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If the FLAMES Act passes, I want to be able to have quick continuity of government, so I've put some thought into a basic outline for a provisional government. This is only a very basic draft that I would work to polish if it looks like the Act is going to pass, but I thought I would share it to provide as much information as possible.

The Monarchy
Besides the ability to restructure government as needed until we find a legislative style that works for Wintreath, the Monarch would have the sole ability to revoke individual Citizenships and declare individuals persona non grata. Currently, either the Monarch or the Storting can exercise these powers.

Cabinet/Citizens' Council
Regardless of the FLAMES Act, I intend to dissolve the Citizens' Council at the end of this term. It was an idea worth experimenting with, but it's become a layer of inactive bureaucracy that I don't have the time to administrate in a way that would do it justice. In it's place I intend to have 3 elected positions directly into the Cabinet. This will serve the purpose of representing Citizens to the Cabinet in a more direct manner, and allow the people who hold the position to get their hands wet as much or as little as they feel comfortable with. While a separate body may have more merit if we ever grow past a certain point, for now I feel this will be more beneficial to the Cabinet, the Citizens, and those who hold those positions while requiring less work to maintain.

Acts of Cabinet
In the event the FLAMES Act passes, the Cabinet would collectively pick up some of the Storting's current authorities, namely:

• Approval and termination of agreements with external groups and organizations (ie. treaties with other NS regions)
• Changes to general Citizenship law

To exercise this authority, the Cabinet (Monarch, Jarls, Thanes, and elected members without portfolio) would vote on these issues, with the text of the decision proposed and votes for or against then being made publicly regardless of whether it measure passed or failed.

Acts of Ministries
Particular ministries would pick up some of the Storting's technical but rarely used authorities. For example, the Ministry of Culture could put out a rule that Werewolf games must have so many players before being able to start. They would announce these decisions as rules posted in their ministry subforums.

The Storting (or some other name)
The Storting would be resurrected as an open assembly consisting of all Citizens with a portion of the authorities that the current Storting has, namely:

• Commendations, Paragonhoods, Titles, and other Citizen recognitions
• Management of Clubs
• Adoption of Community Symbols
• Selection of a Speaker who would manage the body
• Non-binding Resolutions

However, the new legislature would have the ability to veto Acts of Cabinet (agreements, changes to Citizenship law, and Ministry rules). The intent here would be to add additional authorities to this body as we continue to explore the regional theme and RP elements. For example, it could be possible to add the authority to regulate the regional currency in the future. My hope would be that a legislature in the future wouldn't just have busy-work or be inactive, but play a role in managing our community of Citizens and the theme that we would all have a part in.

This is just a basic framework at the moment. It's very possible things will change since this is just a very rough idea, but I wanted to put out there what I intend to do at the moment if the FLAMES Act passes so everyone has as much information as possible. Of course, feel free to give your thoughts on the idea if you'd like.

@Adorable Oracle Hapi, does this simplify things enough, do you think?

Two questions:

What is the reasoning for the Cabinet having jurisdiction over citizenship and treaties? I remember Laurentus recently making a point on Discord that it makes most sense for the citizenry to decide matters of citizenship themselves, which I find a very convincing argument.

When you say that the open assembly has veto power over Acts of Cabinet, do you mean it in the same sense that under the current Fundamental Laws, the Overhusen has veto power over bills passed by the Underhusen? That is, the open assembly would essentially vote on all legislation passed by the Cabinet?

@Adorable Oracle Hapi, does this simplify things enough, do you think?

I meant to read thru this today but I forgot I will have a looksie in the AM ^^

Finally got around to this sorry

My thoughts are as follows. I am particularly fond of like having no regional legislature at all even though I once argued in favor of an OA with that said... everything looks reasonable to me outside the OA

@Laurentus

Two questions:

What is the reasoning for the Cabinet having jurisdiction over citizenship and treaties? I remember Laurentus recently making a point on Discord that it makes most sense for the citizenry to decide matters of citizenship themselves, which I find a very convincing argument.

When you say that the open assembly has veto power over Acts of Cabinet, do you mean it in the same sense that under the current Fundamental Laws, the Overhusen has veto power over bills passed by the Underhusen? That is, the open assembly would essentially vote on all legislation passed by the Cabinet?

Sorry, I missed your post until just now.

With treaties, when the Fundamental Laws were put together it was a given that most Citizens would be active and aware of things going on in NationStates, but that is not really true these days. For the last few years, our FA has been handled by a small core of vital people who are familiar with things both inside and outside Wintreath, people who are usually in the Cabinet, and I feel they're best situated to evaluate potential treaties and agreements at this point. Also, I worded it the way I did because as we move into other things there's always the possibility that we'll strike agreements with groups outside of NS, in which case it's more likely the Cabinet will be the best group to evaluate them.

