Having written a Senator in the past as well as other diplomatic/political figures, I have one criticism of the way things are set up in the GA which I think can be easily resolved.
While there is a list of bills that have been passed via RP, the Alliance has no written constitution, bill of rights, or any other foundational document that clearly delineates its laws. This is a problem for writers presenting an idea for a political story, because we don't know what the rules are. It also hampers those who are writing competent lawmakers, as it creates a situation where they might make a point or argument on the debate floor, only to be told "that's not how things work". Ok, but how do they work?
When I have asked questions about the laws of the GA, I have been met with uncertain answers. I've been told that the GA functions "similarly to real world democratic governments". This is not a satisfactory answer, as laws can still differ wildly from one democracy to the next. If the GA were based on one particular world government whose laws could be consulted as a stand-in, that might work, but then it wouldn't be very appropriate for the SW setting. I don't think the Canon Republic or Legends Alliance ever had a written constitution, so we can't consult their laws either.
Now, I realize that writing a constitution would be a big undertaking, and that not everyone would be inclined to agree with the laws, etc etc, but I can think of no other solution. Therefore, as a member of the GA and a person with too much time on their hands, I am offering to write the constitution myself, provided members of the faction are willing to work with me.
While there is a list of bills that have been passed via RP, the Alliance has no written constitution, bill of rights, or any other foundational document that clearly delineates its laws. This is a problem for writers presenting an idea for a political story, because we don't know what the rules are. It also hampers those who are writing competent lawmakers, as it creates a situation where they might make a point or argument on the debate floor, only to be told "that's not how things work". Ok, but how do they work?
When I have asked questions about the laws of the GA, I have been met with uncertain answers. I've been told that the GA functions "similarly to real world democratic governments". This is not a satisfactory answer, as laws can still differ wildly from one democracy to the next. If the GA were based on one particular world government whose laws could be consulted as a stand-in, that might work, but then it wouldn't be very appropriate for the SW setting. I don't think the Canon Republic or Legends Alliance ever had a written constitution, so we can't consult their laws either.
Now, I realize that writing a constitution would be a big undertaking, and that not everyone would be inclined to agree with the laws, etc etc, but I can think of no other solution. Therefore, as a member of the GA and a person with too much time on their hands, I am offering to write the constitution myself, provided members of the faction are willing to work with me.
