Atlasians United for a Parliamentary System

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I'd only support this under these conditions:

-The Senate is enlarged.
-PR is not used. It's the best system for real countries with huge parliaments, but it won't work here. STV is possible though.
-FPTP is not used. At least have a run-off. FPTP would result in the current problems tenfold, not to mention it just sucks.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Simply letting the GM also being monarch would be the best way to handle this actually. It's better than having a completely powerless position, since only ceremonial duties don't work well on a forum. Plus constitutional monarchs typically do what the GM theoretically does in making announcements on national policy, etc. even though they obviously aren't able to set it.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Wait, why would we have both a PM and a president?

Beacuse that's how any country with a parliamentary system that isn't a monarchy operates.

I'll reply to Al later, but let me say I'm not really advocating a monarchy, just throwing out possible ideas. If we were to switch, I'd prefer a not completely powerless President, but where the PM was real Head of Government (Portugal being a model)

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

OK, first see disclaimer above.

One reason why having a monarchy *here* is such a disgusting and disturbing idea, is because none of you appear to understand what monarchs in the U.K or Scadinavia et al actually do (ie; f*** all)

Presumably that would be the case here, they would only do ceremonial duties such as swearing in new office holders, at least under one suggestion.

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.. any monarchy that we would get here would presumably have powers. And that is morally wrong.

If you're talking about a real monarchy yes. But I don't see why it'd be so here, with the monarch not hereditary.

Secondly, a monarch is not democratically elected or even appointed; they are born into it. We obviously can't replicate that here. Monarchs also claim "divine right" (if not to rule, well not anymore, but to at least reign). No comment is needed for *that*... and Monarchs cannot be removed by the democratic process.

This is not neccesarily true even in the real world. "Elective monarchy" is not an oxymoron. For example in Cambodia some sort of royal commission votes on the monarch, choosing one from all qualified candidates of royal blood. That would be similar to the suggestion here if we just pretend every active Atlasian is of royal blood. It is also possible in many countries for Parliament to remove the monarch or at least strip them of their duties and appoint a regent in place (I think this happened in Belgium when the king refused to sign a bill loosening the abortion laws even though that was considered just a formality, Parliament then declared him unable to rule, appointed the PM regent, the PM signed the bill, and they reinstated the king the next day.)

The very worst idea is to make the GM (whoever that might be at the time) into a King or Queen. I'm sorry, but I don't want to see some tyrannical monster like Louis XIV or Charles I here. This is the 21st century for God's sake...

This wouldn't give the GM any more power than they currently have. It's just one suggested way to fill the Head of State position in a Parliamentary system.

Beacuse that's how any country with a parliamentary system that isn't a monarchy operates.

And? There's no need for it.

Since the PM is not Head of State in a Parliamentary system, someone is needed to fill the Head of State position. If it's not a monarch, then a President is. The President usually though has only ceremonial duties like a constitutional monarch, sometimes they're given very limited powers (like in Portugal, the President can dissolve Parliament once during his term, he can also refer bills to the Supreme Court if he thinks they are unconstitutional to be ruled on, etc. in a country like Israel though the President does nothing but perform ceremonial duties). There are also countries like France and Russia where the President is actually more powerful than the PM, but these are more US-type systems where the PM is basically just like the Speaker of the House.

If we're going to have a completely powerless head of state, I'd support the Israel model, a President is elected by the Senate for a set term, they have no real power and may only serve one term. I'd prefer the Portugal model though, the President can refer bills to the Supreme Court and dissolve Parliament. This also would involve a directly elected President.