If you were to organize a G(insert number), which countries would you choose?

[retromike22]

With the recent talks of kicking Russia out of the G8, I was initially unsure on what the G8's function actually is. It's not the leading economies, since China and India are not there, and it's not the democratic major economies since I doubt Russia counts as a democratic republic.

In my opinion, there should be an organization of the major economies that are also democracies. Possibly called the Democratic Union?

Sort of a democratic intercontinental, intergovernmental organization. Not as integrated as the EU, or even the Union of South American Nations. I wouldn't even see a free trade area as part of this. Just an organization that increases dialogue and cooperation between these states.

Maybe a Pan-Democratic Parliament and an Executive Council as well?

My picks for first 10 members:
1. The United States
2. The European Union, which I increasingly see as a single entity.
3. India
4. Japan
5. Brazil
6. Mexico
7. South Korea
8. Canada
9. Indonesia
10. Australia

I'm unsure about Turkey and Taiwan.

Edit:
If I had to choose one without the EU, this would be my list:
1. United States
2. India
3. Japan
4. UK
5. France
6. Germany
7. Brazil
8. Italy
9. Mexico
10. South Korea

[NewYorkExpress]

Not sure what to name it... but I think I have a number in mind

1. United States of America (of course)
2. United Kingdom
3. France
4. Germany
5. Canada
6. Brazil
7. China
8. Russia
9. India
10. Australia

Parliament to be voted on by home nations (Like the EU)

Executive Council (Members can come from any country, not just member-states)
1. Barack Obama
2. Dilma Rousseff
3. Nicolas Sarkozy
4. Jaqcues Santer
5. Tony Blair
6. Han Seung-Soo
7. Joesph Deiss
8. Borys Tarsyuk
9. Petro Poroshenko
10. Jacob Zuma
11. Sonia Ghandi
12. Hu Jintao

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

G15

Australia
Brazil
Canada
France
Germany

India
Italy
Japan
Mexico
Poland

South Korea
Spain
Turkey
United Kingdom
United States

So yes, I let Polandball to play

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

G1

1. USA

[retromike22]

G1

1. USA

That is so 1996.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

G1

1. USA

That is so 1996.

Run Pat Run!

[Platypus]

The G20 is actually pretty much exactly right. Maybe switch out Argentina and Suadi Arabia for Egypt and/or Nigeria.

Canada
USA
Mexico
Brazil

France
UK
Germany
Russia

China
Sth Korea
Japan
India

Indonesia
Australia
Turkey
Italy

Egypt
Sth Africa
European Union (if not allowed, Spain)
One of Argentina/Nigeria/Saudi Arabia/Iran/Taiwan/Pakistan

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

G10, the democracies with over $1 trillion a year GDP

European Union (Germany, France, UK, Italy)
United States
Japan
Brazil
India
Canada
Australia
Spain
Mexico
South Korea

[Хahar 🤔]

I'm not particularly interested in dividing the world into our friends and others.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I'm not particularly interested in dividing the world into our friends and others.

Those others are quite happy to divide up the world between them.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Keep the G8, but replace Russia and Canada with Brazil and India.

(Nothing against Canada, but the other two countries' economies just have become much more important. )

[Zuza]

It all depends on how we define G(number). For example, Wikipedia article states that "The Group of Eight (G8) is a forum for the governments of a group of eight leading industrialised countries" (but isn't China an industrialized country?), and not a single word about democracy.

I always thought of G8 as a group of largest and most powerful developed (or, in another words, First World) countries (whether a nation developed or developing can be determined by HDI or GDP per capita). If so, then Russia should be replaced with South Korea and G7 stay the same as now.

It probably makes more sense to group largest world economies regardless of whether they developed or not, democratic or not, but such group already exists (G20).

As for the possible organization of largest democratic countries, it would generate endless disputes over who should and who shouldn't be included, because democracy measures are not as objective as measures of economical development.

BTW interesting that G8 composition nearly matches composition of pre-WW1 great powers club (minus Austria-Hungary since it ceased to exist; plus Canada).

[Middle-aged Europe]

As for the possible organization of largest democratic countries, it would generate endless disputes over who should and who shouldn't be included, because democracy measures are not as objective as measures of economical development.

The only debates I can remember are the ones about Russia.

The G8 is (and always was) basically a group of countries who agree with each other that they should belong to the G8. It isn't even a formal international organization.

It would be interesting to see what would happen in case there's a strong disagreement among its members whether a country should belong to the G8 (G9, G10 etc.) or not. It could potentially mean the end of the group as a whole or lead to the formation of a rump "Gx".

