Preface
For many years I have thought that there needed to be a new form of government. That there must be a better balance of liberty for the individual, against the need's of the many, and a more equitable distribution of power. I believe that Merit E Democracy is the best form of governance for our current and future society.
J A Munemann
Introduction
A representative free democracy , where people vote on laws and bills directly after taking a comprehension questionnaire on the proposed bill or law .The bill or law can be proposed by the public or by the bureaucracy.
There is still a bureaucracy and voted in Ministers and Chief Minister , but they are merit appointed bureaucrats rather then politicians.
You don't have to vote or take any questionnaire if you don't want to.So your interaction in your own governance is purely up to YOU.
In the UK Parliament in 2007-8 there were 30 Bills passed. If you take that as an average, if you wanted to vote on every bill/law etc you would have to spend about two hours a month on information pack's and about forty minutes on the actual questionnaire . I would imagine that most people would not want to vote on everything, so the average time spent on self government would be even less, maybe one hour every two months ? So are you prepared to spend a day and a half, a year you so you can govern yourself ?
As Merit E-Democracy [MeD]absorb's all past laws that don't conflict with its constitution it would be a peaceful transition from a representative democracy to MeD.
One of the main arguments for local councils , is that people need to feel as if there voices are heard. In MeD as you govern yourself there is no need for local councils on that basis .So council business can be centralized and unified for the best efficiencies and major savings ,currently councillors can earn over a £250,000.
It was recently reported that In 2008/09 the cost of the current form government system in Britain was 1/2 a billion pounds.
All saving's form doing away with the representatives and council's , would fund the money to offset the questionnaire voting system . If managed properly there would actually major savings which either could benefit the population with lower tax's or be put to use for the betterment of society in schools and hospitals.
Declaration of Intent
As with most new government systems this one is built on ideas that have gone before, with a few very important adjustments.
In the case of Merit E-Democracy its foundations are built on the ideals I cherish , direct government , e-democracy and meritocracy, but I understand the fallibility of human nature and as many governments have proven, ideals do not stand up to our weakness.
I believe that we are or should be responsible for our government and that our government should not take responsibility away form us , as thinking responsible adults we should not be infantilized by our government.
Merit E-Democracy is a meritocratic accountable bureaucracy, which runs a form of referendum based responsible direct e-democracy.
Merit E-Democracy's main tenant is responsibly for ourselves ,that our government should help us , NOT look after us and that we are our own government,AND AS WE CAN INTERACT DIRECTLY IN OUR OWN GOVERNMENT WE DO NOT NEED REPRESENTATION.
We need to think what we want from a government , once we have done that we can see how then the government structure can fit that function.
As society's evolve and grow by population and technologies , they must adapt their forms of government so they are the most functional for that society's needs.
We must accept responsibility for our own governance, otherwise we will be ruled by interests other then our own . The Surveillance state is very near, if not already here and we will be loosing civil and maybe even human rights in coming years .
By accepting responsibility ,we gain back power from the centralized government [ and any other interests].
As our personal freedoms are lost in the years ahead with encroaching technology's, we MUST have a balance. I believe that the best option is with a responsible direct voting system , as we do not need representation, in the current technological age.
What we want from a government is the best representation of individual view points ,within a functioning governmental structure .
With the least taxation, bureaucracy and the least intervention of personal freedoms whilst maintaining an ordered but mobile meritocratic society.
Merit E Democracy is not a revolutionary form of government, it should absorb any of the current law's or bureaucratic institutions, and adapt them to the requirements of the new constitution.
Modern democracy's are no longer representative of the will of the people ,such as evidenced by the second Iraq war.The corruption and other distortions of the voting process, show that the current model of government, is not fit for its purpose, in a mature and educated society.
We now have the technology for a functional direct democracy, Merit E Democracy claims the position as the best responsible and libertarian direct democracy .
Form and Function of Merit E-Democracy
1 person 1 vote
Everyone can vote for the heads of the bureaucracys.
