Sunday, December 15, 2002
Six Suggested Principles for Morovian Constitutional Reform
Six Suggested Principles for Morovian Constitutional Reform
Principle One: Sovereignty resides in the people of Morovia.
Morovia IS the entirety of the people of Morovia over time and not merely the active incumbents of any particular moment.
Principle Two: Despite her beginning as a face-to-face nation, Morovia largely functions as an on-line micronation and this reality must be reflected in its legal system.
This implies that Morovia needs to realistically distinguish between (and even advantage) those citizens who are active in her contemporary and largely on-line life over those who are not online or are no longer active - WITHOUT relieving the non-active citizenry of their basic rights as citizens.
This also implies that besides the political checks and balances necessitated by Principle Five, a secondary set of checks and balances must deal with the specific character of largely on-line micronationalism with its multiple logons, 24 X 7 availability, erratic participation, implicit opportunity for multiculturalism, etc.
Specifically, the ideal of political separation of powers must yield to the realistic necessity for one branch of the government to assume the duties of another branch should that other branch fall inactive - either in part or in whole on the one hand and either temporarily or permanently on the other.
Principle Three: The people of Morovia vest their sovereignty in the Crown.
To paraphrase the movie, Excalibur, The Crown and the People are One.
Principle Four: The Crown delegates significant responsibility and authority to run the government to a Cabinet, a Royal Assembly and a Judiciary.
The Cabinet advises the Crown and implements the Crown's policies. The Royal Assembly represents the will of the people to the government and attempts to institutionalize that will, according to their best judgment, in law. The judiciary settles disputes between people and ensures that all laws passed by the Royal Assembly and the Crown (through Royal Assent and Royal Decree) are consistent with the People's Constitution.
The Constitution must balance the need for a strong Crown with the need for the Crown to remain above the political fray as well as the need for the government to remain functional in the temporary absence or inactivity of the Crown.
Principle Five: The scope, powers, interests and perspectives of each Morovian person (i.e., as 'person' is defined by law) must be checked and kept in balance with the other legal entities.
Crown, Cabinet, Royal Assembly, Judiciary and the Incumbent Citizenry all have their own scope of decision-making, the entire system must be designed with checks and balances such that no temporary faction can exploit or manipulate the government against the enduring interests of the Morovian people.
Principle Six: How these principles are negotiated between persons and lived out in day-to-day Morovian life is codified in the People's Constitution, to which every person in Morovia is bound.
[Editor: Again, this is unsigned, but I believe I (Bill Bekkenhuis) wrote this.]
Principle One: Sovereignty resides in the people of Morovia.
Morovia IS the entirety of the people of Morovia over time and not merely the active incumbents of any particular moment.
Principle Two: Despite her beginning as a face-to-face nation, Morovia largely functions as an on-line micronation and this reality must be reflected in its legal system.
This implies that Morovia needs to realistically distinguish between (and even advantage) those citizens who are active in her contemporary and largely on-line life over those who are not online or are no longer active - WITHOUT relieving the non-active citizenry of their basic rights as citizens.
This also implies that besides the political checks and balances necessitated by Principle Five, a secondary set of checks and balances must deal with the specific character of largely on-line micronationalism with its multiple logons, 24 X 7 availability, erratic participation, implicit opportunity for multiculturalism, etc.
Specifically, the ideal of political separation of powers must yield to the realistic necessity for one branch of the government to assume the duties of another branch should that other branch fall inactive - either in part or in whole on the one hand and either temporarily or permanently on the other.
Principle Three: The people of Morovia vest their sovereignty in the Crown.
To paraphrase the movie, Excalibur, The Crown and the People are One.
Principle Four: The Crown delegates significant responsibility and authority to run the government to a Cabinet, a Royal Assembly and a Judiciary.
The Cabinet advises the Crown and implements the Crown's policies. The Royal Assembly represents the will of the people to the government and attempts to institutionalize that will, according to their best judgment, in law. The judiciary settles disputes between people and ensures that all laws passed by the Royal Assembly and the Crown (through Royal Assent and Royal Decree) are consistent with the People's Constitution.
The Constitution must balance the need for a strong Crown with the need for the Crown to remain above the political fray as well as the need for the government to remain functional in the temporary absence or inactivity of the Crown.
Principle Five: The scope, powers, interests and perspectives of each Morovian person (i.e., as 'person' is defined by law) must be checked and kept in balance with the other legal entities.
Crown, Cabinet, Royal Assembly, Judiciary and the Incumbent Citizenry all have their own scope of decision-making, the entire system must be designed with checks and balances such that no temporary faction can exploit or manipulate the government against the enduring interests of the Morovian people.
Principle Six: How these principles are negotiated between persons and lived out in day-to-day Morovian life is codified in the People's Constitution, to which every person in Morovia is bound.
[Editor: Again, this is unsigned, but I believe I (Bill Bekkenhuis) wrote this.]
