Democratic Alliance Party HQ - Snap July Convention [PARTY PLATFORM ADOPTED]

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Democratic Alliance

Democratic Alliance believes in working to create pragmatic solutions to the problems facing Atlasia. Only with a party of elected leaders who will work with all sides to achieve moderate, common-sense solutions will Atlasia truly succeed and prosper. Democratic Alliance believes in open leadership and transparency, and finding ways to involve new players, rather than just using them for votes. Democratic Alliance believes in activity, both while in office and during campaigning, and holding our elected officials accountable for their activity levels. Democratic Alliance believes elected officials should decide how they vote on policy without pressure from party leaders. Democratic Alliance believes in not letting elections go uncontested, as to always provide voters an alternative choice on the ballot to let their voices be heard.

Official Democratic Alliance Platform

Economic Policy

(1.) - Democratic Alliance is a firm believer in capitalism with regulations necessary to protect consumers and ensure fair business practices.

(2.) - Democratic Alliance supports a progressive tax system that promotes financial equity. Tax loopholes need to be closed so that no person can avoid paying the taxes they are supposed to.

(3.) - Taxation and regulation should be made simpler, and easier to understand.

(4.) - Welfare and social programs must be protected from harmful funding cuts.

(5.) - We believe strong stimulus measures are needed in times of economic recession or hardship.

(6.) - Limit outsourcing of Atlasian jobs by businesses through fair trade agreements and implement tax repercussions for companies that outsource.

(7.) - Expand trade agreements with countries which share Atlasia's values of liberal democracy, strong workers' rights, and environmental protection.

(8.) - Pass incentives for businesses to move operations back to Atlasia and create jobs on the home-front.

(9.) - The enforcement of anti-monopoly laws should be strengthened and the government should prevent large corporate mergers that are harmful for the consumer.

(10.) - Immediately expand assistance programs for struggling businesses and start-up businesses, with emphasis on small businesses and non-corporate farms.

(11.) - Rural areas of Atlasia continue to be lacking in basic social services such as healthcare and education. We support increasing investments rural development programs and providing subsidies and relief to ensure that all citizens have access to this.

(12.) - Investment in infrastructure development and maintenance to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure will create jobs and modernize Atlasia.

(13.) - Increase investments into programs that help communities suffering from economic decline to rebound.

(14.) - The High-Speed Rail Act of 2018 should have been passed. We support expanding high-speed rail systems and continual expansion of access to public transportation.


Foreign Policy

(15.) - Democratic Alliance recognizes Atlasia has a role to play in the security of countries around the world, but believes Atlasia should avoid war whenever possible through the use of diplomacy.

(16.) - We will actively promote Atlasian values of liberal democracy, free and fair markets, and the rule of law around the world to combat the rise of illiberal, authoritarian regimes.

(17.) - We will stand firmly with our allies so long as they do not commit major offenses against human rights or international law.

(18.) - Expand our partnerships with fellow democratic nations and create competitive incentives for nations to democratize and cooperate with the greater democratic community.


Social Issues

(19.) - We believe in the constitutional right to own guns, and support responsible gun ownership alongside reasonable measures to prevent gun violence such as comprehensive background checks and reformed sentencing laws for gun-related crimes.

(20.) - Abortion should be safe, legal, and rare. The right to have access to abortion services should not be restricted to women during their first 20 weeks of pregnancy.

(21.) - The rights of everyone, especially the LGBTQ+ community and other minority groups, must be protected.


Environmental Policy

(22.) - Democratic Alliance views global warming as a serious issue, and believes actions must be taken to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. This includes investment in clean energy development and production, especially in areas with economies based around fossil fuels.

(23.) - By incentivizing private businesses, Atlasia can continue to innovate and develop more green infrastructure and technologies, and create good paying jobs.

(24.) - Protecting public lands and waters, and the wildlife that live in them is important for the future of Atlasia. Balancing development with these goals will be key to ensure our environment will be protected for future generations.

