The STV Congress--General Discussion

[Republican_Man]

A NEW Project Approved by Jeremy!
Created by Congressman Republican_Man, Republican, Speaker of the Congress

About The STV Congress: A PREVIEW!
This is for you to ASK QUESTIONS and GIVE SUGGESTIONS! Suggestions are GREATLY APPRECIATED!
NOTE: The following is subject to change. This is just a preview thread. Once people have commented, this thread will be locked and the actual



This is NOT an RPG. It is like the Congress' of the world's nations. This Congress has been started by Republican_Man and approved by Jeremy.

Structure:
This is the structure of the STV Congress and how it will run.

Speaker: Runs the sessions, is Republican_Man always because he is like the "Mod" of the Congress. Has a 1.5 vote if there were to be a tie.

Administrator General: Theresa; Moderator of the World News forum. Will attend for special sessions, when wished, replacing the Senator as runner of the Congress sessions. (like the Vice President and the US Senate)

Legislation Committee: The General Members, or Congressmen, as they are called, will form a Legislation Committee, to which membership could be gained if they wanted to, but no vote is necessary for membership. This committee run by a voted-in leader, chosen by the Congress, although it will start out as Republican_Man. This committee will put out full-fledged legislation, and vote on whether or not it should be allowed to proceed to the "Congressional Chamber" for a "floor" debate and ultimate vote.

Congressmen: General Members. These members propose and choose legislation, debate it, and vote on it.

Btw, the Congress format in full:

Format: The Congressional Chamber, as it is called, will run like this:
1. Opening Ceremony. This happens at the beginning of each session, which is when a new legislation is up for debate.
2. Motions. Request motions for the floor.
3. Opening Debate. Whomever has proposed the legislation gets to speak, displaying their authorship on the bill, and then gets questioned by fellow Congressmen.
4. Opponent Leadership. The Primary Opposition to the bill (Opponenet Leadership), who can request this position to the Speaker of the Congress, will give his speech representing the opposition of the bill, and then gets questioned by fellow Congressmen.
5. Motions. Request motions for the floor.
6. CX (Cross-Examination/Fire) Debate--Sudden arguments. You may respond with sounds (grounds) to proponent and oponent statements during this time, and may speak up when the speaker has finished asking the question and then it has been answered without request. This lasts about 10 or so posts.
7.Proponent Speech. Unless a motion to "move to previous question" (read below) is passed, and a vote is passed, another proponent will be allowed to give a speech, and then gets questioned by fellow Congressmen.
8. Opponent Speech. Unless a motion to "move to previous question" (read below) is passed, and a vote on the bill occurs, another opponent will be allowed to give a speech, and then gets questioned by fellow Congressmen.
9. Steps 6, 7, and 8 will be repeated until a vote is eventually passed.
10. Closing Ceremony. This happens at the end of each session.

Terms:
Motion to Move to Previous Question: This term is a request to vote on the issue. Once seconded, people may vote. If a majority vote agrees, a vote on the resolution will occur.
Vote: This is the vote on the resolution, bill, or proposition. A 2/3 vote is necessary for this to be passed.
Second: In order to move to a floor vote, one Congressman must Second the motion, meaning that they agree with the person. Then, a vote may occur.
Table [a Resolution/Bill]: This may ONLY happen during debates on a resolution/bill. When good and logical reasoning is given, this legislation may be tabled, meaning put aside for another time.
Motion: Attempt to enact something in the Congress not pertaining to legislation. Requires a majority vote, and may occur after an opponent speech when spoken of by the Speaker of the Congress.
Abstention: Refraining from or denying an action or practice. (Not voting either way)
Yea Vote: When voting, one must say Yea if they support the legislation.
Nay Vote: When voting, one must say Nay if they do not support the legislation.

Legislation:
All about Legislation.

The point of this Congress is to debate legislation pertaining to individual countries or the world, depending on the majority country (i.e. a majority of the country-specific legislation would be based on the US, or it could involve the entire world.)
The Legislations can pertain to taxes, war, heathcare, etc. that would be possible RIGHT NOW. Not some science-fiction legislation.
The debating will be more like that of the US Senate/House combined with the amusing harshness of the British House of Commons , while being different from regular WN debate. (Watch debates of the US Senate and House and British House of Commons to see how it works.)
Remember, this is legislation, whether it be Bills or Resolutions. It does NOT pertain to issues of common debate, although you may use actual legislation by a true government body.
We will also have something called a Proposition.
Each legislation will be read aloud by the Speaker of the Congress, and given a code, ie Resolution 1A, Proposition 1A, Bill 1A, as well as its name.

A bill makes the terms of the legislation mandatory.
A resolution is more of a guiding principal and establishes a strong foundation for future legislation and bills.
A proposition is a statement proposing a policy, ie forcing Kofi Annan to resign from Secretary General of the UN, with giving a few points.


