Join the new world

In this article I want to go into what it means to be a Member of Congress. The eRepublik wiki states that the tasks of a Member of Congress are:

* Voting on proposals proposed by the President.
* Propose laws
* Accept citizenship requests

This is straightforward and signifies the legislative part of Congress.

But of course the role of a Member of Congress is much more than that just signing proposal into law. So let’s look at what a Congress actually is:

The Congress is the institution at the very heart of representative democracy. Really we can state that Congress is the ultimate defender of democracy. And if Congress is the defender than the Constitution is its weapon.

In democracy in its purest form the only loyalty a member of Congress should have is to this Constitution. The will of the President or the party the member belongs to, should always be subordinate to the Constitution. In fact, the Constitution usually needs to be defended most vigorously from the people in power. Lively and open debate is therefore a key ingredient to a good Congress.

In the New World this translates to being active on the forums and IRC. To really consider all proposals carefully before debating or voting on it, to be independent in your thinking and be brave enough to challenge when you think this is warranted.

It might seem lofty and idealistic when you read this but in my view to run for Congress is to understand these principles and to pay respect to them.

Because these are the very foundations of democracy and politics and it is worth it to read this now and then to remind oneself of the importance and significance of being a Member of Congress.