Unified Democracy – An Overview

Evolving From Adversarial Politics to Properly-Informed, Strategically-Continuous Collaborative Policy

PLEASE NOTE : WHILST THIS PAGE SUFFICES FOR A GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OF UNIFIED DEMOCRACY, OUR TEAM ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF REVIEWING AND REFINING IT (TO INCLUDE THE ADDITION OF AN OVERVIEW DIAGRAM). SOME DETAILS ARE THEREFORE SUBJECT TO SOME CHANGE.

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 – The National Policy Council (Party & Sector Represented)

– Tier 3 –  Legislature (House of Commons – 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 in the role of Prime Minister.

 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 – The National Policy Council (Party & Sector Represented)

Under Unified Democracy, this new second tier of government (abbreviated “The NPC)” becomes the beating heart of UK policy Formation. Its creation being the major part of the 2 – 3 year Transition Programme.

Its main purpose is to provide a strategically-continuous platform across Administrations, on which proposed changes to policy can be based and developed. The objectives of such proposals set by The Executive (in the form of Bill Requirements), according to the overall policy proposals people have voted for.

Its secondary purpose is to form a publicly-accountable management group for the performance of each sector of our economy (healthcare, Energy or Water Supplies for example), to ensure it runs at acceptable service levels – in liaison with appropriate regulatory bodies . So better informing the creation of ongoing policy.

The NPC comes under the management of The Cabinet (ultimately the Prime Minister) and consists of a structure of Sector Management Groups (abbreviated “SMG’s”), to debate and draft policy for each sector of our economy (for Healthcare or Energy for example). Their Draft Bills then subject to further debate and voting by the Legislature (House of Commons) towards the formation of Laws, other regulations and policies for citizen guidance.

Each SMG consist of an electorally proportionate mix of Politicians – working together , and with an equal number of 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 MPs).

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 in a particular geographic area coving one or more Constituencies – led by one or more of its MPs.

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

Tier 3 – Legislature (House of Commons – Citizen Represented)

The legislature 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 NPC 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.