[Esteemed Jimmy]

x Jimmy7812

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Proposed Democratic Alliance Bylaws

Article 1. Membership and Voting

Section 1. Registration

All voters registered under “Democratic Alliance” or “Democratic Alliance Party” shall be considered full members of this party.

Section 2. Voting

All voters registered under “Democratic Alliance” or “Democratic Alliance Party” shall have any vote cast of theirs in the convention counted.

Section 3. Instant-runoff Voting

In votes using instant-runoff voting, an “X” shall count as the highest and only preference, and ties shall be broken through either which ballot choice got the most first preferences, or through a runoff in the event of tied first preferences, unless in the case of a leadership election, if one candidate concedes by posting in the convention thread.

Section 4. Vote Abstentions

Abstain votes are not counted in the vote totals or percentage requirement for any election.

Article 2. Conventions

Section 1. Schedule

The Democratic Alliance Convention shall take place in the months of February, April, June, August, October, and December, beginning on the first day of such month, and closed on the last day of the month following such month.

Section 2. Location

The Democratic Alliance Convention shall take place in a nominated city in the Region of Fremont in the months of February and August, the Region of Lincoln in the months of April and October, and the Region of the South in the months of June and December.

Section 3. Business

Each Democratic Alliance Convention shall have the following business: voting on party bylaws and platform amendments, voting on party endorsements, nominating the city for the next convention, and electing party officers.

Section 4. Location Nomination Process

The city for the next Democratic Alliance Convention shall be nominated during the last week of the convention as follows: party members shall have 48 hours to nominate one or more cities of their choice, all nominated cities located in the region as determined in Article 1, Section 2 shall be put on a ballot, and party members shall have 48 hours to vote to determine the nominated city through instant-runoff voting.

Article 3. Officers

Section 1. Officer Structure

The Democratic Alliance Convention shall have an elected Chair and Vice Chair, with other roles appointed at the discretion of the Chair.

Section 2. Officer Elections

The Democratic Alliance Convention shall hold an election for Chair and Vice Chair during the second to last week of the conventions that start in the months of April, August, and December as follows: party members shall have 48 hours to nominate one or more members of their choice for either of the positions, all nominated members shall be put on a ballot, and party members shall have 48 hours to vote to elect the Chair and Vice Chair through instant-runoff voting.

Section 3. Chair Powers

The Democratic Alliance Convention Chair shall be the official leader of the party, manage the convention and any votes that take place, and create additional positions as they see fit and appoint party members to them.

Section 4. Vice Chair Powers

The Democratic Alliance Convention Vice Chair shall temporarily assume the powers of the Chair in the case of the Chair’s absence for 48 hours during party business, a leave of absence, or resignation, until they return; the Vice Chair shall become the Chair if the current Chair is absent for more than 168 hours during party business without a posted leave of absence, or if the Chair resigns.

Article 4. Endorsements

Section 1. Automatic Endorsements

A Democratic Alliance candidate/ticket running for an office shall be automatically endorsed, unless there is an objection raised by a party member against such endorsement, if they are the only candidate/ticket running in a single-seat election, or if the number of Democratic Alliance candidates running is equal to or less than the number of seats needed to hold a majority in such legislature in a multi-seat election.

Section 2. Endorsements of Candidates From Other Parties

A candidate who is not a member of Democratic Alliance may request an endorsement for an upcoming election that is taking place no more than 30 days later.

Section 3. Endorsement Vote Schedule

All endorsement votes shall begin 3 weeks before such election is scheduled to take place; in the case no Democratic Alliance candidate/ticket running for an office, the endorsement vote for such office shall be held 1 week before such election is scheduled to take place.

