Constitution

[Neike Taika-Tessaro]

BETA draft

We, the founders of Dark Arcadia, recognize the Merit of the Individual above all else, and acting upon the desire to be governed and govern by Merit, do hereby state the founding principles of the Nation of Dark Arcadia. Be it known to all that we believe Merit to be the only sustainable form for the Government and Organization of Humankind, that the individual has the ability to submit themself to the leadership of those most qualified, and that by so doing, ensures success and prosperity for themselves and others. As such, we do organize ourselves to this belief under the following Core Principles:

§1 Individuality

(1) An individual is a self-aware consciousness, verifiable in that it can pass the Turing test. (2) A consciousness may be carried by any entity, biological, mechanical or electronic. (3) Once an individual has been recognized, the entity in which said individual resides does not affect the status of the individual. (4) An individual cannot be denied privileges or citizenship within Dark Arcadia based solely on the nature of the entity in which said consciousness is contained. (5) An individual's familial ties are defined via the vessel the individual mainly resides in.

§2 Maturity

(1) Maturity is a label for the Individual's height of awareness of the environment and understanding of complex systems, and is attainable by any Individual. (2) It is attained between the eighth (exclusive) and twenty-first (inclusive) years of life, and attributed to the individual solely by it's social mentors. (3) When applied, the state is obligated to recognise the label, and treat the Individual as a Mature Individual.

§3 Social Mentor

(1) A social mentor is an individual who has taken it upon themselves to raise and nurture another, primarily in educating and secondarily in physical care. (2) An individual's social mentors default to those individuals who are considered their father and mother. (3) Disputes regarding mentorship must be resolved by the nation's Judiciary. (4) The Judiciary must use the psychological evaluation of the individuals to determine the best social mentor, and favour the individual who is best grounded in Arcadian philisophical principles.

§4 Citizenship

(1) An individual is a Citizen if the following conditions are met: (a) The individual must be considered Mature in accordance with Section 2, (b) The citizenship application must be properly submitted and approved by the proper Dark Arcadian authority, and (c) The individual has not been previously rejected for citizenship. (2) There are no other prerequisites for Citizenship. (3) The application, once submitted, does not expire. (4) The application contains a psychological evaluation test, the taking of which is subject to a time limit. (5) An individual may apply for citizenship only once, and may not resubmit the application. (6) The nation is obligated to recognize the name by which their new citizen referred to themselves in the application. (7) The individual is not required to submit the application within any time limit. ( The nation is required to process the application within a month of receiving it.

§5 Government

(1) The legislative branch is defined as follows: (i) Each Citizen is obliged to heed the laws passed by those who outrank it in natural hierarchy. (ii) A natural hierarchy is ordered by those with most merit situated at its top. (iii) The Citizen at the top of this hierarchy may call itself Archon.

(2) The executive branch is defined as follows: (i) Every Citizen has the obligation to prevent the escape of other Citizens from judicial trial and judicial decisions.

(3) The judicial branch is defined as follows: (i) In disputes, all involved parties must either decide and agree on a judge to try them, (ii) or one who outranks the highest ranking involvee is appointed judge. (iii) If disputes involve the Archon, the Archon must subject himself to the decision of judge of the other involvees. (iv) During a dispute with the Archon, it is up to the judge's discretion whether or not new laws may be passed. (v) A judge must always be uninvolved.

§6 Nation

(1) Our Nation is defined as the Mature Individuals subjecting themselves to the Government as described in §5. (2) The Nation is obliged to serve its Citizens.

§7 Property

(1) Every Individual has the right to their own property. (2) It may not be taken from them or damaged without their consent. (3) It is the government's responsibility to protect the property of each Individual. (4) It is the government's responsibility to protect the Individual's right to do what they please with their property.

[Neike Taika-Tessaro]

[Neike Taika-Tessaro]

[BLusk]

As for the 2/3rds majority, I do need to point out that the only real options you have for changing the constitution are 2/3rds or 3/4ths supermajorities. In reality, it's extremely difficult to get either of these unless there is a huge groundswell of public support for the change. To make it hard to change, do 2/3rds. If you want it to be nearly impossible to change, make it 3/4ths.

Of course, with a group as small as you are now, that doesn't sound tough, but the more people you add, the harder it is from my experience in politics.

Thanks!
Brian

[Neike Taika-Tessaro]

After reviewing that I've introduced no changes, please un-announce this BETA, move the new topic into the Legislature board, and therein announce it, providing your decisions stand as last made on Y!M.