No Proxy Voting
A public ratified meritocratic bureaucracy runs the country, with the least bureaucracy possible for a functional government.
With citizenry voting on bill/laws ,only after completing and passing , a comprehensive comprehension questionnaire's on the subject of the proposed law.
1 government email address per citizen.
Questionnaires and notices come in different priorities , they are published on the Government Internet Site and all other popular media.
RED , which are Government suggested laws to be voted on in three months .
BLUE which are local impact laws and notices .
GREEN which are citizen suggested laws to be voted up to government level , [ie 5 million vote's to push it up to government level].
All suggested Laws also have a yellow attachment , which has most of the information that is not need in the questionnaire but is relevant to the proposed law. This is information that can be constantly updated.
Merit E democracy is a government that has flexibility in its laws and structure, it has a built in mechanism for change, so it can adapt readily to current morality's and advancing technology's.
Form of Government
The Bureaucracy
Any Under Minister , Minister , First Minister , Chief Minister or their deputies ,can be dismissed from their position by recommendation* of their peers and over 50 % of the public vote,or a 75% majority vote of no confidence by the general public [2*].
One term is three years.
A new Ministry or Under Ministry may be created or an established one removed ,if there is a need by a recommendation* of the existing Chief Minister , Minister's or Under Minister's and must be ratified by 75% of the public vote.
In case of death , resignation or if they are otherwise unable to fulfil their duties ,the standard protocol for the employment of the bureaucrats must be carried out , except in the case of the Chief Minister where there is a special protocol to follow[ re section on the Chief Minister and First Minister]
All bureaucrats should receive equal or more , remuneration then there counter parts in the private sector . Therefor encouraging the best people to be available for public office.
* The recommendation must be explanatory and published in the majority of media.
*[2] Anyone and Everyone can vote for representative officials[*3] without taking any form of questionnaire.
*[3] An representative official is an Under Minister , Minister , First Minister or Chief Minister
The Chief Minister
The Chief Minister is the head of government .
S/he is a figure head , a trouble shooter and there to make sure that the bureaucracy's are running efficiently and effectively.
The Chief Minister can not serve more than 2 terms[a term is 3 years] and has served at least 2 terms as a Minister .
S/he would be nominated and voted for by the Minister's and by the Under Ministers. If the candidate can be ratified with a majority of over 50% of the public vote* then S/he is Chief Minister. The voting public however can change this decision if 75% of them choose to do so and all concur on their new choice.
If the Chief Minister dies , the First Minister is to become Deputy Chief Minister and a Deputy First Minister is chosen by the Ministers and Under Ministers .The Deputy Chief Minister is to be ratified Chief Minister within 3 months, if S/he is ratified they then become Chief Minister ,and the Deputy First Minister becomes the First Minister.
The public also can nominate any Minister to become Chief Minister instead of the First Minister, but it would take a absolute majority vote [75%] ,rather then a majority vote [50%], to ratify another Minister, rather then the First Minister to take the position of Chief Minister, against the recommendations of the other Ministers.
The Chief Minister must be resident for more then 21 years or be a born national.
* public vote /voting public ie. all of the population that vote , not 50% or 75% of the general population.
The First Minister [ Deputy Chief Minister ], who is also a functioning Minister
The First Minister is a Minister ,voted in by the Ministers and Under Ministers to act as a deputy Chief Minister in case the Chief Minister dies. S/he continues in their regular duties as a Minister until that time and has no other functions in the eyes of the state.
The First Minister must be resident for more then 21 years or be a born national.
Minister's
Under the Chief Minister there the Ministers [ and the First Minister] , their function's are to act as supervisor's to the Under Ministers ,and to make sure their bureaucracy's are running effectively.
The Minister's must have direct experience in their field , and have served at least 1 term as a Under Minister, they can not serve more then 4 terms. The Minister is voted in by her/his Under Ministers and by the Public .
