Structure, size, powers and election of Presidency, VP. (Debating)

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I think we should keep the VP. With the semi-Presidentialism, the VP can serve in another post simultaneously to the VP, so it is not like the talents are wasted. Second of all, the VP is only useless because the decision was made to remove its one area of responsibility in spite of over a year with the greatest number of active VPs seen in the history of the game (Mar 2013-August 2014). Four out of the five VPs in that time were active, engaged in debates and present figures in general.

With a bicameral legislature, you can restore a specific assignment. That would be keeping the two chambers working in an organized and productive fashion, and added to this you could retain the ability of the VP to also hold cabinet positions as well.

Finally, there is the possibility of seperately electing the VP, which would create a different set of standards for the office as well and demand more competence and activity.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

It goes without saying that if we do not have any powers assigned to the office here, then the only wise course would be for us to abolish it. Our positions are practically one in the same on this Truman, but it is my hope that we will give it an important role, preferably the one included in the Duke plan.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I much prefer Duke's approach to yours, Adam. People's House Speaker, Senate PPT, and a VP acting as the the one who keeps the two houses functional.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Two regions is just too few to be practical on the other side and would deny us the ability to integrate newer players quickly, who would likely become zombie voters otherwise and eventually just fade away. We cannot contract so far as to shut out potential new membership and lock us into a death spiral, constitutionally. Right now, there are offices waiting to be taken. Their presence creates problems, but on the flip side there is tremendous opportunity for new players. Whereas if we contract to meet the current supply, we risk locking ourselves permenently at a lower level. We need to cut offices, cutting too man though, is suicide.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

For the VP,

Make him a senator. People would vote for a P/VP ticket, and the VP would basically be a senator being the first on the line of succession (maybe with some "additional stuff"). For example, a senate being represented by 2 senators for each region (for example, 1 elected at large, the other by the legislature), the VP being the  7th senator.

Of course, he couldn't break the tie anymore.

I like this idea. Anything wrong with it, fellow delegates?

I would be fine with that idea. Its not like he could outvote the regions on his own in an all-regional Senate otherwise.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

AYE

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

After years of inactive and placeholder VPs with few exceptions, we gave the VP small share of directly presiding over the Senate. We then went 4 out of 5 VPs that were active and engaged (Duke, DemPGH, Cincy and Windjammer, with Matt being the only exception due to personal reasons). Then everything went to hell and a hand basket in August of last year. I lost my internet access, Labor had a nominal majority and was obligated to give that commie traitor the PPTship (and in the process enact the disastrous concept of a partisan Senate administration to fix something that wasn't broken or at least not in that way!) and Jammy baby had to go and resign. By October, people had soured on VP involvement  and it's removal from Senate leadership got rolled into Nix's "OMG SIMPLICITY AT ALL COSTS" OSPR overhaul and subsequent amendment. And since then VP activity has been sh**t. You get what you pay for.

Restore the VP To being President of Senate, or better yet, make him "Primary Officer of the Congress" (We can find a better title later), empowering him to keep both houses running smoothly.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Indeed, bore has it backwards. After we gave the VP that ability, 80% of VPs were active. Windjammer was selected partially because of his experience in the Midwest Althing if I recall correctly. As it became in place longer, it had an impact on the selection process.


Also, no one doubts that consolidation of the rules were necessary. However, his package was not the only alternative and I created one that cut just 10% less from the text than Nix's, and yet retained the VP's responsibilities. (I think it was 73% versus 62% reduction in text size, so both were substantial. That was my point, it got lumped in with that and then defended ad nauseum by completely deriding all that came before. The old text was abysmal, but there were decent aspects of it that we had added over the years. And the VP's administering of part of the Senate derived not from specific grants but an arrangement made with the PPT at the beginning of the term, resting on the VP's role as the PPT Constitutional superior. The rules merely acknowledged this arrangement and had since 2010, only never to be utilized until 2013.