Mafiascum Democracy
Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2018 1:53 pm
Mafiascum Constitution
Preamble:
We, the people of Mafiascum, in order to form a more perfect harmony, have come together to unify under one banner of democracy so that we may achieve a brotherhood among each other. Therewith, the following document records the rights of the people forementioned so that no man may come forward to tyrannize this establishment. From this point onward, all members of this union shall be referred to as "the people".Section I: The Bill of Rights
The following section lays out and protects certain rights that we, the people, believe to be fundamental to ensuring the survival of democracy as well as a fair and representative government. Unless otherwise noted, none of the following clauses may be overridden, alterned, or removed from this constitution except by the unaminous consent of the people.
Clause 1:
At no time may the people have their right to discuss or deliberate on matters of the state taken away from them. The people are not required to exercise these rights but are heavily encouraged to do so.Clause 2:
It shall not be withheld from the people the right to actively influence and shape the government and its decisions. Whether by directly voting or by voting for people to represent their interests, the people must always possess some voice in the government.Clause 3:
Should this constitution be approved and ratified by the people, it is expected that the people will abide by the rules laid out in this constitution. Willful violations of this constitution can result in any punishment deemed appropriate by the people (or their representatives), including expulsion from this thread and this government.Clause 4:
No individual is above this constitution regardless of their position or title.Section II: The Government
This section lays out the workings of this government.
Part A: The Senate
It is inevitable that the need for representatives will arise in all but the smallest of governments. It is for this reason that the Senate exists; it exists not to take power away from the people, but rather to represent the people while keeping the government manageable.
Clause 1:
There shall be a number of senators equal to the number of players in this thread divided by three (rounded down).Clause 2:
Each senator shall be elected by direct vote from the people using the Borda Count voting system (with 1st = X, 2nd = X - 1, ..., Nth = 1 vote). There are no districts; the candidates with the most votes shall be senators.Clause 3:
All senators shall serve 3 days terms. Senators may not serve consecutive terms.Clause 4:
The first election shall be held within 2 days of this constitution being ratified.Clause 5:
Once elected, the Senate shall be the people's representatives on any and all issues. In other words, they possess all voting power on all matters except as regulated below (and in elections for senators).Clause 6:
Should the people be dissatisfied with a decision made by their elected senators, they may call for a vote from all of the people. Should at least two-thirds (rounded up) of the people agree to override the Senate's decision, the decision shall be overridden by the will of the people.Clause 7:
As described in the next part, the President may veto any and all decisions made by the Senate unless otherwise noted.Clause 8:
Any and all matters passed by the Senate shall be referred to as a "bill" until it becomes a law or otherwise makes its way into this constitution.Part B: The President
A good government is founded on the principles of checks and balances. To ensure that such a system is in place, the position of the President has been found.
Clause 1:
The President, like any other position, shall be elected by direct vote from the people. The candidate with a plurality of votes shall become president. If there is a tie, it shall be first broken in favor of the former president (should they run again) and second by a revote among the tied candidates. If a tie still exists after this revote, the former president shall decide the new president among the tied candidates.Clause 2:
The President shall serve a 7 day term.Clause 3:
The President is not limited in the number of terms they may serve; so long as they continue to be re-elected, an individual may be president indefinitely. That said, an individual may not hold both the position of Senator and the position of the President at the same time.Clause 4:
Within 24 hours of the approval of a bill by the Senate, the president may choose whether to accept the bill (thereby making it a law or amendment to this constitution) or to veto the bill. Vetoing a bill kills it.Clause 5:
Should the President veto the bill, the Senate may (by two-thirds vote (rounded up)) override the veto. This decision in turn may be overturned by the people as specified in part A of this section.Section III: The Amendment Process
It is important that this constitution be resistant to change so as to not undo the previous work of several pages simply by a few people's whims. This section outlines the method in which this constitution can be amended.
Clause 1:
At no time may a law or amendment be made that directly conflicts with any clause of the Bill of Rights (see section I). If such a law or amendment is passed, it shall be ignored.Clause 2:
In order to amend this constitution, the people must directly will it. Any and all amendments to this constitution shall not be determined by the Senate but shall be directly voted upon by the people. A simple majority is required to add, subtract, or change any part of this constitution.Clause 3:
Laws are not amendments. Laws govern the page-to-page runnings of this government and are secondary to this constitution. In any case where there is a conflict between a law and this constitution, this constitution shall override the parts of the law where the conflict exists.Clause 4:
Amendments either a) add positions to the government b) change the way current positions in the government run (as specified in this constitution) c) remove positions from the government or d) the method by which this constitution is amended. All other bills that are passed are considered laws.Clause 5:
At no time shall an amendment be made to this constitution that makes it impossible to further amend this constitution.