Atlasians United for a Parliamentary System

[minionofmidas]

A question: why does it seem like the Brits are the most opposed to a monarchy?

Because they know best just what a vile idea it is.

[minionofmidas]

monarchy, one that succeeds not by birth but by the monarch naming a successor and abdicating.

That's even worse. (not the powerless part, which is why I snipped that) If you want a powerless figurehead that's okay, but make him elected nonetheless. Maybe make his term radically different from the Senate's, so the election does never occur at the beginning of the Senate's term.

[minionofmidas]

One alternative (to avoid the creation of an extra office) would be to make some other office holder - chief justice, ppt, something like that - the official head of state as a secondary function. Works only if the head of state has no powers, though. (For example - the German President can refuse to sign legislation into law, but only when he is convinced that it is unconstitutional - doubts about its constitutionality are not sufficient . Even in that case he can be overridden by parliament. That's pretty much the only power he has, except when parliament is having problems finding a government; however even that is not a power I'd want a president who's also the CJ to have, obviously.)

On second thought - wouldn't the VP be abolished? A President and a Prime Minister isn't really more positions than a President and a Vice President, is it?