[Zuza]

As for the possible organization of largest democratic countries, it would generate endless disputes over who should and who shouldn't be included, because democracy measures are not as objective as measures of economical development.

The only debates I can remember are the ones about Russia.

Among current G8 members - yes. I meant debates around possible new G8 members. For example, Turkey and Indonesia were mentioned in the thread, and many doubt that they are democratic.

[Middle-aged Europe]

As for the possible organization of largest democratic countries, it would generate endless disputes over who should and who shouldn't be included, because democracy measures are not as objective as measures of economical development.

The only debates I can remember are the ones about Russia.

Among current G8 members - yes. I meant debates around possible new G8 members. For example, Turkey and Indonesia were mentioned in the thread, and many doubt that they are democratic.

What doubt is there that Indonesia is democratic???

[Zanas]

G193.

I would name it the United Nations Organization.

Oh wait...

It would probably be a few more than 193, 194 with Palestine for starters.

Any other world elite of rich nations is bad, and should feel bad.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

As for the possible organization of largest democratic countries, it would generate endless disputes over who should and who shouldn't be included, because democracy measures are not as objective as measures of economical development.

The only debates I can remember are the ones about Russia.

Among current G8 members - yes. I meant debates around possible new G8 members. For example, Turkey and Indonesia were mentioned in the thread, and many doubt that they are democratic.

What doubt is there that Indonesia is democratic???

And when Russia was added to the G7 in 1997 to make the G8, was there any doubt Russia was democratic?  Yet like Russia then, the democracy in both Turkey and Indonesia is fragile, so I can see why some might oppose them being part of democratic subset of the G20.

[Middle-aged Europe]

And when Russia was added to the G7 in 1997 to make the G8, was there any doubt Russia was democratic?  Yet like Russia then, the democracy in both Turkey and Indonesia is fragile, so I can see why some might oppose them being part of democratic subset of the G20.

While not exactly comparable to a Western European country, I'd certainly argue that Indonesia is more democratic than either Russia in 1997 or Turkey today.

In 1997, the largest political group in the Russian Duma was still the Communist Party. And in the Russian presidential election of 1996, the Communist candidate came in second, trailing Yeltsin in the first round by three percent (in an election which may have been rigged in Yeltsin's favour anyway).

I doubt I have to explain the current situation in Turkey in much detail now.

Indonesia on the other hand has a multi-party parliament, where the largest party has managed to win about 20% last time around. They and the other two major parties can't be considered extremist. The largest extremist party is probably the Islamic "Prosperous Justice Party" which came in fourth with about 8% of the vote in the last legislative election. Polls for the 2014 election currently see them somewhere between 2% and 5% though.

In 2009, the incumbent president was re-elected for a second term in a three-way race, where neither he nor his two opponents could have been described as extremist or anti-democratic. This year will see the next election, where the president won't run again because he's term-limited. According to opinion polls, there's currently no definite front-runner altough the main contenders seem to be the governor of Jakarta and an unsuccessful opposition candidate for the vice presidency from last election.

[Hatman 🍁]

G7, based on regions:

The Americas
Europe
Sub-Saharan Africa
Arab World / Central Asia
India
China
South & East Asia / Oceania

[Rocky Rockefeller]

G10

Madagascar
Armenia
Guinea
Ukraine
Jamaica
Venezuela
Kyrgyzstan
Swaziland
Nicaragua
Iran

[Zanas]

G7

France
Uruguay
China
Kenya
Yemen
Oman
Ukraine

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

G193.

I would name it the United Nations Organization.

Oh wait...

It would probably be a few more than 193, 194 with Palestine for starters.

Any other world elite of rich nations is bad, and should feel bad.

What about Somaliland, Crimea, and Sealand? .

[Cassius]

G11
UK
USA
Canada
Australia
New Zealand
Israel
Germany
Poland
Switzerland
Japan
The Vatican (or, under this new world order, a revived Papal States )

[MaxQue]

The Vatican (or, under this new world order, a revived Papal States )

You are really sure you want to give even more influence to "socialist" pope Francis?

[Zuza]

As for the possible organization of largest democratic countries, it would generate endless disputes over who should and who shouldn't be included, because democracy measures are not as objective as measures of economical development.

The only debates I can remember are the ones about Russia.

Among current G8 members - yes. I meant debates around possible new G8 members. For example, Turkey and Indonesia were mentioned in the thread, and many doubt that they are democratic.

What doubt is there that Indonesia is democratic???

OK, I don't remember anyone stated that it is an authoritarian regime, but, for example, Indonesia is "partly free" (not "free") according to Freedom House and "flawed democracy" according to Economist Intelligence Unit Democracy Index.