If that candidate can be ratified with a majority of over 50% of the public vote then S/he is Minister , however the public can vote for any of the Under Minister's and if one of the other candidates is voted for by over 75% of the voting public then that candidate is the Minister.
The Minister's must be resident for more then 21 years or be a born national.
Under Ministers
Under Ministers are there to make sure that their departments are running efficiently and economically. They must have direct experience in their Department specialization .ie the Under Minister for General Practioner's must have experience as a General Practioner, or the Under Minister for Urban Planing must have experience as a urban planer or architect.
Under Ministers cannot serve more then 6 terms and must be ratified in there position every term by over 50% of the vote by the public.
Under Ministers are chosen from a selection of five nominees which the three independent top head hunting firms in the country have agreed as to be the best qualified .
One of those five is selected by the out going Under Minister as the best replacement with a written explanation as why to choose that candidate .
If that candidate can be ratified with a majority of over 50% of the vote then S/he is Under Minister , however the public can vote for any of the top five recommended candidates to be Under Minister , and if one of these other candidates is voted for by over 75%, then that candidate is the Under Minister.
The Under Minister's must be resident for more then 15 years or be a born national.
The Constitution_
We the people ,accept responsibility for our own governance and government.In doing so we secure our rights, as identified in the constitution.
A Government can not be in power if it has abused the trust of the people , so there should always be a mechanism in place to remove those in government.
All people in Public office shall take an oath to fulfil their duties to the people , with honesty and due diligence .
If they fail to do so for reasons of supreme incompetence or corruption ,they will face prosecution under the law's of the nation.
All those in public office should be paid a comparable amount to those's in similar private employment.
The People must be able to trust the information received from their government .In emergency's the government may ask that full disclosure of the fact's not be given for national security ,but they must give a date when full disclosure will be given ,and facts given at anytime must be as accurate as possible.
Any officer of the nation ,deliberately and knowing disseminating mendacious fact's is liable to prosecution for treason.
Our Nation should stand for Ideals and ethics beyond commercial freedom or rules of Law. We must have a common goal and cohesion ,a pride in ourselves and our country.
Our Leaders should not commit our people to battle for commercial advantage ,to expand our own ideals of freedom ,or impose our rule of law on others .
Though we should defend ourselves and our people ,from encroachment on our liberties and laws, by other states .
Constitutional Rights and Obligations
1] All propositions are linked to their funding in the same vote.
2] THE LEAST BUREAUCRACY POSSIBLE
3] ACCESS TO THE INTERNET.
4] No Corruption or bribery in our Government, Legal System or Bureaucracy's.
Corruption of the voting process by Corporations or Individuals will be punished by seizure of 50% of assets, and at least 10 years in jail, for all involved. Corruption of any other form of the government will have at least 30% of assets seized and 5 years in jail, for all involved.
5] Right to Life, Liberty and Security of Person ·
6] .Schools, Right to Education until the age of legal adulthood.
7] Health Care for all, but legally sane adults may be asked to contribute in cases of continual irresponsible abuse's of their health.
8] Right to privacy, unless due process of law has been observed
9] Legal Presumption of innocence, but past actions and arrest's can be admitted as evidence of probable behaviour and evidence of BAD character [#1. check out the appendix for validated reasons].
10] Right to equal pay for equal work
11] Right to accurate information from any government source.
12] Freedom from arbitrary arrest, detention and exile, without due process of law
13] Right to a fair AND TIMELY trial.
14] Freedom of physically NON VIOLENT association.
15] Freedom of physically NON VIOLENT assembly.
16] Freedom of physically NON VIOLENT opinion and expression.
17] Freedom of thought, conscience and physically NON VIOLENT religion.
18] Right to intellectual property
19.] Right to property ·
20.] Freedom of movement ·
21]. NO PROXY VOTING.
22.] VOTING with full Identity measures in place such as BIOMETRIC SCANS or with the most accurate technology for full personal identification; however the vote is to be considered confidential, except the votes of the Under Ministers, Minister and Chief Minister.