The format for a Resolution is the following (BE SURE TO NUMBER! The bolding of Whereas only HAS to happen at the first one):

RESOLUTION NAME HERE

1. Whereas, fact/point. ("Evidence," using specific examples, is not required here, just basic facts.)

2. Whereas, fact/point. (List as many as you wish/deem necessary.)

3. And, whereas, final fact/point.

4. Be it resolved by this STV Congress assembled that _______.
(The _______ can include either: "the (Act or Operation) should be enacted by the _____ government, (etc)." or "the ___ government, (etc) should (do whatever the resolution is about)

If you are resolving to carry out an act/operation, add Contentions. These talk about what the act/operation would do.

Contention A:

Contention B:

Resolve again, adding a "Therefore" before the resolution
Therefore, be it resolved by this STV Congress assembled that _______.

If you feel that it is NECESSARY to add evidence, add it in the following format:

This Congress, now assembled, offers forth the following evidence:

-----------------------------

BILL NAME HERE

1. Whereas fact/point.
2. Whereas fact/point.
#. And whereas, final fact/point.
#. Be it resolved by this STV Congress assembled that _______.
(The _______ can include either: "the (Act or Operation) should be enacted by the _____ government, (etc)." or "the ___ government, (etc) should (do whatever the resolution is about)
For an Operation/Plan
#. Section 1: Plan
Continue numbering for each following line. End by saying the therefore statement again
23. Therefore be it resolved that _____.

Respectfully submitted,

Congressman _____ _____.[/quote]

The format for a Proposition is the following:
(This will be when you only have to make a statement and give a few points.)

PROPOSITION NAME HERE
Be it resolved that (insert Proposition here)
Contention A:
Contention B: (etc)


Membership Questions:
Answer these questions for membership. You will be HIGHLY considered.

1. STV Name, Name (real or fictional)
2. Political Party.
(Note: This could be any party, from any country. All that will be necessary to provide would be a description of the party, if you are the first to represent that party.)
3. Why you should be allowed to join.
4. What country you would wish to represent, and what state/province of the country would you like to represent.


Congress Members:
Republican Party:

Leader/Speaker of the Congress: Republican_Man; James O'Reilly; Colorado, USA
Second Leader: Exalya; Sydney Cooper; California, USA
Rbgirl; Debra Whitsel; Georgia
Founder; Andrew Casco; Louisiana, USA
Elladan; Elladan; Imladris

Democratic Party:
Leader: Link, The Hero of Time; Franco Zani; New York, USA
Second Leader: Charmed88; Thomas Clinton; Vermont

Libertarian Party:

Leader: LightningBoy; Dan Moritz; Minnesota, USA
Second Leader: Krall; C.J. Roberts; Alabama Osama! (uh, USA)

Liberal Party:
Leader: Valathous; Dan Vigneault; Qu�bec, Canada.
Second Leader: Captain Leah Manzer; Lianne Manzer; Ontario; Canada

Independents:
JanewayIsHott; Kevin Hooker; Texas, USA
Jeremy; Jeremy Watt; Wales
Scapegoat Bob; Scapegoat Bob; "The Barn"
Micteth-Son Of Udas; Mike Canary; New York, USA

Socialist Workers Party
Leader: Seven of Nine; Danni Matzk; England
Second Leader: Lionhead; Joey Ebbeling; The Netherlands

Islamic Values Democratic Party
Leader: Pah-Wraith; Yahya Ibn al-Filibini Seymour; Philippines and the Southern Islamic Independant Governing State of Mindanao.

Party Internationale
Leader: Zeke Zabertini; Ezekiel Edwardo Zabertini; though he does not "represent" a particular region so much as he do the ideals his party represents applied as far as practical, he hails from the United States of America, Minnesota, Rochester.

Party Internationale
Leader: Zeke Zabertini; Ezekiel Edwardo Zabertini; Zeke Zabertini; Ezekiel Edwardo Zabertini; Party Internationale; though he does not represent a particular region so much as he does the ideals of his party, his residence is in Rochester, Minnesota in the United States of America.

