How Unified Democracy Works

Evolving From Directionless Adversarial Politics to Properly-Informed, Strategically-Continuous Collaboration

This page presents a generic description of the workings of Unified Democracy -so as to delver the transformative benefits as previously described.

Please refer to the FAQ in the next page for answers to the questions that most ask. Those interested in its specific UK Deployment should refer to the Appendix.

Overall Structure

Unified Democracy is a 4-Tier model of upgraded Parliament Democracy – where each Tier provides the necessary counterbalances to hold the one above it in check, whilst avoiding unnecessary constraints and bureaucracy. It comprises :

– Tier 1 – Executive

– Tier 2 – Development Authority (Party & Sector Represented)

– Tier 3 –  Legislature (Citizen Represented)

– Tier 4  – Constituencies – each with 1 elected Party or Independent Representative.

Within each State, it encourages the formation of a further (optional) Tier 2A sitting between Tiers 2 and 4 – Namely Citizen Assemblies.

Tier 1 – Executive

Under Unified Democracy, the purpose of the Executive becomes one of managing the smooth, efficient and ethical running of government to most efficiently deliver benefit to the people and to identify and manage risks.   It consists of a Cabinet, supported by necessary supporting offices to ensure its efficient operation.

The Cabinet. Is formed by the Single Party with the Highest Popular Vote in a General Election.  It consists mainly of Ministers appointed by, and led by, the Leader of the Party (Prime Minister or President).

 Its role is not to push nor attempt to impose the policies of its own Party (which always has the most influence by most votes), but mainly to specify the requirements for Policies in each sector of the Economy, Bills to support those Policies and to manage the Agenda.

Supporting Offices.  These would vary by state. For example, those for the UK are proposed to comprise The Cabinet Office (for training, resource management, cross-sector coordination etc) and a Fiscal Office. The latter a slimline expert group, led by the Chancellor, to properly manage fiscal policy and sector budgets.

Tier 2 – Development Authority (Party & Sector Represented)

The purpose of this second Tier – continuous in operation across Administrations, is to provide the necessary resources and skills to meet the prescribed policy requirements of the current Executive – in line with current strategically-continuous policy.

It comes under the management of The Cabinet (ultimately the Prome Minister / President) and consists of a structure of Sector Management Groups, to debate and draft policy for further debate by the Legislature towards the formation of Laws, other regulations and policies for citizen guidance.

Each SMG consist of an equal number of Politicians and Sector Representatives (assigned by the related representative, advisory and regulatory bodies) with equal voting rights.  For example, the Healthcare SMG would consist of Healthcare Policy Specialists and an equal number of Politicians assigned as electorally-proportionately as possible.

Politicians are those that form and represent the policies of their particular Party in competitive debate,  They are the Candidate MPs that achieved the party’s highest percentages of the vote in their Constituency, in relation to the Party’s Overall Popular Vote (whether or not actually elected as Citizen Representatives). For example, if a Party achieved 10% of the Popular vote, it would have 10% of the total number of prescribed Politicians (always a fixed number for each State – 260 proposed for the UK).

This structure benefits new and smaller parties by enabling them to target a relatively small number of politicians to those sectors where they feel they have the best potential policy impact (in liaison with the Cabinet Supporting Office) – maximising their potential policy contribution and future electoral potential.

Strategic continuity in government is achieved by the offset deployment of Politicians and Sector Representatives – each passing government knowledge and know-how to each successive administration.

Tier 2A (Optional) : Citizen Assemblies

Citizens Assemblies are best formed as a second phase of Unified Democracy Deployment if requested by citizens (e.g. by a referendum).  They are led by one or MPs covering a specific geographic area – varying on a State-by- State basis.

Their purpose is to bring communities together, jointly with Local Government, to convey their views and needs to the Development Authority – better informing the drafting of policy.  Also, to promote joined-up government between local and national levels.

Tier 3 – Legislature (Citizen Represented)

The legislature (House of Commons in the UK), consists mainly of a single Constituency Representative (MP) representing each consistency by achieving its highest vote. In tune with the ethos of Unified Democracy, it is arranged as a flat debating chamber, rather the customary 2-Party Adversarial format.

its purpose is firstly, to represent the needs and views of constituents, debate and consolidate them and to pass them up to the Development Authority to inform the drafting of proposed Policy.  Then to debate those drafts, on behalf of Constituents, request amendments as necessary and vote in lobbies to pass legislation as is done today (except that all votes will now become “Free votes” – Party Whips being abolished.)

Most customary Legislative procedures would obviously continue unchanged (such as Parliamentary Select Committees and PMQs in the UK).

Tier 4 – Constituency Structure & Voting System

Varies between states.  Unchanged in the UK.