Section 4. Endorsement Vote Process

If two or more Democratic Alliance candidates/tickets running in the same single-seat election, if the number of Democratic Alliance candidates running greater than the number of seats needed to hold a majority in such legislature in a multi-seat election, or if an objection was raised by a party member against an automatic endorsement of a Democratic Alliance candidate/ticket, a primary hall be held as follows: the applicable candidates for each office should each be put on a ballot, and party members shall have 48 hours to vote to determine which candidate or candidates shall receive full support in the election from the party through instant-runoff voting; a Democratic Alliance candidate/ticket needs a simple majority of support, and a non-party candidate needs a 60% majority of support to be endorsed, unless there is no Democratic Alliance candidate/ticket running for such office, where in such case a non-party candidate only needs a simple majority of support to be endorsed.

Article 5. Amendments

Section 1. Amendment Proposals

Any party member may propose an amendment to the party bylaws or platform.

Section 2. Amendment Process

Amendments to the party bylaws or platform shall happen as follows: party members shall have 24 hours to object to a proposed amendment; if there are no objections, the amendment shall be adopted; otherwise, if there is an objection, a vote lasting 48 hours shall be held on whether to adopt or reject the amendment.

[Esteemed Jimmy]

I'm generally in favor of these bylaws and assume passing them will be our first step. Perhaps there should be a section dedicated directly to the creation of a platform? There are a couple of references to it throughout the current proposal.

Good idea, proposing this edit:

Article 5. Platform and Amendments

Section 1. Platform Adoption

Democratic Alliance shall adopt a platform at the beginning of each convention with input from party members, using the amendment process described in Section 3 of this Article.

Section 2. Amendment Proposals

Any party member may propose an amendment to the party bylaws or platform.

Section 3. Amendment Process

Amendments to the party bylaws or platform shall happen as follows: party members shall have 24 hours to object to a proposed amendment; if there are no objections, the amendment shall be adopted; otherwise, if there is an objection, a vote lasting 48 hours shall be held on whether to adopt or reject the amendment, requiring a simple majority to pass.

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Proposed Democratic Alliance Bylaws

Article 1. Membership and Voting

Section 1. Registration

All voters registered under “Democratic Alliance” or “Democratic Alliance Party” shall be considered full members of this party.

Section 2. Voting

All voters registered under “Democratic Alliance” or “Democratic Alliance Party” shall have any vote cast of theirs in the convention counted.

Section 3. Instant-runoff Voting

In votes using instant-runoff voting, an “X” shall count as the highest and only preference, and ties shall be broken through either which ballot choice got the most first preferences, or through a runoff in the event of tied first preferences, unless in the case of a leadership election, if one candidate concedes by posting in the convention thread.

Section 4. Vote Abstentions

Abstain votes are not counted in the vote totals or percentage requirement for any election.

Article 2. Conventions

Section 1. Schedule

The Democratic Alliance Convention shall take place in the months of February, April, June, August, October, and December, beginning on the first day of such month, and closed on the last day of the month following such month.

Section 2. Location

The Democratic Alliance Convention shall take place in a nominated city in the Region of Fremont in the months of February and August, the Region of Lincoln in the months of April and October, and the Region of the South in the months of June and December.

Section 3. Business

Each Democratic Alliance Convention shall have the following business: voting on party bylaws and platform amendments, voting on party endorsements, nominating the city for the next convention, and electing party officers.

Section 4. Location Nomination Process

The city for the next Democratic Alliance Convention shall be nominated during the last week of the convention as follows: party members shall have 48 hours to nominate one or more cities of their choice, all nominated cities located in the region as determined in Article 1, Section 2 shall be put on a ballot, and party members shall have 48 hours to vote to determine the nominated city through instant-runoff voting.

Article 3. Officers

Section 1. Officer Structure

The Democratic Alliance Convention shall have an elected Chair and Vice Chair, with other roles appointed at the discretion of the Chair.

Section 2. Officer Elections

The Democratic Alliance Convention shall hold an election for Chair and Vice Chair during the second to last week of the conventions that start in the months of April, August, and December as follows: party members shall have 48 hours to nominate one or more members of their choice for either of the positions, all nominated members shall be put on a ballot, and party members shall have 48 hours to vote to elect the Chair and Vice Chair through instant-runoff voting.

