[RULE CHANGE] Ideological Ban
Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2022 5:22 pm
*** Public consultation on proposed rule rescission ***
The GA Secretariat is proposing to abolish the ideological ban rule. This comes after prolonged internal discussion as to the role of the rule in the modern General Assembly as well as possible alternatives.
The core tension of the rule is that its actual application creates an artificial and textually unsupported distinction between disfavoured ideologies and favoured ones worthy of more stringent protection (anarchism and minarchism being prime examples). The majority believes that alternative approaches that try to regulate "ideologically-motivated practices" – especially by enumerating exceptions, creating some distinction between "fundamental" and non-fundamental principles, or trying to wade into the question of "what is a real ideology" – fail to establish meaningfully cognisable standards that accord with previous resolutions without also unduly burdening new players with complicated and unpredictable tests.
Regardless, application of the rule to forms of government and "ideologically-motivated practices" has always been extremely weak. Extremely few, if any, proposals have been rejected on Ideological Ban grounds in the last decade. Inasmuch as the Secretariat is unwilling to extend the rule to "ideologically-motivated practices", abolition is substantively the same as existing application. Abolition also helps to avoid a learning curve problem: players reading the ideological ban rule for the first time easily misapprehend it as being broader than it actually is. Removing it entirely as grounds for action eliminates this issue and greatly clarifies enforcement without a major change therein.
Those voting in favour of abolition were Bananaistan, Imperium Anglorum, Sierra Lyricalia, and Separatist Peoples. Bears Armed dissented. Grays Harbor is absent on leave. Under the procedures, this comment period will end in two weeks, subject to finalisation.
Related discussions.
Gruenberg (as Quintessence of Dust), "Get rid of the ideological ban rule" (4 Feb 2022) viewtopic.php?t=515227
Imperium Anglorum, "Legalize Private Industry Act" (1 Feb 2022) viewtopic.php?t=515162
Auralia, "Abolishing the ideological ban rule" (24 Feb 2017) viewtopic.php?t=403524
Wallenburg, "Patent Recognition Treaty" (24 Feb 2017) viewtopic.php?t=403517
GA rules consortium, "The Ideological Ban Rule" (4 May 2015) viewtopic.php?t=340120
"Optionality and Ideological Bans" in GA Moderator Rulings Repository (18 Apr 2015) viewtopic.php?p=24256225#p24256225