With Citizenship law, starting out I'm not comfortable handing the power to an untested Open Assembly. The current Underhusen is currently checked by the Overhusen, whereas the new Open Assembly would not have a body to check its authorities (part of the cost of streamlining the bureaucracy). I suppose I could make the Cabinet a check on the new open assembly, but as some people have opposed the Cabinet becoming part of the legislature I've currently reserved it for the most important legislative authorities: treaties and Citizenship law. Of course, the OA will be able to veto changes to either with a supermajority vote, and there's always the possibility that the power is returned to them once the OA is up, running, and tested.

Finally got around to this sorry

My thoughts are as follows. I am particularly fond of like having no regional legislature at all even though I once argued in favor of an OA with that said... everything looks reasonable to me outside the OA

@Laurentus

I'm curious what made you change your mind on this.

I just don't think there's anything to do at all in general for legislative reasons that can't just be handled without the bureaucracy of a legislative body that needs to vote and ratify it. It would be faster simpler and more streamlined process when the few things the storting would actually need to do come about and need to be handled if...it just didn't exist at all.

Yeah, I think an OA would be fine for commendations/paragonhoods and maybe community symbols, but besides that, I think it should focus solely on RP stuff (the kind of stuff related to the freeholder RP/game currently being discussed).

I could understand giving it the ability to veto cabinet decisions if so many people petition that it'd be necessary, but I wouldn't want it to have to do that after every decision like the OH.

I'm a bit more radicalized on this now  burn it ALL down.

Of course, the OA will be able to veto changes to either with a supermajority vote

Ah, this wasn't mentioned earlier, so is this the idea? It wouldn't be like a typical veto power where the body with the power has to actively approve things, but rather the reverse? As in, the citizenry would have to actively create a vote to overturn a cabinet decision, and not only that but would also need a supermajority.

Ah, this wasn't mentioned earlier, so is this the idea? It wouldn't be like a typical veto power where the body with the power has to actively approve things, but rather the reverse? As in, the citizenry would have to actively create a vote to overturn a cabinet decision, and not only that but would also need a supermajority.

However, the new legislature would have the ability to veto Acts of Cabinet (agreements, changes to Citizenship law, and Ministry rules).

It actually was mentioned. But yeah, you're correct.

Basically, this system would serve the purpose of the OH on the most important legislation without the need for a whole separate body, while also keeping in mind that at least some members of the Cabinet don't want to be regularly involved in legislation. By its experimental nature, it's hard to say how it'll work out. If it proves to be a stable and well-liked system, it's possible the legislature could have Citizenship law returned to it, especially in concert with regional theme reforms. This is essentially a starting point...I doubt it will be the end point at the end of the process.

I just don't think there's anything to do at all in general for legislative reasons that can't just be handled without the bureaucracy of a legislative body that needs to vote and ratify it. It would be faster simpler and more streamlined process when the few things the storting would actually need to do come about and need to be handled if...it just didn't exist at all.

I think there are things that a Citizen legislature can best handle, especially Citizen recognitions. I can and do recognize people through the nobility, but I'm not the best person to judge how great someone's contributions in roleplay, for example. And I think by virtue of many people still coming to us through NationStates, there's still the expectation that they'll get to weigh in on something. The current system hasn't worked out on that, and it's up to us to give them things to weigh in on that works for them and for Wintreath as a whole.

Sure but so we need a while legislative system to exist for citizens to go. Hey this person has done great things let's recognize that.  Or could we just have a faster more streamlined way of people bringing up that someone maybe deserves to be recognized without all the pomp and circumstance of a legislature that will primarily only exist for this one purpose which might happen what twice a year? 3 times maybe?

It actually was mentioned.

If it was, then it wasn't mentioned on the forums.

Can't find anything about supermajorities searching on the public Discord channels either.

If it was, then it wasn't mentioned on the forums.

Can't find anything about supermajorities searching on the public Discord channels either.

The veto authority is mentioned, I guess I thought it went without saying that it would be through a supermajority.

If it was, then it wasn't mentioned on the forums.

Can't find anything about supermajorities searching on the public Discord channels either.

The veto authority is mentioned, I guess I thought it went without saying that it would be through a supermajority.

Ah. As you can probably tell from the second question in my original post (the one asking what you meant by veto power), that definitely did not seem implied to me at all.

Especially when the only current precedent for a legislature having veto power in Wintreath is the Overhusen, and that has basically the complete opposite: a majority (or supermajority) has to actively vote for, rather than a supermajority needing to actively vote against.