SENATE BILL: Department Renaming Act (Law'd)

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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Sponsor: Oakvale

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Senator you have 24 hours to start advocating for this bill, which is clearly an idea stolen from Marokai Blue.

[Oakvale]

Senator you have 24 hours to start advocating for this bill, which is clearly an idea stolen from Marokai Blue.

Urgh, on the contrary (well not really on the contrary per se, but whatever), it's an idea me and Senator Nix had discussed literally a day or two before Marokai mentioned the exact same idea in his campaign thread. Nix'll back me up! Not guilty!

Okay, anyway, this is fairly simple. The names of two of our Cabinet positions are utterly awful. They're bland, boring and not even particularly descriptive. "Secretary of External Affairs" sounds like a politically correct euphemism for a gardener or something.

It might seem trite but I genuinely think we'd have an easier time filling Cabinet positions, most glaringly the much-maligned "Secretary of Internal Affairs" (what's that, a plumber?) if they had more impressive sounding titles.

Renaming Secretary of External Affairs to Secretary of State should be a no-brainer. I mean, seriously, I'd love to be Secretary of State but I'd rather pull my own teeth than be responsible for "external affairs", and in all seriousness I can imagine a lot of newer players would jump at the opportunity to be Secretary of State - a position they'd presumably recognize - but be wary of a position with a technocratic, dull moniker.

In the brief discussion Sen. Nix and I had some time ago about this we were undecided over whether to rename the Internal Affairs department as Treasury or the Interior. I'm open to debate about this, but personally I think Treasury is a far stronger choice. After all, the SoIA is responsible for tedious budget stuff working out budget numbers and so on, while the Department of the Interior is largely concerned with public parks, the environment, etc, which I'm not sure would be very appealing to someone new to the game. Who wants to play a park management simulator?

[Mopsus]

When I want to make something sound more impressive, my first reflex is to change it to Latin. So, for example, the "Secretary of External Affairs" becomes the "Secretarius Rerum Extoriorum", and the "Secretary of Internal Affairs" becomes the "Secretarius Interior Rebus".

[Marokai Backbeat]

Many ideas have been stolen from me, Yankee, but this isn't one of them. Oakvale is correct.

I support this wholeheartedly, of course, but would enjoy a renaming of the AG and SoFE positions, too, if possible, but this is a good start. Oakvale is entirely right; our current cabinet names are utterly boring and technocratic, so it's not a surprise so many people dislike applying for them or have little understanding of what they do.

[Talleyrand]

These are still awfully boring names, although certainly far more interesting than what we had in the past.

I'd prefer the following names, however.

DoIA/SoIA- Treasury/ Treasurer

DoEA/SoEA- Department of Foreign Affairs/ Minister of Foreign Affairs (Foreign Minister)

JD/AG- Department of Justice/ Chancellor of Justice

Just my two cents, although any renaming would be good just to help clarify these positions out.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

I'll probably abstain. I really don't think it's necessary, but I also don't see how it could hurt.

[CLARENCE 2015!]

Maybe Foreign Secretary, Defense Secretary, Finance Secretary... I don't like grouping defense under State but I do see renaming as a good idea...

[Donerail]

The only concern I have with this is that people could construe the names to be far more limited than they are now (thinking state=state instead of state=state+defense, or thinking treasury=treasury instead of treasury=the many different functions of the DoIA).

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Senator you have 24 hours to start advocating for this bill, which is clearly an idea stolen from Marokai Blue.

Urgh, on the contrary (well not really on the contrary per se, but whatever), it's an idea me and Senator Nix had discussed literally a day or two before Marokai mentioned the exact same idea in his campaign thread. Nix'll back me up! Not guilty!

Okay, anyway, this is fairly simple. The names of two of our Cabinet positions are utterly awful. They're bland, boring and not even particularly descriptive. "Secretary of External Affairs" sounds like a politically correct euphemism for a gardener or something.

It might seem trite but I genuinely think we'd have an easier time filling Cabinet positions, most glaringly the much-maligned "Secretary of Internal Affairs" (what's that, a plumber?) if they had more impressive sounding titles.

Renaming Secretary of External Affairs to Secretary of State should be a no-brainer. I mean, seriously, I'd love to be Secretary of State but I'd rather pull my own teeth than be responsible for "external affairs", and in all seriousness I can imagine a lot of newer players would jump at the opportunity to be Secretary of State - a position they'd presumably recognize - but be wary of a position with a technocratic, dull moniker.