23.] Equality for all gender’s, sexuality's and ethnicity's before the law ·
24.] Right to effective remedy from the law, right to a jury of peers, and right to appeal
25.] Prohibition of retrospective law
26.] Right for all to vote for the heads of the bureaucracies.
27.] Right to participation in government, for all people who pass the comprehension questionnaires.
28.] Right to fair comprehension questionnaires.
29.] If there is Government seizure of property, there must be compensation at current market value, unless the property is seized as punishment for a crime.
30.] As a citizen you have a duty not to commit a crime, and a moral obligation to prevent a crime and to report a crime.
31.] Any seizure of assets in punishment for a crime is proportional of said assets not by a set amount.
32.] People have the right to refuse healthcare, unless they are mentally unfit as proved in a court, or are legally underage.
33.] Every citizen has the right to vote no matter there legal situation, even if they are a convicted criminal or under age as long as they pass the comprehension questionnaire.
34.] People have the right to demand a new comprehension questionnaire information pack, if that information could be proved to be unreasonably biased, as long as the new questionnaire pack is demanded at least 6 weeks before the Vote is to be cast, and over 10% of the nation vote, that they consider it biased.
35.] The comprehension questionnaire is to show basic knowledge and understanding of the subject to be voted on. It is also in place to show an inclination of care and government participation by the individual. It will be assumed that if the questionnaire is over 70% accurate that the person has taken the time to understand the subject.
36.] The comprehension questionnaire's information and details of its subject matter must be published in all standard forms of media such as, Internet, television, print, radio, and must be published in specialist forms such as Braille or any other medium necessary at least three months prior the general vote .
37.] The right to protect oneself, one's family and possessions.
38.] There is NO death penalty [#2].
39.] The Government has the right to imprison or/and fiscally punish, or/and put to work, people convicted of crimes through due process of law.
40.] The Government has the right to use truth drugs and tests in cases of suspected terrorism and national security, and to ask for it in other cases after due process. The accused may ask or decline to use the truth tests, but to decline may lead to prejudice in a court of law, unless sound medical reasoning can be given. All use of truth drugs, test's etc must be carried out with an independent medical practitioner, a human rights observer and legal representation for the accused all present.
41.] The Government has the right to issue and collect tax's.
42.] Freedom from torture and cruel and unusual punishment.
43.] The People have the right to call for a paper ballot in constitutional or controversial votes if requested by 30% of the population.
44.] The People have the right to the details of the government budget, except in the case of direct national security. In the cases of national security the complete details must be published within 10 years unless the activities are still ongoing.
45.] The right to government aid or free legal representation in criminal case's against a government body.
46.] The State can only finance secular schools.
47.] All schools, including faith schools, have a duty to provide accurate and balanced information to their pupils on all faiths and subjects.
48.] All people have the right to vote for any bureaucrat in a representative office.
49.] Any money spent on advertising, in any media form, to influence a proposition by any individual, group, or corporation can not exceed by 20% the opposition's advertising.
50.] The Government has the right to conscript an army in cases of national emergency.
Expectations from Government
What we want from a government .
The best representation of individual view point within a functioning governmental structure .
With the least taxation, bureaucracy and the least intervention on personal freedoms .
Common Sense.
Roads /Airports/Rail , and the rest of a transport system.
Laws .
Police/Public Safety/Army.
Centralized Planning laws.
Social order.
Social responsibility .
No corruption.
A Health Service.
A peaceful existence
Expectations from the Law
Justice should be for all not matter their , gender/race /religion/sexual preference/ or position in society .
Laws are there to implement justice , and the legal system is to institute the laws in the most Just and Fair way possible.
An Efficient , functional incorruptible FAIR legal system , that is accountable to the government and/or the people.
Very Strong Anti Monopoly law's for a competitive and fair market place.
The law should protect from the corruption of favours ,and influence ,or the more blatant monetary corruption.
