Office of the Citizen-Delegate

[Myroria]

To continue on this vein: the Secretary of Defense makes decisions about the military, and the Secretary of State helps craft foreign policy, which is why those positions are approved by Congress. A personal set of advisors would have no such powers.

EDIT: I gladly support Khem's proposal. The few powers the cabinet does have should be clearly delineated.

[Khem]

If they are merely advisors, why give them an official title and position when all of the Ecclesia is available for giving advice?

[Bustos]

I don't see why we should force the Ecclesia to vote on appointing a position with no real power. We could make it like the Citizen-Diplomat, where the Ecclesia can recall any appointment made that is unacceptable.

Then what is the point of the position to begin with?  The delegate cant simply ask the experts for help?  I'm lost between this apparent need for a special cabinet and the "appointing a position with no real power."     Again sounds more like something to do for shits and giggles. 

If they are merely advisors, why give them an official title and position when all of the Ecclesia is available for giving advice?

Exactly.

Cant say the power rests in the Ecclesia, that we're a democracy, and take more and more power away from it.   I stem all of my arguments, from the belief that Ecclesia is the power in Taijitu.

You guys talk a lot but your actions/proposals are betraying your words.  Just saying.   

[Khem]

I personally view the powers we grant as needing to be along two veins. The one being foreign relations, the second being ministering to the needs of community. I say expand the number of Citizen-Diplomats and place them under the umbrella of the Delegacy for the first. Create something like the old Ministry of Community out of the Prytaneion to handle the second.

[Myroria]

Khem: I think a delegate may prefer to appoint several people who they personally trust as advisors rather than the Ecclesia at large. We should leave the big decisions to the legislature and not bother it with minor, every day decisions that the delegate can make with the cabinet's help.

I'd prefer to make this official so that the idea of an elite shadowy cabal controlling everything, which already seems to be in place among some members of the electorate, can be nipped in the bud. A cabinet is transparent and its dealings more open.

Bustos: I resent the implication that I'm somehow hurting Taijitu by supporting this measure. I ask that you please keep your criticism constructive.

EDIT: Khem's proposal sounds more than satisfactory to me.

[Eluvatar]

A good few interesting points. I will try to respond with some thoughts of my own later today.

[Khem]

Khem: I think a delegate may prefer to appoint several people who they personally trust as advisors rather than the Ecclesia at large. We should leave the big decisions to the legislature and not bother it with minor, every day decisions that the delegate can make with the cabinet's help.

I'd prefer to make this official so that the idea of an elite shadowy cabal controlling everything, which already seems to be in place among some members of the electorate, can be nipped in the bud. A cabinet is transparent and its dealings more open.

This makes sense and I can support having advisors part of an open list, though I doubt it will effect any ideas about the cabal among those who see them. Even illumination leaves shadows to guess at after all.

[Bustos]

This makes sense and I can support having advisors part of an open list, though I doubt it will effect any ideas about the cabal among those who see them. Even illumination leaves shadows to guess at after all.

Wow, I basically just said this same thing in IRC.  Great minds think alike.

[Gulliver]

Wow this discussion has moved faster than I thought it would. To address some of what's been said

I'm not particularly attached to the term "Prytaneion" and would be fine with "Cabinet" or the like.

As Al' Khem suggested, instead of having a broader "Cabinet" of vague deputies we could instead explicitly limit the assistant positions the Delegate can appoint to citizen-diplomats to assist them in their foreign policy role, which I think is likely to be their main responsibility and the one which is most difficult to do alone.

Whatever appointments the Delegate makes, I don't think they need to be approved by the Ecclesia. The Delegate already has the mandate of a majority in the Ecclesia, and I think to keep things simple and straightforward we should follow a parliamentary model like the countries Funkadelia cited rather than a presidential one. This has always been the basis we've worked on with executive appointments in the past and it's never been a problem.

I would be fine with including the community building aspect of the delegate's job in their explicitly enumerated powers.

I do agree that the Ecclesia should be the supreme body and that the Delegate should serve it rather than lead it.

[Myroria]

I think al'Khem's proposal is the simplest and easiest, and the most acceptable to the most people. I would endorse appointing multiple diplomats, and perhaps "community aides" to help things internally.

[Khem]

I think al'Khem's proposal is the simplest and easiest, and the most acceptable to the most people. I would endorse appointing multiple diplomats, and perhaps "community aides" to help things internally.

Perhaps the term Citizen-Liaison for these "community aides"?

[Gulliver]

I agree with Myroria and Al' Khem, and like the sound of "citizen-liason".

In fact it may not even be necessary to refer to them as a collective "Cabinet" if people are uneasy about that, especially if their powers are so specific.

[Khem]

I agree and perhaps in the proposal we should create separate subsections for each duties and powers for each subsidiary positions. My question becomes should each of these sets of functionaries have a head(i.e. Lead-Diplomat/Liaison)?

[Gulliver]

I think for now it would be better to keep things as flat and add additional layers if necessary, or to say that the Delegate can designate a hierarchy within each group like how the Citizen-Sergeant can give out ranks.

[Bustos]

1. Qualifications and Election
1. Any person who is a citizen of Taijitu may stand for election to the office of Citizen-Delegate.
2. An election for Citizen-Delegate will be held if three months have passed since the start of the previous election, the Ecclesia chooses to hold an election by a majority vote, or the office of Citizen-Delegate of is vacant.
3. No person may serve as Citizen-Delegate for more than two consecutive terms.
4. The Ecclesia may remove the Citizen-Delegate by a majority vote.

2. Powers and Responsibilities
1. The Citizen-Delegate will serve as head of state and conduct foreign policy.
2. The Citizen-Delegate will hold the in-game delegacy of the region of Taijitu with full powers and will exercise them as provided by law.

In the interests of making progress, based on discussion thus far, I propose a motion to put the above to a vote for approval and addition to our by laws.

In the mean time, to keep open the discussion regarding:

3. The Prytaneion
1. The Citizen-Delegate may appoint a Prytaneion of deputies to assist them in their duties.
2. All deputies of the Prytaneion will be citizens of Taijitu.
3. The Ecclesia may remove a member of the Prytaneion by a majority vote.