A new model for local government
A model for local government is described.
The constituting institutions are the Citizen Assembly, the Citizen Council and the Citizen Corps.
The Citizen Council is the partisan layer which emits, promotes and defends Propositions before the Citizen Assembly. It is made of members of the Community randomly selected from a pool of volunteers.
The Citizen Assembly represents the people. It contains randomly selected members of the Community. They discuss, adopt or reject Propositions presented by the Citizen Council.
The Citizen Corps is a tool at the service of the Community and the two other institutions to help define, promote and apply the Citizen Council’s Propositions in a rational, impartial and scientific manner.
Guiding principles
Popular votes are cast on solutions (Propositions) and not individuals. No member of any institution is elected.
Voters are randomly selected among the people.
Campaigns to promote Propositions are funded by the Community.
All data and tools used to design and promote Propositions are provided by independent experts employed by the Community.
The Citizen Assembly
Constitution
The Citizen Assembly has one hundred and twenty Representatives.
Representatives are selected randomly among all eligible members of the Community.
Individuals are eligible if (1) they are more than seventeen years old, (2) they have not been a Representative, Councillor or member of the Citizen Corps for over a year and (3) they have resided and paid taxes in the Community for more than five years.
A Representative term lasts one year.
It is mandatory for a selected member of the Community to fulfill their duty as Representative.
Every month, one twelfth of the Citizen Assembly is renewed.
The Citizen Assembly convenes in Sessions one day a week.
Sessions are broadcasted and viewable at any time on the Internet.
Except force majeure, physical or virtual attendance by Representatives is mandatory.
Representatives are excused from their professional activity during Sessions.
Representatives are compensated for any loss of income caused by their attendance to Sessions.
Vote
Votes are expressed by absolute majority.
Votes are anonymous.
Votes can be expressed physically or online.
Mission
The mission of the Citizen Assembly is to hear, analyze, criticize, question and vote Propositions presented by the Citizen Council.
The Citizen Assembly can, by vote, propose alternative Propositions and demand that the Citizen Council consider them.
The Citizen Assembly can, by vote, temporarily exclude a Representative or a Councillor or prematurely end their term.
The Citizen Council
Constitution
The Citizen Council has twelve Councillors.
Councillors are randomly selected amongst eligible volunteers.
Volunteers are eligible if (1) they are more than seventeen years old, (2) they reside and pay taxes in the Community, (3) they have not been Representative or Councillor of any Community for over one year, (4) they have not been a member of the Citizen Corps of the Community for one year.
A term as Councillor lasts one year.
There are no limits on the number of terms as Councillor an individual can fulfill.
Except force majeure, physical attendance to Sessions is mandatory.
Councillors are compensated during their term.
Every month, one Councillor is replaced.
Councillors must interrupt their professional activity during their term and work full-time for the Citizen Council. Their regular employment is guaranteed during their term.
Mission
The mission of the Citizen Council is to investigate, design and expose Propositions to govern life in the Community to the Citizen Assembly.
Propositions are presented by Councillors during Sessions of the Citizen Assembly which will discuss and vote.
A Proposition can be endorsed by as little as one Councillor if the Citizen Council has approved by absolute majority its presence on the Session’s agenda.
Councillors can publicly promote Propositions thanks to a budget allotted by the Citizen Corps.
It is forbidden to use any other funding than the one provided by the Community to promote a Proposition.
Councillors can use outside witnesses or advisors during Sessions to defend a Proposition.
Councillors can consult the Citizen Corps to promote a Proposition.
The Citizen Corps
Members of the Citizen Corps are experts employed by the Community. They are highly ranked professionals in their respective fields. They are not eligible to be Representatives or Councillors of the Community by which they are employed.
The Citizen Corps’ mission is to help the Citizen Council investigate and present Propositions in an impartial and scientific manner, to help the Citizen Assembly formulate opinions and to help apply voted Propositions.
The Citizen Corps is made of at least one Moderator, one Scientist, one Graphic Designer and one Reporter.
Members of the Citizen Corps are proposed by the Citizen Council to the Citizen Assembly which votes their endorsement.
Once a year, the continuation of each member’s contract is put up for vote.
Members of the Citizen Corps can be consulted by members of the Community, Representatives and Councillors at any time, on any issue.
Members of the Citizen Corps must spend one fifth of their time attending university courses on subjects relative or peripheral to their domain of expertise.
The Moderator
The Moderator is responsible for the strict application of the law during the legislative process.
The Moderator presides Sessions and makes sure discussions are civil.
The Moderator grants Session speakers (Councillors, Representatives or external) the permission to speak.
The Moderator allots and supervises Proposition campaign budgets.
The Moderator is responsible for the abundance and the diversity of volunteers for the Citizen Council.
The Moderator must spend one fifth of their time attending law, history, philosophy or sociology classes.
The Scientist
The Scientist is the public resource for science and technology issues.
The Scientist validates statistics used by the Citizen Council to defend its Propositions.
The Scientist is responsible for the design, development and maintenance of the technical tools used by the Citizen Council and the Citizen Assembly.
The Scientist must spend one fifth of their time attending mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry, computer science and engineering classes.
The Graphic Designer
The Graphic Designer is responsible for visual communication between the Citizen Council and the Citizen Assembly during Sessions and between the Citizen Assembly and Council and the Community.
The Graphic Designer must spend one fifth of their time attending art, communication, design and art history classes.
The Reporter
The Reporter is responsible for recording and archiving the Citizen Assembly’s Sessions.
The Reporter is responsible for communicating to the Community Propositions presented by the the Citizen Council and Propositions voted by the Citizen Assembly.
The Reporter must spend one fifth of their time attending literature, journalism and communication classes.
