Let's not kid ourselves any longer

[Napoleon]

The Senate is the most dominant branch of government at any level. However, it lacks the structural framework needed to operate in the way I expect a legislative branch of a powerful democracy to function. The Senate is a free for all. We need to reform the Senate in a way that contributes new dynamics to the game. My idea involves creating a Senate Leader positions separate from the PPT or possibly giving the PPT these powers, even allowing one person to serve both roles. Party coalitions and personal relationships among Senators will become more important in promoting a legislative agenda. At times a President may struggle against an opposing Senate, or be forced to compromise, similar to Obama and the Republican Congress.

The Senate can be more than a playground where laws are proposed and voted on. In effect, we can have politics become an element in our election and government simulation. As it stands now, there is no accountability or appreciation for some of the goings-on in the Senate.

[Teddy (IDS Legislator)]

The Senate needs a Speaker, who does not vote, to enforce the rules. The speaker, however, could break ties.
I suggest the VP be made this speaker.

[Napoleon]

That doesn't really solve any problems.

[Teddy (IDS Legislator)]

Part 2: make the speaker as anal about the rules as I can be when I want to be

[Napoleon]

That actually creates new problems.

How about discussing the subject of the thread.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

So what you're proposing is to make the Senate dynamics subject to more political discipline? And/or creating a new level of political discourse?

One thing from my experience is that with the exception of voting... generally party discipline and similar thoughts and processes falls apart when faced with something that a person simply doesn't like.

But if you can get something positive out of it... I'd support it.

[Marokai Backbeat]

The Senate is the most dominant branch of government at any level. However, it lacks the structural framework needed to operate in the way I expect a legislative branch of a powerful democracy to function. The Senate is a free for all. We need to reform the Senate in a way that contributes new dynamics to the game. My idea involves creating a Senate Leader positions separate from the PPT or possibly giving the PPT these powers, even allowing one person to serve both roles. Party coalitions and personal relationships among Senators will become more important in promoting a legislative agenda. At times a President may struggle against an opposing Senate, or be forced to compromise, similar to Obama and the Republican Congress.

The Senate can be more than a playground where laws are proposed and voted on. In effect, we can have politics become an element in our election and government simulation. As it stands now, there is no accountability or appreciation for some of the goings-on in the Senate.

Here's the problem: The Senate isn't a big enough institution to be capable of actually carrying out that ideal. Nor is our party system in a state where it can actually do that either. "Coalitions"? What coalitions? We're a two party system at this point, where occasionally one or two members gets into the Senate that aren't in one of the established parties, but even still clearly align with one or the other.

And you expect to find a way to carry out meaningful majority/minority leader positions with 10 members?

Especially since the JCP has almost routinely managed 4-5 seats for what feels like ages now, not to mention a barely interrupted record of Presidential/Vice Presidential election victories since I registered in this game nearly 3 years ago now. Hell, according to the Wiki's records of Senate composition, until this last election, the RPP hasn't managed more than three Senators in two and ahalf years.

You're right, the Senate could be a fascinating place with interesting partisan dynamics. If the Senate looked more like this: https://uselectionatlas.org/AFEWIKI/images/8/87/Atlasia_Senate.PNG

I'm loving this weird new rush to come up with new game reform ideas by some people in the public, but so far they've all been desperate attempts to treat the symptoms and not actually face the root of the problem; and I'll spoil it for you:

Registration Statistics
November 10, 2011

Region	JCP	RPP	SPA	UDL	POP	Other	Ind	Total
Northeast	17	11	3	2	5	2	5	45
Mideast	6	14	0	0	1	0	4	25
South	3	11	1	1	0	3	4	23
Midwest	8	3	4	2	1	2	2	22
Pacific	14	1	0	2	0	1	3	21
Total	48	40	8	7	7	8	18	136

Nothing, absolutely nothing will effectively change as long as that balance remains the same.

Know what might actually create "party coalitions"? A balance more like this:

CENSUS ATLASIA
Voter List has been updated

Region	JCP	RPP	UDL	POP	Other	Ind	Total
Northeast	10	7	5	15	2	4	43
Mideast	5	13	6	1	1	2	28
South	4	9	1	7	2	3	26
Midwest	7	3	11	2	2	1	26
Pacific	11	1	5	1	1	2	21
Total	37	33	28	26	8	12	144

But doing something like that might label you a "traitor."

[Napoleon]

Not what I was talking about.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Not what I was talking about.

It all comes back to the same thing, does it not? People desperately trying to treat a disease they refuse to recognize? You cannot make the Senate effectively function like a parliament in it's current structure, nor with the current political demographics. Making the PPT, or effective PPT, a more partisan position changes absolutely nothing in an institution that's been largely dominated by the same people for two years. There's barely any need to compromise with a Senate where you already have 80% of the votes you need from the get-go.

[Napoleon]

Well if we adopted new rules for getting legislation on the floor, I could support a separate election for the Vice Presidency. 11 works better than ten. Oh, and it might also bring me around to the idea of giving a VP Senate powers.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Well if we adopted new rules for getting legislation on the floor, I could support a separate election for the Vice Presidency. 11 works better than ten. Oh, and it might also bring me around to the idea of giving a VP Senate powers.

Oooh.. Now we can talk..