The foundations of your ideal government

[reflaxion.livejournal.com]

Congratulations! You have just been granted sovereignty. As the interim leader of your people, the masses look to you for guidance on how to proceed with the rigorous process of building your government. The parchment and quill pen are in your hand - what will you do?

A building should have a strong foundation, and a government should have strong founding principles. If you had to draft a constitution for your own nation today, what would be the core values that you would base it on? What rights would you guarantee your citizens, and what would you restrict? What would be the role of your government - its rights and responsibilities? What parts of your constitution would be adaptable, and what would be consistent?

Blah blah health care socialism town hall astroturfing birth certificate. Now none of you can say this post didn't get through your search filters, so let's see some ideas.

Comments

[reflaxion.livejournal.com]

4) Clear understanding of the law. Laws may be drafted and passed in legal terms when necessary to prevent loopholes, but should also be "translated" into layman's terms so that any citizen can easily understand them. There will be an official language, but only to make it easier for the government to participate in clear communication with its people; the people will not be required to use it, or even to understand it, as long as they are able to follow the law regardless. All laws must be easily accessible to the public, and any amendments to existing laws must be made to the original laws. Proposed laws must have a main purpose, and all sections of the law must conform to that purpose; "piggybacking" is not allowed.
5) A fair trial by jury in cases where sentencing involves prison time.
6) Protection from abuse. Police will be required to have their actions recorded at all times while on duty.
7) Protection from foreign invasion. A standing army will be kept to be used for purposes of homeland defense and international conflict.
8) Safety nets for employment and health. An unemployment program will be established in order to help support those who lose their jobs, but for no longer than one year, in the case of those who are able to work. For the disabled who can no longer work in their previous field of employment, funding will be provided on the basis of need in order to re-train them in a field they can participate in, so that they will be able to return to the work force. All citizens will have access to a basic, but limited, health plan, so that the possibility for the private sector to provide better coverage at a higher cost remains.
9) Basic education. Education will only be forced through grade school (or primary school, as you may call it), and only to legal age. Further education through high school (secondary school) would be funded by the government, but would not be forced - if guardians and child all agree, a child will not have to continue past basic education, and may choose instead to learn a specialized trade as an apprentice. Parents cannot force a child to quit school, and a child cannot quit without the permission of the parents (unless the child is of legal age and emancipated). All testing will be somewhat standardized to ensure that children are learning the things they need to know, and if they do not pass, they will have to repeat - children will not be pushed through the system without learning enough to help them in the real world.

This is just what I've got right now. I'm sure it would need a lot of work to become a viable system. Still, it's my starting point.