simple majority on the first ballot, a run-off election will be conducted. In the event that an election results in a tie between only two candidates, the incumbent will be re-elected or, if the incumbent is not a candidate, the candidate who first declared candidacy will be elected. The Advocate may appoint officials to assist in government and may dismiss such officials. The Voice may dismiss the Advocate or any official appointed by the Advocate. Justice in the Union
 
The Union will adopt the following procedure for matters of justice:
Any member of the Voice may file a complaint before the Voice against another member for behavior that the complainant believes is unbecoming of a member of the Voice. The Voice will vote on whether to hear the complaint. If the Voice votes to hear the complaint, the complainant may present a case against the defendant and the defendant may present a defense, in a public hearing before the Voice. Hearings will be presided over by an Arbiter elected by the Voice at the beginning of the hearing, who will serve only for the duration of that hearing. Elections for Arbiter will follow the same procedure as elections for Advocate. At the conclusion of the hearing, the Voice will vote to find the defendant guilty or not guilty. If the defendant is found guilty, the defendant will be removed from the Voice for a period of time sentenced by the Arbiter. The Voice may commute a sentence imposed by the Arbiter before expiration of the sentence. OOC offenses will be resolved by the policies of forum administration. In-game offenses will be resolved by the Delegate.

I'll be putting this in the form of a constitution draft sometime over the next couple of days.

Whatever you say...

Please. For the love of Max. Stop with the eye-rolling teenage behavior. It's driving me nuts.

Llamas, does it bother you that you and Punk Daddy -- who I'm not sure supports all of the logistics you're proposing, in any case -- seem to be the only ones in favor of this idea? It would seem more productive to me to work toward something more people are willing to support.

I very much agree with Reçueçn's points, and I don't think moving government to the in-game region would be practical, productive, or at all beneficial to the in-game residents who enjoy the casual in-game atmosphere and don't want to be involved in government. As ever, anyone who wants to be involved in government beyond endorsing or declining to endorse the in-game Delegate can register on this forum and participate. That's even easier to do in the West Pacific than in most regions, so I don't see the need to move things to the in-game region.

I very much agree with Reçueçn's points, and I don't think moving government to the in-game region would be practical, productive, or at all beneficial to the in-game residents who enjoy the casual in-game atmosphere and don't want to be involved in government. As ever, anyone who wants to be involved in government beyond endorsing or declining to endorse the in-game Delegate can register on this forum and participate. That's even easier to do in the West Pacific than in most regions, so I don't see the need to move things to the in-game region.