They should protect the majority who posses enlightened self interest from those that don't posses it ,and who would abuse them and their society .As the lawful majority , those's who have a natural morality are weaker then those who posses no morality ,as those people have no limits.
People should decided if laws are there for prevention or punishment , they should also consider if prisons are there to protect society from the criminal element or if they are there to reform them or both , and in what priority.
Expectations from the Police / Army/ etc
An Efficient , functional,economically lean , and accountable to the governments and people . Willing and able to follow the rules of law and the constitution .
Expectations from the Bureaucracy's
Efficient , functional, and economically lean , incorruptible accountable bureaucracy's who are expected to follow the rules of law and the constitution .
Details of Comprehension Questionnaires re Ministers and Under Ministers and the Public
We have voted in a select committee of Ministers and a Chief Minister to decide the questions to be voted on , to make emergency decisions , and to run the bureaucracy's.
We have a comprehension questionnaire to see if we have sufficient knowledge of the subject to be voted on.
The voting and questionnaire will take three months .The information pack of the questionnaire is received by the public three months prior to the vote .There are three weeks prior to the vote to take the questionnaire .The public can take the test three times . Those's who fail all three times ,can't vote on that law/subject .To vote people must pass the comprehension questionnaire with an accuracy of 70% or over. There is one week to vote .
The subject and the information of the comprehension questionnaire pack to be voted on , must be published at lest three months prior to the vote , except in emergency's .Emergency's must be voted on later though to ratify the legality's.
Before any amendment would be legal to change on a constitutional law , an absolute majority vote 75% and over 75% voter turnout would be required .
On Controversial laws there must be at least 50% of voter turn out and over 50% majority in favour of the law.
A Controversial law is determined by the votes of the Chief Ministers ,Minister's , and Under Ministers or by 50 % the population voting that it be made a controversial law.
Ministers and Under Ministers
Subject or Laws ,to be voted on can be recommended by the Ministers, or Under Ministers directly ,and then go to the to the government department of Voting Questionnaires and Questionnaire Information[VQAQI] and the Under Ministry of Voting Law which makes the final version of the written law.
The department of VQAQI puts the subjects/law in the framework of required information for the questionnaire .VQAQI then issues a information pack bulletin on the government site, and email's the information to those's who have previously taken questionnaire's on similar subjects, and those who have registered an interest in those's subjects.
After receiving the subject/law to be voted on, VQAQI has up to four months to issue the information on which the questionnaire will be based. Further information on the subject that is not required in the questionnaire, will be attached or linked to the questionnaire information as a yellow paper. The yellow paper can be added too right up to the start of voting week .The yellow paper must be updated on the government information site, but does not have to be emailed to the voters.
The questionnaire will be voted on three months from the date of the information comprehension questionnaire pack being published ,only by those who have taken the questionnaire and passed.
Public
Subjects/laws to be voted, on can also be posted on the government suggestion site by the public. People can then vote on the issues suggested, those's issues that gain more than five Million votes go to the government department of VQAQI, and the Under Ministry of Voting Law which makes the final version of the written law.
The department of VQAQI puts the subjects/law in the framework of required information for the questionnaire .VQAQI then issues a information pack bulletin on the government site, and email's the information to those's who have previously taken questionnaire's on similar subjects, and those who have registered an interest in those's subjects.
After receiving the subject/law to be voted on, VQAQI has up to four months to issue the information on which the questionnaire will be based. Further information on the subject that is not required in the questionnaire, will be attached or linked to the questionnaire information as a yellow paper. The yellow paper can be added too right up to the start of voting week .The yellow paper must be updated on the government information site, but does not have to be emailed to the voters.
The questionnaire will be voted on three months from the date of the information comprehension questionnaire pack being published ,only by those who have taken the questionnaire and passed.
Suggested Ministries
Minister of Health [6]
Under Minister of Nursing
Under Minister of Surgery
Under Minister of GP's
Under Minister of Hospital Administration
Under Minister of Preventative Medicine
Under Minister of Identification *
*Identification needed for health information and proof of identification for the voting questionnaire's [to avoid to much power in public safety] .