Section 3. Chair Powers

The Democratic Alliance Convention Chair shall be the official leader of the party, manage the convention and any votes that take place, and create additional positions as they see fit and appoint party members to them.

Section 4. Vice Chair Powers

The Democratic Alliance Convention Vice Chair shall temporarily assume the powers of the Chair in the case of the Chair’s absence for 48 hours during party business, a leave of absence, or resignation, until they return; the Vice Chair shall become the Chair if the current Chair is absent for more than 168 hours during party business without a posted leave of absence, or if the Chair resigns.

Article 4. Endorsements

Section 1. Automatic Endorsements

A Democratic Alliance candidate/ticket running for an office shall be automatically endorsed, unless there is an objection raised by a party member against such endorsement, if they are the only candidate/ticket running in a single-seat election, or if the number of Democratic Alliance candidates running is equal to or less than the number of seats needed to hold a majority in such legislature in a multi-seat election.

Section 2. Endorsements of Candidates From Other Parties

A candidate who is not a member of Democratic Alliance may request an endorsement for an upcoming election that is taking place no more than 30 days later.

Section 3. Endorsement Vote Schedule

All endorsement votes shall begin 3 weeks before such election is scheduled to take place; in the case no Democratic Alliance candidate/ticket running for an office, the endorsement vote for such office shall be held 1 week before such election is scheduled to take place.

Section 4. Endorsement Vote Process

If two or more Democratic Alliance candidates/tickets running in the same single-seat election, if the number of Democratic Alliance candidates running greater than the number of seats needed to hold a majority in such legislature in a multi-seat election, or if an objection was raised by a party member against an automatic endorsement of a Democratic Alliance candidate/ticket, a primary hall be held as follows: the applicable candidates for each office should each be put on a ballot, and party members shall have 48 hours to vote to determine which candidate or candidates shall receive full support in the election from the party through instant-runoff voting; a Democratic Alliance candidate/ticket needs a simple majority of support, and a non-party candidate needs a 60% majority of support to be endorsed, unless there is no Democratic Alliance candidate/ticket running for such office, where in such case a non-party candidate only needs a simple majority of support to be endorsed.

Article 5. Platform and Amendments

Section 1. Platform Adoption

Democratic Alliance shall adopt a platform at the beginning of each convention with input from party members, using the amendment process described in Section 3 of this Article.

Section 2. Amendment Proposals

Any party member may propose an amendment to the party bylaws or platform.

Section 3. Amendment Process

Amendments to the party bylaws or platform shall happen as follows: party members shall have 24 hours to object to a proposed amendment; if there are no objections, the amendment shall be adopted; otherwise, if there is an objection, a vote lasting 48 hours shall be held on whether to adopt or reject the amendment, requiring a simple majority to pass.

[Esteemed Jimmy]

A vote on whether to adopt the official bylaws posted above has started.

The vote will last 48 hours. Please vote AYE, NAY, or ABSTAIN.

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Aye

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Aye (ftr if I'm allowed to vote)

All members can vote.

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Voting on adopting the bylaws closes tomorrow at 11:30 AM EST.

[Esteemed Jimmy]

The bylaws have been adopted by a vote of 10-0.

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Nominations for the leadership positions of Party Chair and Vice Chair are now open for 48 hours.

Nominations

Chair:

    Jimmy7812

Vice Chair:

    Ninja0428

[Esteemed Jimmy]

I nominate Jimmy for chair, Tmth for Vice Chair.

I accept the nomination.

[Esteemed Jimmy]

A vote for the leadership positions of Party Chair and Vice Chair is now open for 48 hours.

Official Ballot

Chair:

[ ] Jimmy7812

Vice Chair:

[ ] Ninja0428

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Official Ballot

Chair:

[ X ] Jimmy7812

Vice Chair:

[ X ] Ninja0428

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Voting closes tomorrow at 4:15 PM.