STV Congress Staff:
Hitchhiker; Hitchhiker; Congress Artist


Debate Rules:
Subject to Change and Additions
1. After a "Motion to Move to Previous Question" has passed, a vote on the resolution will occur.
2. A 2/3 vote is required to pass a resolution, bill, or proposition.
3. A majority vote is required to pass a motion.
4. Each Congressman has ONE vote.
5. The vote of Speaker of the Congress counts as 1.5 votes when there is a tie.
6. When the Administrator General is in session and there is a tie in the votes, the Administrator General can break that tie with a 2-vote vote.
7. Debates must be clean. They can be mildly attacking in manners such as that of the British House of Commons, but no brutal attackings, etc.
8. WN rules MUST be followed in debate, as this a WN-juristicted event.
9. A Debate session MUST last for at least an Authorship speech and opponent to the Authorship speech AND a proponent and other opponent speech in order for a vote to occur.
10. A Debate is limited to, unless the Speaker deems it need be longer, 8 to 10 speeches per side. That would mean 16 to 20 total.
11. Legislation may be tabled with a majority vote.
12. If a Congressman deems that a rule should be added or changed, a Proposition may be made to change this rule. Keep in mind that Rule 8 and the fact that RM can be the only Speaker of the Congress can NOT be changed.
13. Filibusters are NOT allowed.
14. Each party may have a logo, but it MUST include a comm-badge background.
15. If you do not wish to be a Congressman but wish to work for the Congress as a staff member, doing worthy jobs, you may submit the following application:
A. Username; Name that you will go by
B. What staff job you would like to have.
C. What you can contribute/the purpose of that job. (ie logos)
16. "Real-world" legislation must take precedence in the Legislation Committee.
17. When voting, a Congressman will "use" a "Datapad."
THE DATAPAD (Made by ION Computers):


Congress House and Congress Chamber:





ENJOY! Go debates!

[Link, the Hero of Time]

Sounds like a good Idea. I'd Like to join.

1. Link, The Hero of Time; Franco Zani.
2. Democratic Party
3. Can argue both sides of an argument, while bringing in logical ideas and hard facts to make a point.
4. USA, New York.

[Republican_Man]

[Solitary Poet]

COOL!

[Republican_Man]

(image provided by HH)

Again, if you're interested in this, please post info here!

[Arellia]

1. Exalya, Sydney Cooper
2. Republican
3. Conservative with a firm stance on my positions, willing to hear the other side to any argument. Try to represent the whole of California.
4. California, USA

As requested. *heh*

[LightningBoy]

1. LightningBoy (Dan Moritz)
2. Libertarian Party
3. I will well represent the interests of small government, while balancing the few nessessary roles of government in a non-corrupt fashion, taking freedom first.
4. Minnesota, Midwest, United States.

[Puck]

[1] JanewayIsHott, Kevin Hooker
[2] Independent
[3] I keep up on my world news, and feel that I can contribute to constructive debating, as well as bringing new perspectives.
[4] United States, Texas

[Republican_Man]

[LightningBoy]

Libertarian then.

[Defiant]

I refuse to join this. There are way more republicans on this board then democrats, at least that care enough to post, so therefore its impossible to ever have a fair and even shot. Theres no election process or anything, so its just bull.

[Puck]

There are only two signed up on here so far...since I changed mine to Independent .

[Republican_Man]

[Valathous]

1. Valathous. Dan Vigneault
2. Liberal
3. You need some Canadian influence in this, eh! And I can see both sides to the point of course.
4. Qu�bec, Canada.

[Republican_Man]

Congress Members:
Republican Party:
Leader/Speaker of the Congress: Republican_Man; James O'Reilly; Colorado, USA
Second Leader: Exalya; Sydney Cooper; California, USA

Democratic Party:
Leader: Link, The Hero of Time; Franco Zani; New York, USA
Second Leader:

Liberatarian Party:
Leader: LightningBoy; Dan Moritz; Minnesota, United States
Second Leader:

Liberal Party:
Leader: Valathous; Dan Vigneault; Qu�bec, Canada.
Second Leader:

Independents:
JanewayIsHott; Kevin Hooker; Texas, USA

Yep, that's Republican biased, alright, and it's just going to get bigger Come on, have a say. There's disagreements between many of us, even on one side, and more people from ALL sides will join.

[Founder]

[Republican_Man]

[Theresa]

Do you want this to be stickied?

[Republican_Man]

[LightningBoy]

Well, this is what the seats look like:

[Republican_Man]

[LightningBoy]

So how many seats are we going to have? And how are we going to district them? I think it would be cool to district each seat to a section of the forum, making 20 total seats.

For instance:
The Bridge:
Congressional Seats A1-A6
Officer's Lounge
Congressional Seats B1-B8
The Holodeck
Congressional Seats C1-C4
Engineering
Congressional Seats D1&D2

These would not be Trek-Based, strictly organisational. If it's the case, i'd like to be congressman for Seat B3.

[Republican_Man]

[Seven of Nine]

I'd like to apply

1. Seven of Nine, Danni Matzk
2. Socialist Workers Party, part of the RESPECT coalition
(Socialist party that puts people before profits)
3. I listen to both sides of a story before expressing my opinion.
4. England (If you're splitting my small country up, then Tyne and Wear, but I don't think that's necessary).

[Jeremy]

1. Jeremy - Jeremy Watt
2. Independent. (although others can create a party if they want). This party wants economic support for the poor, but to keep morals going.
3. I balance up all sides of the argument and come to my own opinion. I also keep up to date with news. Also I OKed this,
4. Wales