Communal Democracy

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This is something that I have created, and is purely an idea that I (Lucas Pina) have come up with.

Section 1: The Task of the Government

Communal Democracy is the term I am using for a political and economic ideology. The basis of the ideology is that a powerful government controls everything, but in turn is controlled by the people as a whole. The idea is to make a society in which there are no classes, nobody is more powerful than anyone else.

The key difference with Communal Democracy and other ideologies of the world is this: There is no money, only Government Credit (GC). Everything you buy, you buy from the government, with the GC you get from your job. This means that the government knows exactly how much GC you have, and therefore the government would know if you spent more than you should be able to. This will vastly decrease motivation to do crime. The government itself will of course have money to buy things internationally. All businesses are government owned, and so the government can export things more efficiently than if everything was privately owned.

The state must provide the following basic necessities to its citizens: food, clean water, shelter, healthcare, education, and a job. A person can buy a house from the government with GC. But if no housing is available for that person then they will be relocated to a state housing facility. Though these facilities must be enough to provide a safe living environment, they also should not be too luxurious, so as to encourage people to purchase their own house. Anyone over the age of 21 can request a position in a state housing facility, anyone under 21 who requests a position in a state housing facility must first have an inspector come to investigate their current living situation, if deemed unsafe (mentally or physically) then they too are guaranteed a place in a state housing facility. Note that people living in a state housing facility do not get to choose where they live, they will be put in a location chosen based on their personal preference and logistical feasibility.

Anyone may apply for a food package, which will consist of enough food and water to maintain a healthy diet, although specific foods may still be bought at grocery stores. As well as basic food needs, ALL health related expenses are covered by the government, this includes everything from needing glasses, to diabetes, to cancer.

There are two types of jobs in Communal Democracy: there are government granted jobs, and personally chosen jobs. Anyone can get a government granted job by applying for one, the person applying then gets a list of jobs they can do, they then choose the job they wish to have, and they are now employed. To get a personally chosen job, anyone may apply to the job they wish to get, then a committee looks at their resume (along with anyone else who applied) and chooses those they think best suited for the job. This system ensures that everybody has a job, and those that are motivated to do a specific job also have that freedom of choice. All education is free, and higher education (Universities and colleges) pays people to attend in an effort to promote education throughout the populace.

All mentally ill people are entitled to a place in a mental health care facility. All prisoners must be treated as well as anybody else, and attempts to rehabilitate prisoners are mandatory. A prison's first priority is to help the inmates, confining them is a secondary task. The government must also completely eliminate all inheritance, with the exception of sentimental objects. Anyone may apply to receive items from their family when they die, the government then reviews the case, and either allows or prohibits the item/items to be inherited. This is so that wealth cannot be passed down, but some sentimental things can.

Section 2: The Rights of the People

All humans are equal, and as such all citizens have the same basic rights.

The Right to vote: which is incentivized by a small GC reward.

The Right of Speech: everybody deserves to be heard, and everybody is encouraged to express their opinions.

The Right to Practice Religion: the right to believe in something is important, but it should not be forgotten that science always trumps religion in official business.

The Right of Trial: Everybody must be given a fair trial.

The Right to Shelter: Everyone has the right to a safe place to shelter from the elements.

The Right to Health: Everybody is guaranteed enough food, water, and healthcare to live.

The Right to a Job: Jobs are guaranteed to all.

The Right to Education: Education is at the core of advancing civilization, and as such all citizens are given the opportunity to be educated.

These are core rights all citizens have, although more can, and should, be applied depending on the circumstances. Still, no matter what, these core rights should always be the priority of the government.

Section 3: The Structure of The Government

A key difference in a Communal Democracy compared to other systems, is the lack of a single leader. There is no single head of state in a Communal Democracy, rather there are elected councils that vote on most changes within the nation. Truly big decisions however, must be put to a nationwide vote. Decisions that qualify for a national vote include: declaring war, dissolving the government, and other nation defining decisions.

