Demosthenes wrote:I liked this the first time you brought it up, I tend to agree I think...Why don't you put together all your thoughts thus far, in kind of a talking point type-post, and add it to the GM thread "Note?
As per Demo's request in the "Game Changes" thread, I've put together a proposal for how governments could be formed following elections:
Forming Government1) Election occurs.
2) The clerk counts all votes, determines which are legitimate, and which are spoiled ballots, and then distributes all of the seats in parliament based on the percentage of the vote each party received in the election.
3) The party with the largest number of seats as per the clerk's designation has the first chance to form government. This must take place within one week of the clerk's designation of seats.
4) The largest party is free to choose not to attempt to form government. If this occurs, or if the time period of one week lapses before the attempt to form government is made, the next largest party has the next opportunity.
5) A party attempting to form government will do so by trying to pass an initial piece of legislation. This piece of legislation must contain some key administrative components that the GM and GM council should iron out. Some suggested components:
- tax rates (personal, corporate, property, sales)
- minimum wage
- banking structure
- age of majority and voting age
The point of the legislation is not to put forth the party's entire governing platform, but rather to hit some key components required for the functioning of government. Subsequent legislation will fill out the rest of the platform.
The legislation needn't be so broad as to include the 'political' functions of government. In other words, the party attempting to form government does not need to specify the number of ministries or cabinet positions it will employ, or the people who will occupy them.
6) The attempt to pass the initial legislation will be viewed as a confidence motion. If the motion passes by a majority of votes cast (50%+1 of the votes cast on the confidence motion itself), the party is deemed to have the confidence of the house, and will be allowed to govern until such time as a lack of confidence is displayed in the form of a vote.
7) If a government secures the confidence of the house, but then fails to pass a subsequent piece of legislation it proposes, this will be viewed as a lack of confidence in the government, at which point one of two things will happen:
a) The Game Master notes the lack of confidence in parliament, and calls on citizens to elect a new government.
b) Another party informs the Game Master that it believes it can garner the confidence of the house. The Game Master must then decide whether he or she believes this party does have a legitimate chance to form government. If the Game Master believes this party does, he or she can grant them that opportunity. If their chances appear slim, the Game Master will call an election. If multiple parties request an opportunity to form government, the first chance to gain confidence will lie with the largest of those making the request.
People have expressed some concerns with this proposed method in the past. I'll try to address some of them here:
1) Why should the largest party get the first chance to form government?
Basically, one of the parties needs to have that first chance, and the largest seems to be the most logical, since it was able to garner the most support.
2) What if a combination of other parties has more seats than the largest party?
This will all sort itself out in time. If this combination of other parties is strong, it will be able to block the first attempted legislation by the largest party, and that party will not be able to gain the confidence of the house. This will reoccur until such time that one of the parties within this combination of parties will have a chance to form government. At this point, the combination / coalition will have its chance to seek the confidence of the house.
3) How can parliament display a lack of confidence in a government once they have passed the initial confidence motion?
By voting down subsequent legislation.
4) If the largest party doesn't have sufficient seats to constitute a majority, how would they ever pass a confidence motion?
By building alliances amongst the other members of parliament. Essentially, the largest party gets the first shot to form government, but if they want to garner the confidence of the house, they need to put forth legislation that will be acceptable to enough other MPs. This is where the political part of the game comes in, and is where alliances are built.
5) What about coalitions?
Coalitions will manifest as votes occur. There needn't be any distinctions made between formal and informal coalitions. If two parties agree to work together, they can do so by voting together on various pieces of legislation. If the two parties want to attempt to form government together, they can display their lack of confidence in the current government, and try to seek the confidence of parliament themselves.
"The only contestant who can confidently enter the lists is the man who has seen his own blood, who has felt his teeth rattle beneath his opponent’s fist ... one who, as often as he falls, rises again with greater defiance than ever." - Seneca