The Economic Consensus Act (DRAFT)

[The Left-Libertarian Hippies]

The Economic Consensus Act

Category: Social Justice
Strength: Mild

DEFINITIONS:

Forum- is an open, public area of debate and discussion.
Codetermination- a practice whereby workers have a role to play in the managment of a company.

KNOWING that many of the decisions that have significant and far-reaching impacts on our global economy are made by powerful governments and large corporations, largely irrespective of local concerns.

UNDERSTANDING that this gap between governments, individuals, and corporations in decision making and cohesion can lead to devastating impacts for individuals across the WA member-states.

WISHING to promote a more just, equal, free, and decentralized economic structure for all member-states, regardless of the current economic system that they currently promote and use.

ESTABLISHES the Socioeconomic Policy Forum that will serve the main purposes of:

1. Clarifying the policies of trade unions, businesses, governments, and other organizations through an open and democratic forum.

2. Allowing economic data and decisions to be presented openly to the public at large, so that individuals can have a greater understanding of the economic decisions that are affecting them.

3. Promoting economic solidarity and cohesion on policy decisions, so that important choices that can massively affect the economic growth of WA member states may be made in a consensus fashion.

4. Promoting an economic agenda that will strive to further worker's rights, without discouraging competition and free trade.

5. Empowering alliances of small business owners, trade unions, corporations, and governments to make reason and fact-based decisions that will lead to better policies in the areas of employment, investment, trade, and sustainible use of resources.

ENCOURAGES WA member states to use both the Socioeconomic Policy Forum and other smaller, regional forums to negotiate disputes between labor, shareholders, business managers, etc.

REQUIRES nations to develop policies that encourage widespread access to capital through co-determination and the development of small worker-owned and managed firms.

ENCOURAGES the use of active negotiation and discussion between the public, private, and social sectors of the economy to strengthen and stabilize economic growth.

RECOGNIZING that a decentralized economic structure and careful consensus management of disputes and strife can lead to lower and more stable income inequality and promote civil and political as well as economic rights of citizens.

ALSO RECOGNIZING that economic globalization and free trade can unleash fair competition between businesses and the free flow of information and creativity and is made stronger by a democratic consensus model that can be applied throughout WA member states.

THIS forum cannot:
1. Take away the national roles of economic decision making of individual WA member states.
2. Enforce or establish new international laws.
3. Set tax or budget policy.

ALL FUNDING for this forum shall come from voluntary contributions by individual WA member states and their citizens.

[The Left-Libertarian Hippies]

Feel free to comment and give suggestions on changes that should be made.

[Ardchoille]

This seems to be doing nothing but establish a committee. which would make it illegal. You must give WA member nations some specific instruction[s] that they can apply in their nation.

Since it's "Mild", something like "URGES members to (promote the formal study of economic policy in their educational establishments)" or "RECOMMENDS that national governments (convene regular economic policy seminars)" would do. (Sorry, I can't get much vaguer than that ATM, I'm trying to think of fluffy examples so I don't influence your work too much.)

Also, committees are staffed by the Gnomes, so I'd drop the REPRESENTATIVES reference.

[Rotovia-]

Constitutional Republic of Rotovia
Ministry of Trade

To whom it may concern,

We rise to support this excellent initiative to boost conflict resolution between state and non-state actors in the medium of international trade. It is noted with concern that too often a lack of dialogue and conciliation in commercial arbitration produces negatives results, and that expanded global trade and diplomacy, coupled with stronger economic forums can produce lasting piece and more productive outcomes.

The free exchange of ideas is vital to the market, as is the reasonable expounding of productive dialogue.

This proposal is needed and has the full support of our government.

[signed]
Hon. Joel Clementine (MP)
Minister for Trade Hon.

[Rotovia-]

Constitutional Republic of Rotovia
Ministry of Trade

To whom it may concern,

Perhaps the proposal could also recommend an arbitration of industrial disputes?

[signed]
Hon. Joel Clementine (MP)
Minister for Trade

[Latanii]

I am a bit confused, you start by saying "that many of the decisions that have significant and far-reaching impacts on our global economy are made by powerful governments and large corporations, largely irrespective of local concerns." Then further down you speak of "Promoting a balanced economic agenda that favors neither workers nor business interests over each other."

The first statement is obviously alluding to workers/individual's rights or situations, how then do you plan on being impartial when this is at the forefront?

[The Left-Libertarian Hippies]

I am a bit confused, you start by saying "that many of the decisions that have significant and far-reaching impacts on our global economy are made by powerful governments and large corporations, largely irrespective of local concerns." Then further down you speak of "Promoting a balanced economic agenda that favors neither workers nor business interests over each other."

The first statement is obviously alluding to workers/individual's rights or situations, how then do you plan on being impartial when this is at the forefront?

How does treating workers and business owners equally and impartially have anything in contradiction with the localization of economic decisions?

[Eternal Yerushalayim]

It may be better to ban government discrimination in favour of big businesses.

[Libraria and Ausitoria]

We have a few little objections:

so that important choices that can massively affect the economic growth of WA member states shall be made in a consensus fashion.

