Progress Report – Summary of Plans for New Planetary Government


1	Progress Report – Summary of Plans for New Planetary Government
2	(Featuring some of the vocabulary found in "100 Civics Questions and Answers" published by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.)
3	Note: The Blue Canoe pronunciation browser extension should work for you on this page.
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5	From: Steering Committee – Consortium for the Colonization of Planet JL2746
6	Progress Report – Summary of Plans for New Planetary Government
7	Subject: Progress Report – Summary of Plans for New Planetary Government
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9	LAW
10	This planet absolutely must be governed by a rule of law, otherwise nobody will invest in our colony. Our laws will be publicly promulgated, equally enforced, independently adjudicated and consistent with Interplanetary Intelligent-Being Rights principles. We are unanimous in this decision.
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12	GOVERNMENTAL GUIDING PRINCIPLE
13	We are also in agreement that our government must be organized with a system of checks and balances, otherwise it is too easy for a group of greedy people, or even just one greedy individual, to take over the whole planet. Therefore we will have several branches of planetary government, each independent from the others, and each with separate powers.
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15	ECONOMIC PRINCIPLES
16	Since our colony is being funded by investors, we will, by definition, be part of a capitalist economy. Internally, our colonists want to basically have a market economy or at least a modified market economy. However, many of our investors are concerned about this. They believe that for a brand, new settlement to succeed, the overall governing body must be able to plan ahead and that to do this they must control economic production. We still need to reach a compromise on this topic.
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18	FORM OF GOVERNMENT
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20	We have decided to model our government in many ways on the 21st Century United States of America. This will be a federal system like the old USA. Our 30 island continents will be split into 30 separate “Territories”, each with a separate government. Some powers will be held by the Territorial Government and some by the Planetary Government. There is much disagreement on how to allocate these powers. (Note: Having a federal form of government enhances the principle of checks and balances. However decisions will take longer and it is also more difficult to design the details of the system!)
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22	As the first step, we are drawing up a Constitution to set up and define our planetary government. This document will also protect the basic rights of all our citizens. We are incorporating these rights in the document from the start. (Historical Note: The US had to add them later on as amendments, which they named the Bill of Rights.) We will also provide for Constitutional amendments to be made later, if and when the need arises.
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24	Similar to the old USA, we plan to have:
25	A. An Executive Branch of government including a President and Vice President (elected by citizens of the planet) plus the heads of the various departments of the Executive Branch. These department heads will also act as advisors to the President, forming his Cabinet. There is much debate as to how the department heads will be selected.
26	B. A Judicial Branch of government with a yet-to-be-determined number of judges. Method of selection yet to be determined.
27	C. A Legislative Branch of government with two (or more) different bodies or “houses”. We are agreed that to be consistent with the principle of checks and balances, at least two are necessary.
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29	It will be difficult to come to a consensus on creating the Parts of Congress. What should be the total number of our legislative house(s) and how should they be composed? Following are the most popular types of houses which have been proposed:
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31		1. A fixed number of representatives (one or more) for each Territory. No Territory to have more representatives than any other. This is similar to the old USA Senate which had exactly 2 senators for each State.
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33		2. A number of representatives for each Territory based on the population of that island. The numbers would shift as the population shifts. This is like the old USA House of Representatives
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35		3. A fixed number of representatives-at-large, not representing any specific Territory but elected by the population as a whole.
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37		4. A fixed number of representatives elected by the boards of the major corporate investors in the planet, whether corporate headquarters are on-planet or elsewhere.
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39		5. A fixed number of representatives elected by just those residents who earned under a certain $-amount in the past year, as determined by a percentage of average income.
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41		6. A fixed number of representatives elected from and by a pool of educators who have reached a certain level of academic status.
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43		7. A fixed number of representatives appointed (for life) as needed each year from those who score highest on a national qualifying exam.
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45		8. A fixed number of representatives chosen by lottery from a pool of candidates who: A. Have passed specified tests for high ability and character, B. Have agreed to serve if chosen. Tests yet to be determined.
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47	CONCLUSION
48	Much work remains to be done. The most pressing need is for:
49	A. Consensus on the number and type of legislative house(s).
50	B. Consensus on how Executive Department Heads and High Court Judges are selected. (Note: In the old USA they were chosen by the President but had to be ratified by the Senate. This upheld the principle of checks and balances but led to difficult situations and delays.)
51	C. A decision as to whether or not any sort of governmental body should be created to plan, direct , influence, and/or control the economy and if so what this body should constitute. The USA Constitution provided only for a national monetary system based on coin which the federal government, alone, had the power to regulate. Much later when the country saw the need for a central bank they created the Federal Reserve via an act of Congress rather than as a Constitutional Amendment. Our consortium is divided on whether a central bank should be defined in the Constitution or perhaps be totally separate from the government. We are agreed that, unlike the old USA, our currency will be totally electronic rather than based on coin.
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54	NOTES -- Types of organizations and alliances of organizations
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56	The colonists have a consortium. --A consortium is typically an alliance of organizations, usually with a common mission and purpose, that seeks to gain a benefit that could not be achieved independently.
57	The investors have a coalition. -- A coalition is usually an alliance of organizations with potentially diverse purposes and missions, who, however, agree to work together toward a common goal.
58	Both groups have a strategic alliance rather than a joint venture.
59	In a strategic alliance, two or more parties agree to terms but remain separate entities.
60	In a joint venture, two or more parties sign a binding contract and a new entity is formed.
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63		© Copyright 2023, Margaret R. Jones