Every province of a country would have a government that handles local laws and other local administrative business. These provincial governments are made up of a council called the ‘Provincial Assembly’, who are elected by the people of the province every two years. The Provincial Assembly proposes and votes on laws, reacts to local emergencies, arranges specific trades with nations, and other administrative problems. A Provincial Assembly is made up of 20 members, voted in by the people for a two year term. Everybody in the province votes for ten applicants in the Provincial Assembly, out of 100 applicants, the top 20 applicants then become the new members of the Provincial Assembly. If there are more than 100 applicants then volunteers will vote for 50 applicants out of however many applicants applied, the top 100 of these then become the applicants that are voted for.

Each Province has a Governor too. The Governor of a province is voted by the people from however many applicants applied. Only people who were previously in the Provincial Assembly may run for the position of Governor. The Governor is the topmost authority in a province, and acts as a tiebreaker in the event of a tie in the Provincial Assembly. The Governor also may propose new laws to the Provincial Assembly. The Governor's main job is in the Governor's Council. The Governor’s Council is part of the federal government, and votes on projects, initiatives and laws that benefit or harm physical areas, this is so that a province without much representation in the government doesn't get trampled by those who don't care about them.

The federal government is far more powerful than the provincial governments. The federal government is in charge of: trading with other countries, distributing food and water, providing housing, building everything from factories to supermarkets, upholding the law, making new laws. Reacting to emergencies, proposing and voting on new initiatives and projects, proposing and voting on policies, and more. The government has a lot on its plate, and so it’s split up into groups. At the head of it all is the Senate. The Senate is made up of 100 senators, and is voted in via popular vote. To run for the Senate one must have had some prior government position (provincial or federal). Every year everybody votes for 25 applicants running for membership in the Senate, the top 50 applicants then become new senators of the Senate, serving a two year term. ONCE A PERSON HAS SERVED IN ANY POSITION, THEY CANNOT BE RE-ELECTED TO THAT POSITION EVER AGAIN. The Senate votes in members of the other councils in the government (except the Governor’s Council). The groups are as follows:

Department of Commerce

Department of Infrastructure

Department of State

Department of Health

Department of Education

Department of Industry

Department of Labor

Department of Justice

Department of Energy

Department of Distribution

Department of Agriculture

Department of Government Credit

Department of Natural Resources

Department of Transportation

Department of Science

Each department is headed by a Representative who is the tiebreaker in a council of 10. Anyone may run for a position in a department council, but the Representative must have previous political experience.

The final part of the government is the Grand Court. They are tasked with making sure that the government is abiding by their own rules. They also are the highest court in the nation. It is purposefully modeled after the American ‘Supreme Court’. There are 11 Grand Justices, who hear the arguments and vote on the verdict. The Grand Justices are voted by the people every four years. To run for a Grand Justice one must have served as a Senator.

Thus there are three main parts of the government: the Governor's Council, the Grand Court, and the most powerful, the Senate. Together these make up the federal government, and handle most of the administrative needs of a country. It should be noted that this is just a guideline, and depending on the circumstances the government may have to be larger or smaller. Still, this should form the basic structure of any Communal-Democratic government.

Section 4: The Transition to Communal Democracy

Ideally the transition to Communal Democracy would be a democratic process, but unfortunately the world is not always so gracious as to grant these opportunities.

Political power is not distributed equally among the populace in the modern world. Those with political power in a capitalist country like the United States of America are the rich. Those with political power in a monarchy like 18th century France were people who had hereditary positions. People with political power nearly always live better than the proletariat, and as such will not want change. The people must do their utmost to pressure the elites into giving in, change will not happen on its own.

Violence is the last resort of the desperate. In some situations violent revolution is the only way to achieve justice for the people, but it must be stressed that any and all methods of peaceful transition should be thoroughly explored and tested before resorting to force of arms. The carnage that is unleashed by a civil war is a necessity for change only when the carnage of the previous system was worse. The devastating losses the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics endured fighting the Nazis was only worth it because of the far more devastating losses they would have taken if they hadn't fought. A similar logic must be used when considering revolution, what will be worse, fighting back or taking it lying down?

The goal of Communal Democracy is simple: a government for the people by the people, with true equality for all.

References

Me

Communal Democracy

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