'Shall'? Can we make that 'may'? We don't want it to have to be 'consensus'? Who defines 'consensus'?

DEMANDS that WA member states invest in educating all citizens on economic policy initiatives and the fundamental theories of modern economics in a non-biased and factual manner through secondary and tertiary education.

Why should they have to study economics?

REQUIRES nations to develop policies that encourage widespread and responsible access to capital, thorugh cooperatives, small businesses, a decentralized corporate structure, publicly-owned enterprises, etc.

Forced decentralization? No way. And who defines 'widespread' and 'responsible'? And do we HAVE to own public companies? We have better things to do.

With those corrections, we will be happy to let the proposal pass.

We should add that we find all of the non-mandatory clauses (including the preamble) are very amusing. Our lawyers will be happy to ignore them totally (unless they want a laugh) and continue doing everything with our present intent (which is in many ways the exact opposite of what we suspect this proposal intends). Therefore we will be unable to support this proposal even with those corrections, as it supports the opposite of most of our present policies. However, we would not vote against it with those corrections.

[Ardchoille]

<snip big logo>

OOC: This ain't II. Your ambassador is speaking in the General Assembly chamber, so you' don't need communications with a letterhead. It gives (me) the impression you're making a junior staffer stand up and wave the crest around every time he speaks. Practical reason is, it clogs up the thread.

There's no standing rule against the occasional pic, so anyone who's about to lynch me for trying to stop the WA Cards, don't bother. Just keep illustrations down to when they're actively required by your RP.

My President, for example, is extremely restrained about turning people into toads. *snicker*

[Keronians]

The Ambassador of the Keronian Empire rises in support for this proposal.

This proposal serves as another demonstration of the amount our two nations have in common.

[Keronians]

The Economic Consensus Act

Category: Social Justice
Strength: Mild

KNOWING that many of the decisions that have significant and far-reaching impacts on our global economy are made by powerful governments and large corporations, largely irrespective of local concerns.

UNDERSTANDING that this gap between governments, individuals, and corporations in decision making and cohesion can lead to devastating impacts for individuals across the WA member-states.

WISHING to promote a more just, equal, free, and decentralized economic structure for all member-states, regardless of the current economic system that they currently promote and use.

ESTABLISHES the Socioeconomic Policy Forum that will serve the main purposes of:

1. Clarifying the policies of trade unions, businesses, governments, and other organizations through an open and democratic forum.

2. Allowing economic data and decisions to be presented openly to the public at large, so that individuals can have a greater understanding of the economic decisions that are affecting them.

3. Promoting economic solidarity and cohesion on policy decisions, so that important choices that can massively affect the economic growth of WA member states shall be made in a consensus fashion.

4. Promoting a balanced economic agenda that favors neither workers nor business interests over each other.

5.Giving small businesses, family farms, and local trade unions more say in the economic policy decisions that will affect them.

ENCOURAGES WA member states to use both the Socioeconomic Policy Forum and other smaller, regional forums to negotiate disputes between labor, shareholders, business managers, etc.

DEMANDS that WA member states invest in educating all citizens on economic policy initiatives and the fundamental theories of modern economics in a non-biased and factual manner through secondary and tertiary education.

REQUIRES nations to develop policies that encourage widespread and responsible access to capital, thorugh cooperatives, small businesses, a decentralized corporate structure, publicly-owned enterprises, etc.

ENCOURAGES the use of partnerships between the public, private, and social sectors of the economy to strengthen and stabilize economic growth.

RECOGNIZING that a decentralized economic structure and careful consensus management of disputes and strife can lead to lower and more stable income inequality and promote civil and political as well as economic rights of citizens.

ALSO RECOGNIZING that economic globalization and free trade can unleash fair competition between businesses and the free flow of information and creativity and is made stronger by a democratic consensus model that can be applied throughout WA member states.

ADVISES member-states to use wise and careful economic policies such as long-term and stable public borrowing, inflation targeting, and developing measures that will promote near-full employment.

ASSURES that both policy forums and economic democracy initiatives shall not undermine the private and public sectors of WA member states along with the social sector and are not state planning measures.


THIS forum cannot:
1. Take away the national roles of economic decision making of individual WA member states.
2. Enforce or establish new international laws.
3. Set tax or budget policy.

ALL FUNDING for this forum shall come from voluntary contributions by individual WA member states and their citizens.

Alright, now that I've had a closer look at it, I will proceed to comment and analyse every one of the clauses in this proposal.

1) Right.

2) Agreed.

3) Alright...

4.1) Nice.

4.2) Alright.

4.3) Right, but the key word should be "promoting", not "requiring". Participation and consultation is very good, and leads to increased efficiency, but the decisions still need to be made by the people who know what they're doing.

4.4) This would be perhaps be better worded as: "seeking to protect and promote workers' rights without harming the competitive ability of businesses".

4.5) Needs some more details.

5) I think you should make it clearer that this is a venue where all organisations, and governments, may collectively bargain.

6) Public awareness programmes... Alright, yeah.

