Ghost Riders on the Sly
Hello again, fellow political junkies! It's time for our new installment of ridiculously over-simplified hypothetical situations that you, being the benevolent ruler of your fictional state as per the NationStates model, would have to collide with. You know, your extremist decisions are somehow supposed to shape up your country in the way you deem most suitable. The last time when we had one of these polls, the overwhelming majority of the participants decided that Sen. Clintson, who argued that the political establishment better find ways to take off the public attention of the scandals marring the political careers of politicians, perhaps, by giving them a tax cut or two, did have a point. But now the issue is a bit different, namely:
The Issue
Following the passage of a well-supported bill that contained half a dozen riders, corruption watchdog groups are lobbying the government to take action against the use of these unrelated addenda in lawmaking.
The Debate
1. "This is unacceptable," says legislative clerk Ethel Parke, peeking out from behind a wall of 3-ring binders. "It paves the way for corporate corruption, eats up all our time and money, and, quite frankly, is exhausting! We must require each bill to have one - clearly defined - purpose and be able to state that purpose in a concise title. That way we won't have any more defense spending bills with addenda about cheese processing regulations. The industry will hate it, but if I have to read through one more schizophrenic morass, I'll quit!"
2. "Yes, these riders can be a threat to the democratic process," begins Party Majority Leader Jennifer Hamilton, "But to ban them outright is simply foolish. We need the ability to amend bills, and sometimes those attachments aren't always clearly connected. Therefore, I propose we grant the legislature the ability to veto any rider by a simple majority vote. That way, necessary riders can still be attached and this other tomfoolery can be nipped in the bud."
3. "Look, this is how things have always worked," says Declan Goethe, the CEO of Cheesemongers Unlimited, Ltd. "Representatives' time is both finite and valuable. Do you have any idea how many bills there'd be if each one could only have one aim? Legislation would come to a standstill! Yes, it can be prone to corruption, but find me a government that's corruption free and I'll eat my shoe!"
4. "Can't trust the government to do anything right," scolds economic analyst Elaine de Vries, glancing up from a worn copy of The Fountainhead. "We've given it a fair chance, it's failed, and now the private sector will have to swoop in to fix it. If you privatize the legislature, I can assure you it'll be humming efficiently and in the black by this time next year!"
The legislature of Insert Country Name is preparing to adopt a decision.
Poll Ghost Riders on the Sly
No need to tell you, I suppose, that the available options have been deliberately made to sound so stratified.
The Issue
Following the passage of a well-supported bill that contained half a dozen riders, corruption watchdog groups are lobbying the government to take action against the use of these unrelated addenda in lawmaking.
The Debate
1. "This is unacceptable," says legislative clerk Ethel Parke, peeking out from behind a wall of 3-ring binders. "It paves the way for corporate corruption, eats up all our time and money, and, quite frankly, is exhausting! We must require each bill to have one - clearly defined - purpose and be able to state that purpose in a concise title. That way we won't have any more defense spending bills with addenda about cheese processing regulations. The industry will hate it, but if I have to read through one more schizophrenic morass, I'll quit!"
2. "Yes, these riders can be a threat to the democratic process," begins Party Majority Leader Jennifer Hamilton, "But to ban them outright is simply foolish. We need the ability to amend bills, and sometimes those attachments aren't always clearly connected. Therefore, I propose we grant the legislature the ability to veto any rider by a simple majority vote. That way, necessary riders can still be attached and this other tomfoolery can be nipped in the bud."
3. "Look, this is how things have always worked," says Declan Goethe, the CEO of Cheesemongers Unlimited, Ltd. "Representatives' time is both finite and valuable. Do you have any idea how many bills there'd be if each one could only have one aim? Legislation would come to a standstill! Yes, it can be prone to corruption, but find me a government that's corruption free and I'll eat my shoe!"
4. "Can't trust the government to do anything right," scolds economic analyst Elaine de Vries, glancing up from a worn copy of The Fountainhead. "We've given it a fair chance, it's failed, and now the private sector will have to swoop in to fix it. If you privatize the legislature, I can assure you it'll be humming efficiently and in the black by this time next year!"
The legislature of Insert Country Name is preparing to adopt a decision.
Poll Ghost Riders on the Sly
No need to tell you, I suppose, that the available options have been deliberately made to sound so stratified.