[ABANDONED] Upper House Party

[Daarwyrth]

So, I came up with this idea for more issues about bicameralism/unicameralism, and as a result I wrote this issue draft! I'd love to know what people here think of it! Not as good as an idea as I initially had thought. So, I abandoned it for now, mayebe I'll pick it up in the future, but for now, nope

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CURRENT DRAFT:

[Title] Upper House Party

[Validity] Must not have Autocracy, must not have Sortition, must not have Unicameralism

[Description] After televised footage from your legislature's upper house floor showed senators throwing a feast during a plenary session, where even feathered @@ANIMALPLURAL@@ were ridden in impromptu races around the chamber, the citizens of @@NAME@@ have started to question the way that upper house parliamentarians get their mandate, but more importantly, who should be allowed to have a seat.

[Option 1] "Oh, the ignominy!" laments @@RANDOMNAME@@, a highbrow political commentator that really should start doing something about @@HIS@@ unibrow. "Veritably, this irrefutably proves that privileging the common rabble with the right to serve in the legislature - be it the upper or the lower house - was a grand faux-pas. We need to restore the ancien régime of respectability and dignity. Consequently, only individuals who pass a meticulous and exhaustive assessment of manners and etiquette should be allowed to serve within the august halls of our legislature."

[Effect 1] dueling has made a comeback as a way to resolve deadlocks in parliament

[Option 2] "Bloody hell, get over yourself, mate!" says lower house parliamentarian @@RANDOMNAME@@ while sitting slouched with @@HIS@@ elbows on the table, eating a candy bar rather loudly. "What we need to do is to subject those fancypants from the upper house to democratic accountability by the common folk. No more of those 'electoral colleges' and what not, just have those schmucks be elected directly by the people! We're doing it for our chamber of parliament as well, and look what fine folk we've gathered here," @@HE@@ gestures, letting out a loud, deep burp thereafter.

[Effect 2] its customary to use the parliamentary code of conduct as a napkin these days

[Option 3] "You know, there's an opportunity here," says your nephew, who is the spitting image of his father - your brother - but younger and with more hair. "If we want the right people to sit in the upper house, well... then you will have to appoint them. Our minions-err, I mean, our citizens get to elect the members of the lower house, you get to pick those of the upper house. What's fair, is fair, no?"

[Effect 3] friends in high places help to keep enemies in lower ones in check

[Option 4] "A little less loud please," groans a young man, apparently one of the senators from the upper house, visibly going through one hell of a hangover. "Look, dude, do we even need an upper house? I mean, I kinda went for this gig because dad knows some guy, who knows another guy, and I was between opportunities... But man, I don't know if I wanna be doin' this for like three years? Oh, it's four? No? Whatever bro, just abolish the upper house and increase the number of seats in the lower house, or something, and lemme go home, 'kay? I don't feel so good..."

[Effect 4] political parties just aren't that rad anymore

DRAFT 1:

[Title] Upper House Party Crashers

[Validity] Must not have Autocracy, must not have Sortition, must not have Unicameralism

[Description] Outrage in your legislature's upper house! One of its newly installed members was unmasked as Valeria Drake - Blackacre's notorious Supreme Leader and your greatest nemesis - because of a poorly applied fake moustache, and a hat that went out of fashion in @@NAME@@ ten years ago. After the devil had been exercised from the parliament's halls, people started to ask questions about your nation's way of electing its members of the upper house.

[Option 1] "It's an absolute disgrace that we allowed this to happen!" says the newly installed Senator Notto Nokratt, while vigorously pressing upon his thick, walrus moustache, and taking off his old-fashioned hat. "If anything, this proves that no one but you can be trusted with the appointment of the members of this august body. Besides, it's a fair deal, no? The minions-err, I mean, the citizenry gets to elect the members of the lower house, you get to pick those of the upper house. What could possibly go wrong?"

[Effect 1] old-folks reminisce about the days that laws were actually passed and implemented

[Option 2] "Huh, funny figure that one, he reminds me of..." says the Speaker of the upper house, before trailing off and shaking @@HIS@@ head. "Nevermind. What we need in @@NAME@@ is an upper house with a more democratic mandate. If people directly elect the members of the lower house, I don't see why they couldn't do the same for our chamber of parliament! After all, you don't want to become an autocrat, do you? Hey, let go of me!" @@HE@@ exclaims as Notto Nokratt suddenly lunges at @@HIM@@.

[Effect 2] when one parliamentary election cycle ends another begins

[Option 3] "Do we even need an upper house?" asks a young man, apparently a senator, whose poor attempt at growing a moustache makes him look even younger than he really is. "I mean, I kinda went for this gig because I was between opportunities, but man, I don't know if I wanna be stuffed in here all day with these old folks, debating about some stupid law or budget approval. Just abolish the upper house and increase the number of seats in the lower house, or something. Just lemme go home, 'kay?"

[Effect 3] parliamentarians who arrive late to work have to stand in the back during debates

[Option 4] "And what, speed up the political process?" scoffs Crustin Oiseau, while checking his handlebar moustache in his reflection for a third time. "What we need to do is to look at Brancaland, and learn from their example of debating, discussing and uh, debating again. Because I've heard their stunningly handsome and incredibly accomplished Prime Minister is- uhm, why are you looking at me like that? I like the guy, he is, eh... Nevermind. What we need to do is install a third chamber of parliament so that every decision made by the other two houses is triple-checked. Just like in lovely Brancaland."

[Effect 4] citizens affectionately call the new third chamber of parliament 'the upperest house'

[Trotterdam]

Err, what? A person who is a current head of state of another nation somehow also managing to sit in your nation's parliament? That requires either lots and lots of back-and-forth flights or teleconferencing.

Also, why would the upper house be any more vulnerable to infiltration than the lower house?

[Daarwyrth]

Err, what? A person who is a current head of state of another nation somehow also managing to sit in your nation's parliament? That requires either lots and lots of back-and-forth flights or teleconferencing.

Also, why would the upper house be any more vulnerable to infiltration than the lower house?

While writing it, it seemed like a funny trope, but now that I am looking back at it I find the idea rather silly myself. The intent is to have a reason as to why the nation might want to reconsider the way they choose their upper house, but I realise having it be infiltrated by Valeria Drake, Otto Kratt and Dustin Wiseau is not the way to go about it. You can expect that element to be changed in its entirety in the next draft

[Daarwyrth]

Alright, this issue draft got a thorough redo, I think. The execution of the initial idea was rather silly, so I hope this one manages to retain some comedic elements, but makes more sense than three heads of state infiltrating your nation's legislature.

Comments and feedback are welcome!