7) I think that perhaps you should snip the "through..." part, and emphasise that governments must also carry this out responsibly and reasonably.

8 ) The word "partnership" might throw some people off. "Active disccusion and negotiation" might be better suited.

9) In all honesty, I feel that you should scrap this clause, as it would explicitly disadvantage countries following planned economic principles.

10) I think that this would be better put in another proposal, or another agency set up for this specific purpose: to provide an international forum for businesses to come together and share their ideas, test market their products, discuss workers' rights, and corporate social responsibility, etc.

11) I recommend that you scrap this. Sounds too father-like, even if it is true.

12) Alright.

13.1) Agreed.

13.2) Perhaps you should allow the international forum (if you create one) to petition the WA.

13.3) Agreed.

All in all, an excellent proposal, Ambassador.

[Delgrae]

I like it, but it seems very vague.

[Glen-Rhodes]

1. Clarifying the policies of trade unions, businesses, governments, and other organizations through an open and democratic forum.

Why is this international forum given such broad powers over labor and bureaucratic policies?

5.Giving small businesses, family farms, and local trade unions more say in the economic policy decisions that will affect them.

How?

REQUIRES nations to develop policies that encourage widespread and responsible access to capital, thorugh cooperatives, small businesses, a decentralized corporate structure, publicly-owned enterprises, etc.

Why should the World Assembly dictate what kinds of businesses exist within an economy? Why should Glen-Rhodes specifically target co-ops, small businesses, "decentralized corporate structures" -- whatever that is -- and publicly-owned enterprises? Is that "et cetera" meant to encompass all forms of business? If it is, what does this clause even do?

RECOGNIZING that a decentralized economic structure and careful consensus management of disputes and strife can lead to lower and more stable income inequality and promote civil and political as well as economic rights of citizens.

Perhaps the author would like to recognize that decentralization will fundamentally change the economy of Glen-Rhodes, from labor relations to nationwide economic policy. I am not so certain how this will lower income inequality in Glen-Rhodes.

1. Take away the national roles of economic decision making of individual WA member states.
2. Enforce or establish new international laws.
3. Set tax or budget policy.

Then you ought to rewrite the entire thing, because that's exactly what the proposal up until this point does.

- Dr. B. Castro

[Bythyrona]

The people of the Republic of Bythyrona would wholeheartedly oppose this resolution on the grounds that it promotes international meddling and coercion in national and local affairs and would not satisfy our demands for global panarchy; the question of a country's economy is best answered by its respective population.

[Libraria and Ausitoria]

<snip big logo>

OOC: This ain't II.

OOC: If you don't mind my enquiring, what's 'II'?

[Ardchoille]

II=International Incidents. A fully RP forum, like NationStates. NS is traditionally explained as more character-oriented, with II being for wars or other massive movements of states, but the boundaries are fluid. However, you'll often see II roleplays opening with a string of national crests as nations jockey for position.

[Bears Armed]

DEMANDS that WA member states invest in educating all citizens on economic policy initiatives and the fundamental theories of modern economics in a non-biased and factual manner through secondary and tertiary education.

So we would have to send all citizens through "secondary and tertiary education"?

(Under current laws, citizenship in any of Bears Armed's Clans or other 'Confederated Bodys' generally can't be acquired until after the completion of "secondary" education, anyway...)

[Latanii]

I am a bit confused, you start by saying "that many of the decisions that have significant and far-reaching impacts on our global economy are made by powerful governments and large corporations, largely irrespective of local concerns." Then further down you speak of "Promoting a balanced economic agenda that favors neither workers nor business interests over each other."

The first statement is obviously alluding to workers/individual's rights or situations, how then do you plan on being impartial when this is at the forefront?

How does treating workers and business owners equally and impartially have anything in contradiction with the localization of economic decisions?

My apologies, i miss read the first line

[The Left-Libertarian Hippies]

Please read the new edits I have made.

[Libraria and Ausitoria]

II=International Incidents. A fully RP forum, like NationStates. NS is traditionally explained as more character-oriented, with II being for wars or other massive movements of states, but the boundaries are fluid. However, you'll often see II roleplays opening with a string of national crests as nations jockey for position.

OOC: Thank you.


We should mention that this still hasn't been addressed:

We have a few little objections:

so that important choices that can massively affect the economic growth of WA member states shall be made in a consensus fashion.

'Shall'? Can we make that 'may'? We don't want it to have to be 'consensus'? Who defines 'consensus'?

[Merfurian]

I'm going to put this on tab. Currently, I'm dealing with four repeals, one replacement-for-a-proposal, and three new-resolutions. I am not paid enough to spend lots of time dealing with resolutions, so this will have to wait for my attention until one of the other proposals is disposed of.

Klause Uliyan
etc

[Syrkania]

I'm going to put this on tab. Currently, I'm dealing with four repeals, one replacement-for-a-proposal, and three new-resolutions. I am not paid enough to spend lots of time dealing with resolutions, so this will have to wait for my attention until one of the other proposals is disposed of.

Klause Uliyan
etc

Your workload would probably be reduced if you don't spend all your time researching months-dead abandoned drafts.