Executive structure straw poll

Another poll. Yay.

This should be pretty self-explanatory. Our current system is pretty much an "elected group" right now. And when I say "cycling unelected", I mean that we don't elect people to positions of power but that people simply cycle into them when it's "their turn". I think I would think a little less of you if you chose this (not really).

Elected delegate.

I have a blended system in mind, which I'll expalin as I can.

Oh foo, I can't change my vote. In immediate retrospect I'd have much rather chosen elected Delegate.

I chose elected non-delegate. Not that I wouldn't mind being all-powerful. But if we do give the Delegate widespread powers, we must be very careful to select nations who are up to the job. On top of trustworthiness and omnipresence, we must add leadership qualities, team-building skills, and a commitment to devote a big chunk of time to the region.

What GBM said.

There are two major concerns about a delegate-centered executive. First, the myraid of responsibilities that are currently divided between the Prime Minister and the Delegate in the current system would overwhelm virtually anybody and everybody who would be delegate.
As a lesson of history Cathyy as Pixiedance before she moved towards dictatorship seemed to be overwhelmed by the amount of work the delegacy required under the Blackshear constitution. I believe it is highly likely any other delegate would be similarly overwhelmed. Second, a delegate-centered executive would threaten regional stability if there is no explicit permanent mechanism to counteract a rogue delegate and to maintain a constitutionally based government. Not one of the current proposals on the table seem to address these two major concerns in a sound way. It is for these reasons I view the proposals for a delegate-as-executive system as fundamentally flawed.

We had a direct democratic legislative system in the constitution before the constitutional convention then we had an optional blended direct democracy/legislative chamber system until the registered voter system was "merged" into the Regional Assembly. I always felt that the merger was a mistake. I also feel that given a choice between a regional assembly and the NPC era direct democracy "town Hall" approach, the "town hall" approach was better suited to TNP. I
ll have more to say about this fairly soon.

The issue regarding the amount of work required of the Delegate in the Delegate-as-leader system is a valid concern. The standard response is that officers and underlying bureaucracies (i.e. a group of people working under the Del that helps him handle the in-game regional stuff) will be apportioned much of the Delegate's duties, although responsibility for the carrying out of those duties will ultimately rest upon the Delegate. The success of a Delegate-centered system is very contingent on the quality of the officers that the Delegate keeps.

As for your second concern, Grosse, I am thoroughly confused. Do you mean constitutionally or in-game mechanistically? If you mean constitutionally, what keeps a delegate from going rogue? Nothing. (Well, influence does, but nothing can keep the Delegate from at least trying to go rogue.) The fact that off-site legitimacy has no standing on in-game delegate standing is one that we cannot avoid. No amount of red tape will keep a rogue delegate from attempting to go rogue. All that we can do is remove a rogue delegate's legitimacy through the powers of censure and impeachment. In my proposal, a Delegate's actions can pretty much be declared de facto illegitimate temporarily via the CLO and permanently via Assembly action. So, I have no clue where you're coming from here.

As for mechanistically protecting against a rogue delegate, well, that is true. The closest thing to that that I can think of is the maintenance of a body of high-influence citizens. It saved us in the encounter with Dalimbar and provides a high degree of security against rogue delegates (but of course also makes it easier for a high-influence citizen to carry out a coup). A little while back, Flem was talking about formalizing this body, although I would prefer to leave it out of the Constitution (and maybe even Legal Code) myself.

Cycling elected group would be good. Keeps power out of a single nation, keeps the nations changing, and they're elected by the people. The only trouble is that the power might be too diluted compared to the power directly wielded by the delegate.