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Voting ends in less than an hour.

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Official Leadership Election Results

Chair:

✓ Jimmy7812 - 7

Vice Chair:

✓ Ninja0428 - 7

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Party Chair Order #1 - Creation of the NPC Elections Coordinator

By the authority vested in me as Party Chair by the Democratic Alliance Bylaws, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Creation

There is hereby created the position of NPC Elections Coordinator.

Section 2. Duties

The NPC Elections Coordinator shall be responsible for creating a campaign thread for Democratic Alliance for the NPC Elections, helping to create posts in such threads, and managing alliances and unity tickets with Regional or Federal parties, and shall have all other powers relating to NPC Elections as delegated to them by the Party Chair.

Section 3. Appointment

Weatherboy is hereby appointed NPC Elections Coordinator effective immediately.

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Discussion on the Official Party Platform shall begin. Each plank will be adopted or voted on individually based on the process in the bylaws, so that a final version can be voted on and adopted.

[Esteemed Jimmy]

The first plank to be discussed is Economic Policy.

[Esteemed Jimmy]

An expanded section:

Economic Policy

- Democratic Alliance is a firm believer in capitalism with regulations necessary to protect consumers and ensure fair business practices where needed.
- Democratic Alliance supports a progressive tax system that promotes financial equity. Tax loopholes need to be closed so that no person can avoid paying the taxes they are supposed to.
- Welfare and social programs must be protected from harmful funding cuts.
- Limit outsourcing of Atlasian jobs by businesses through fair trade agreements and implement tax repercussions for companies that outsource.
- Pass incentives for businesses to move operations back to Atlasia and create jobs on the home-front.
- The enforcement of anti-monopoly laws should be strengthened and the government should prevent large corporate mergers that are harmful for the consumer.
- Immediately expand assistance programs for struggling businesses and start-up businesses, with emphasis on small businesses and non-corporate farms.
- Rural areas of Atlasia continue to be lacking in basic social services such as healthcare and education. We support increasing investments rural development programs and providing subsidies and relief to ensure that all citizens have access to this.
- Investment in infrastructure development and maintenance to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure will create jobs and modernize Atlasia.
- Increase investments into programs that help communities suffering from economic decline to rebound.
- The High-Speed Rail Act of 2018 should have been passed. We support expanding high-speed rail systems and continual expansion of access to public transportation.

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Adding two of the planks introduced by Blairite:

Economic Policy

- Democratic Alliance is a firm believer in capitalism with regulations necessary to protect consumers and ensure fair business practices where needed.
- Democratic Alliance supports a progressive tax system that promotes financial equity. Tax loopholes need to be closed so that no person can avoid paying the taxes they are supposed to.
- Welfare and social programs must be protected from harmful funding cuts.
- We believe strong stimulus measures are needed in times of economic recession or hardship.
- Limit outsourcing of Atlasian jobs by businesses through fair trade agreements and implement tax repercussions for companies that outsource.
- Expand trade agreements with countries which share Atlasia's values of liberal democracy, strong workers' rights, and environmental protection.
- Pass incentives for businesses to move operations back to Atlasia and create jobs on the home-front.
- The enforcement of anti-monopoly laws should be strengthened and the government should prevent large corporate mergers that are harmful for the consumer.
- Immediately expand assistance programs for struggling businesses and start-up businesses, with emphasis on small businesses and non-corporate farms.
- Rural areas of Atlasia continue to be lacking in basic social services such as healthcare and education. We support increasing investments rural development programs and providing subsidies and relief to ensure that all citizens have access to this.
- Investment in infrastructure development and maintenance to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure will create jobs and modernize Atlasia.
- Increase investments into programs that help communities suffering from economic decline to rebound.
- The High-Speed Rail Act of 2018 should have been passed. We support expanding high-speed rail systems and continual expansion of access to public transportation.