Minister Of Culture[6]
Under Minister of Societal Cohesion
Under Minister of Performing Arts
Under Ministers of Educational Arts [ ie museums]
Under Minister of Technological Arts .
Under Minister of Social Services' [ is put under culture to split the powers and as a lot of problems are because of confused social identity ]
Under Minister of Sport
Minister of Information/Education[7]
Under Minister of Under 13
Under Minister of Under 18
Under Minister of University's
Under Minister of Voting Questionnaires and Questionnaire Information [ voting Questionnaires , voting technologies and voting fraud/safety are split to avoid too much power]
Under Minister of Library's and General Public Information
Under Minister of Hard Copy Information and Post
Under Minister of Complaints and Appeals...will receive all complaints about the government ,and appeals for help in various situations. It will number and respond to the appeal in question and forward it on to the relevant Under Ministry ,or if required run an independent investigation into any Under Ministries or Ministry.
Minister of Technology[5]
Under Minister of Blue Sky Research
Under Minister of Applicable Technology
Under Minister of Computer Technology
Under Minister of Voting Technology [ the questionnaires will be appraised here via computer programs and on occasion manually if necessary]
Under Minister of Business Technology
Minister of the Environment[5]
Under Minister of Water
Under Minister of Forest's
Under Minister of Farming and Food
Under Minister of Industrial Waste
Under Minister of Recycling and Resource Management.
Minister of Urban Planing and Transport[6]
Under Minister of Transport ie train's and ports
Under Minister of Urban Planing
Under Minister of Roads
Under Minister of Airports
Under Minister of Public Transport
Under Minister of Architectural Development and Protection
Minister Of Foreign Affairs [ Ambassadors and Diplomats will lease with relevant Under Ministry for trade talks ext era, in theses departments there should be specialists in the relevant cultures.][12]
Under Minister of North America and Canada
Under Minister of South America
Under Minister of European Union and Europe
Under Minister of Russia
Under Minister of North Africa
Under Minister of Southern Africa
Under Minister of Arabia
Under Minister of India
Under Minister of China
Under Minister of Central Asia
Under Minister of the Far East
Under Minister of Australia and New Zealand
Minister of Public Safety[8]
Under Minister of Army [general]
Under Minister of Navy[ie admiral]
Under Minister of External Information [mi 5]
Under Minister of Air Force
Under Minister of Policing
Under Minister of Voting Security [corruption, bribery etc]
Under Minister of Internal Information [terrorists etc]
Minister Of Finance[8]
Under Minister of Small Business
Under Minister of Corporations
Under Minister of Utility's [ energy / rubbish / telephone/water]
Under Minister of Tax's and the Budget
Under Minister of International Trade Regulations
Head of the Bank of the Nation [money regulation]
Head of the Stock Exchange
Under Minister of Advertising Standards
Minister Of Justice [4]
Under Minister of Judiciary
Under Minister of Family Law
Under Minister of Corporate Law
Under Minister of Voting Law [ after receiving the information from the VQAQI this under minister phrases the law .]
Minister of Energy[3]
Under Minister of Renewable Energy
Under Minister of Standard Energy
Under Minister for Alternate Energy Research
In total there are 11 Ministers and 69 Under Ministers.
Appendix
Constitutional Rights and Obligations.
# 1 ] Right . 9.] Legal Presumption of innocence , but past actions and arrest's can be admitted as evidence of probable behaviour and evidence of BAD character.
The Individual should be viewed as a whole human being ,and the Judge and Jury should not just be shown a facet . In viewing the person as a whole, their psychological make up and threat to society will be better understood , as is their likelihood of having committed the crime in question.
# 2 ] Right . 38.] There is NO death penalty.
There is no death penalty , however regarding sentencing , life means life . If new evidence can be presented , then a case may go before appea