In the brief discussion Sen. Nix and I had some time ago about this we were undecided over whether to rename the Internal Affairs department as Treasury or the Interior. I'm open to debate about this, but personally I think Treasury is a far stronger choice. After all, the SoIA is responsible for tedious budget stuff working out budget numbers and so on, while the Department of the Interior is largely concerned with public parks, the environment, etc, which I'm not sure would be very appealing to someone new to the game. Who wants to play a park management simulator?

Easy, it was a sarcastic joke based off what I saw in the legislative thread.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

One of the reasons for the names is because they are a combinations of what would normally be seperate offices in a real life.

That said, I really don't much have a problem with changing them, though in terms of blandness I think many would be disappointed with the desired replacements, similar to the points made by Talleyrand.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Many ideas have been stolen from me, Yankee, but this isn't one of them. Oakvale is correct.

DBZ Abridged EP 2:
Piccolo: I AM NOT A DAMN YOSHI
Goku: But you said you were
Piccolo: ITS CALLED SARCASM!!!
Goku: What does that taste like?
Piccolo: DAMN IT GOKU!

[Marokai Backbeat]

Many ideas have been stolen from me, Yankee, but this isn't one of them. Oakvale is correct.

DBZ Abridged EP 2:
Piccolo: I AM NOT A DAMN YOSHI
Goku: But you said you were
Piccolo: ITS CALLED SARCASM!!!
Goku: What does that taste like?
Piccolo: DAMN IT GOKU!

I really should watch more ____ Abridged series. I only watched Sailor Moon Abridged, which is of course hilarious.

[Napoleon]

Please, anything but Treasury!

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

So are getting some amendments here or something?

[Kaine for Senate '18]

I'll try an amendment:

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[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

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Sponsor Feeback: unknown
Status: Limbo.

[Oakvale]

The reason I like the US titles is because a new member will presumably be somewhat aware of the offices and have a rough idea of what they entail. I could see a newer member being enthused about the prospect of being Treasury Secretary, like they've seen on the news.

There seems to be a lot of resistance on that particular title, so I won't lose any sleep if it's changed, but the amendment is unfriendly nonetheless.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

If we are going European here, I would prefer Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Finance (or Minister of the Interior). Of course use of the word Minister is barely appropriate in a non-parliamentary system and the last think I want to do is give our European friends any brilliant ideas in that regard.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

I actually like splitting between American and European terms.  We have enough international posters that the logic of using American names also applies for European ones.

[Napoleon]

I will be voting against the amendment. I prefer American names but am open to Yankee's idea too. "Home" just sounds awful. I will try to think of something better.

[Ban my account ffs!]

Department of the Interior
Secretary of the Interior
Interior Secretary

I think Secretary of Foreign Affairs is best for the DoEA.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I prefer 'Home Secretary' because it's the only RL title that accurately conveys what the position is about. Interior has separate European and American meanings, but neither describes this office correctly, and Treasury or Finance is too restricted. Budgeting is an important part of the job, but I wouldn't want to discourage interest from those who are more interested in setting other kinds of policy (environmental, health, urban development, education, etc.). I'm not sure how many newer players will be familiar with the term, but its meaning seems intuitive toe me.

Nevertheless, if the amendment doesn't pass, I'll support the consensus. Any of the suggestions we've discussed would be an improvement over the current titles.

When I think of Treasury, I think of Alexander Hamilton (the founder of course) and he certainly didn't limit himself to finance, banking and the Treasury, but instead focused on a "economic agenda of independence" that would have necessarily incorporated education at the time even, but also Healthcare and issues of the environment and such today which are importance aspects of a country's economic policy. Therefore, I don't necessarily see them has having to be restrictive, especially since we have be definition consolidated to a considerable extent. Also, you say they have different meanings in America versus Europe. Why not have an "Atlasian definition" all its own, if we so decided to do so? I have certainly given thought about an "Atlasian Conservatism" distinct from either European or American versions, but never had time to move on it.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

For the loveo fgod don't bury judgments on amedments in the middleo f text, Damn it Oakvale!

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Sponsor Feeback: Hostile
Status: A vote is now open on the above amendment, please vote Aye, Nay or Abstain.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Aye