Improving Congress - More ideas
Day 2,273, 05:18
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Published in United Kingdom 
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by
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by Addaway
Hello,
Congress has been rightly criticised over the past few months for being entirely ineffective and disorganised. The truth is that it is still far too passive in Government, acting as a mere rubber-stamping body for decisions made by the CP. This is ironic when you consider that under the game mechanics, far more power lies in the hands of Congress than the President. In many ways, it is the superior branch of government.
What is badly needed is for Congress to act in a more cohesive and organised manner, it should be as responsible for the policy of the government as the CP is. This is where I would like to suggest the introduction of a committee system for Congress members, to enable Congress to more effectively scrutinise the executive’s policy, and produce its own.
How it would work
At the start of each Congressional term the new speaker would organise three Congressional committees, covering the main areas of Government policy:
Foreign Affairs and Defence
Finance
Home Affairs.
Congress members could then choose which they’d like to be a part of, and there would be a maximum of eight people on each committee.
The Speaker would then set up a group PM with the committee members and the relevant ministers to the committee.
The responsibilities of the committee would then be two fol
The committee could select a chair to lead the committee, and then the chairs of the three committees and the speaker could form some kind of senior committee for leadership of the whole of Congress. Introducing this system of committees is, in my opinion, necessary to help Congress to realise its potential as a vital part in the decision-making process, rather than simply acting as yes-men to the CP.
Adding some further points I'd like to make:
Firstly, the most important thing that we need to recognise is that Congress is just as important as the CP. Congress is just as responsible for governing the eUK as the executive is, and we should not be limited to simply ratifying the decisions of the CP. Think of it like this:
Congress can start wars without the CP’s approval, but the CP needs the approval of Congress.
All tax changes have to go through Congress, but don’t need the CP’s approval.
The CP cannot dismiss Congress, Congress can impeach the CP.
Congress has control over the country accounts, into which tax income goes.
Congress has sole control over immigration
The only areas where the CP is actually in control is the proposing of MPP’s with other nations, and the conducting of war; as well as providing a single figurehead for the eUK Government.
Further to this, we as Congress need to understand that all money in the country accounts belongs to congress and we should actually give proper thought as to how it is spent, as in we can come up with ideas and then fund them ourselves. We don't need to wait for the CP to decide what he wants to do.
So there could also be a committee (or it could be the Finance one) that has attention to how we should spend the money in our country accounts; independent of what the CP wants. We should have a few orgs that belong to Congress that the CP doesn't have access to, so Congress can fund things itself.
We need to realise that when we donate money from the accounts to a Govt org, we effectively surrender this money to the CP, and we might not get it back again. Lets be more careful with what we do!
In my opinion, Congress has the potential to be very influential in the eUK, but it needs to speak with a collective and organised voice, which is something that just isn't being provided under the current system.
Adrastos
Congressman
Congress has been rightly criticised over the past few months for being entirely ineffective and disorganised. The truth is that it is still far too passive in Government, acting as a mere rubber-stamping body for decisions made by the CP. This is ironic when you consider that under the game mechanics, far more power lies in the hands of Congress than the President. In many ways, it is the superior branch of government.
What is badly needed is for Congress to act in a more cohesive and organised manner, it should be as responsible for the policy of the government as the CP is. This is where I would like to suggest the introduction of a committee system for Congress members, to enable Congress to more effectively scrutinise the executive’s policy, and produce its own.
How it would work
At the start of each Congressional term the new speaker would organise three Congressional committees, covering the main areas of Government policy:
Foreign Affairs and Defence
Finance
Home Affairs.
Congress members could then choose which they’d like to be a part of, and there would be a maximum of eight people on each committee.
The Speaker would then set up a group PM with the committee members and the relevant ministers to the committee.
The responsibilities of the committee would then be two fol
😛firstly, to scrutinise and hold to account the decisions of the executive; and producing its own ideas and proposals on its area of government, in the form of statements on particular issues published in an article.
The committee could select a chair to lead the committee, and then the chairs of the three committees and the speaker could form some kind of senior committee for leadership of the whole of Congress. Introducing this system of committees is, in my opinion, necessary to help Congress to realise its potential as a vital part in the decision-making process, rather than simply acting as yes-men to the CP.