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Moving on to Foreign and Social policies:

Foreign Policy

- Democratic Alliance recognizes Atlasia has a role to play in the security of countries around the world, but believes Atlasia should avoid war whenever possible through the use of diplomacy.
- Strategic cuts to defense spending where practical should be made.

Social Issues

- We believe in the constitutional right to own guns, and supports responsible gun ownership alongside reasonable measures to prevent gun violence such as comprehensive background checks and reformed sentencing laws for gun-related crimes.
- The right to have access to abortion services should not be restricted to women during their first 20 weeks of pregnancy.

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Updated Proposal:

Foreign Policy

- Democratic Alliance recognizes Atlasia has a role to play in the security of countries around the world, but believes Atlasia should avoid war whenever possible through the use of diplomacy.
- Strategic cuts to defense spending where practical should be made.
- We will stand firmly with our allies so long as they do not commit major offenses against human rights or international law.
- Expand our partnerships with fellow democratic nations and create competitive incentives for nations to democratize and cooperate with the greater democratic community.

Social Issues

- We believe in the constitutional right to own guns, and support responsible gun ownership alongside reasonable measures to prevent gun violence such as comprehensive background checks and reformed sentencing laws for gun-related crimes.
- Abortion should be safe, legal, and rare. The right to have access to abortion services should not be restricted to women during their first 20 weeks of pregnancy.
- The rights of everyone, especially the LGBTQ+ community and other minority groups, must be protected.

[Esteemed Jimmy]

Update:

Economic Policy

- Democratic Alliance is a firm believer in capitalism with regulations that are necessary to protect consumers and ensure fair business practices where needed.
- Democratic Alliance supports a progressive tax system that promotes financial equity. Tax loopholes need to be closed so that no person can avoid paying the taxes they are supposed to.
- Taxation and regulation should be made simpler, and easier to understand.
- Welfare and social programs must be protected from harmful funding cuts.
- We believe strong stimulus measures are needed in times of economic recession or hardship.
- Limit outsourcing of Atlasian jobs by businesses through fair trade agreements and implement tax repercussions for companies that outsource.
- Expand trade agreements with countries which share Atlasia's values of liberal democracy, strong workers' rights, and environmental protection.
- Pass incentives for businesses to move operations back to Atlasia and create jobs on the home-front.
- The enforcement of anti-monopoly laws should be strengthened and the government should prevent large corporate mergers that are harmful for the consumer.
- Immediately expand assistance programs for struggling businesses and start-up businesses, with emphasis on small businesses and non-corporate farms.
- Rural areas of Atlasia continue to be lacking in basic social services such as healthcare and education. We support increasing investments rural development programs and providing subsidies and relief to ensure that all citizens have access to this.
- Investment in infrastructure development and maintenance to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure will create jobs and modernize Atlasia.
- Increase investments into programs that help communities suffering from economic decline to rebound.
- The High-Speed Rail Act of 2018 should have been passed. We support expanding high-speed rail systems and continual expansion of access to public transportation.

Foreign Policy

- Democratic Alliance recognizes Atlasia has a role to play in the security of countries around the world, but believes Atlasia should avoid war whenever possible through the use of diplomacy.
- We will actively promote Atlasian values of liberal democracy, free and fair markets, and the rule of law around the world to combat the rise of illiberal, authoritarian regimes.
- We will stand firmly with our allies so long as they do not commit major offenses against human rights or international law.
- Expand our partnerships with fellow democratic nations and create competitive incentives for nations to democratize and cooperate with the greater democratic community.

Social Issues

- We believe in the constitutional right to own guns, and support responsible gun ownership alongside reasonable measures to prevent gun violence such as comprehensive background checks and reformed sentencing laws for gun-related crimes.
- Abortion should be safe, legal, and rare. The right to have access to abortion services should not be restricted to women during their first 20 weeks of pregnancy.
- The rights of everyone, especially the LGBTQ+ community and other minority groups, must be protected.