Adding some further points I'd like to make:
Firstly, the most important thing that we need to recognise is that Congress is just as important as the CP. Congress is just as responsible for governing the eUK as the executive is, and we should not be limited to simply ratifying the decisions of the CP. Think of it like this:
Congress can start wars without the CP’s approval, but the CP needs the approval of Congress.
All tax changes have to go through Congress, but don’t need the CP’s approval.
The CP cannot dismiss Congress, Congress can impeach the CP.
Congress has control over the country accounts, into which tax income goes.
Congress has sole control over immigration
The only areas where the CP is actually in control is the proposing of MPP’s with other nations, and the conducting of war; as well as providing a single figurehead for the eUK Government.
Further to this, we as Congress need to understand that all money in the country accounts belongs to congress and we should actually give proper thought as to how it is spent, as in we can come up with ideas and then fund them ourselves. We don't need to wait for the CP to decide what he wants to do.
So there could also be a committee (or it could be the Finance one) that has attention to how we should spend the money in our country accounts; independent of what the CP wants. We should have a few orgs that belong to Congress that the CP doesn't have access to, so Congress can fund things itself.
We need to realise that when we donate money from the accounts to a Govt org, we effectively surrender this money to the CP, and we might not get it back again. Lets be more careful with what we do!
In my opinion, Congress has the potential to be very influential in the eUK, but it needs to speak with a collective and organised voice, which is something that just isn't being provided under the current system.
Adrastos
Congressman
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Comments
Sounds like a good idea.
Sounds good to me.
isn't this Sir Humphrey Appleby's idea from a few months ago when he was Speaker?
Now you mention it, I do remember there being some committees when SHA was speaker. July time I think.... well either way, I think we should have them
An excellent idea, well done!
Great idea
lol. Changes in the eUK to appropriate power as it should be. Get those dreams out of your head.
Good idea
Always opened towards new ideas. Voted!
The issue you have here is that potential if a party has dominance in congress, then splitting up congress could mean the Departments such as MOFA or finance could be ruled by a single party, or judgements made when people are not 100% Knowledgeable of the full facts that go with that choice.
Good points. The speaker could control the committee's to ensure a balance representative of the whole of Congress, as for experience I think we need to make sure we get our most active and knowledge citizens into Congress, and then people will naturally want to be on a committee. As for departments being ruled by a party, obviously any proposal a committee made would have to go through the whole of Congress.
Hey, Woldy had a similar idea to this...I recall people liked it then, but it requires getting the right people in Congress first, people who are active and willing to communicate.
GEE, IF ONLY WE HAD A HELPFUL PLATFORM WHERE THE LIMITATION OF THE GAME MECHANICS COULD BE AVOIDED, PURSUANT TO CREATING ANY NUMBER OF NECESSARY DISCUSSION AREAS THAT CAN BE CATALOGUED AND ARCHIVED, AND EVEN EASILY PUBLISHED.
Yup.
Am I going to have to find my way to the forums again? *sigh
PS: NO NEED TO SHOUT!!!!
lol
Great idea, I think congress would do more if parties developed more policies. However if congress developed policy separate from parties it would be better as there would be less bitching. I think the best way for congress to get more knowledgeable and more involved is just to work in ministries.
Personally I believe this is a recipe for total inertia. Give me a benign dictatorship any time over a talking shop.
Congress will never be improved in the current situation. Party leaders always seem to put people with no game experience high on their list to "encourage new blood", add in the people that are on the list simply because they want the medal and we end up with the partially sighted leading the blind.
We have to give thanks that game mechanics make whatever congress or the CP do largely irrelevant, I hate to think what would happen if the politics in-game was strengthened to the point where the politicians had real power
You've got some interesting ideas out there. Pretty cool!
Good Ideas, but surely a dominant congress could put a brake on plans of the CP, and as people have congress come from different parties again causing more friction. I do argee with the argument of limit the CP's power but surely that could be done with a 50/50 system. I also feel that a CP with good morals and good intentions should be allowed to push them through without congress particularly if it beneficial to the country as a whole. My personal views but I feel they aren't far from yours.
If the CP only has power over war and allies, then surely Home Affairs should be run by Congress and Foreign Affairs by the CP?
Discussions tell me that the Treasury is fully controlled by Congress but the CP can request the password to any national organisation. This would mean that Congress allocates money to the CP to use, and directly donates the rest to where it needs it. Sounds difficult though, because you need so many to agree.