Chapter 10-I-f
Citizen's Veto


Another possible constitutional measure that might be considered to augment accountability of representation at every level is a form of citizen review, at lower levels, of all decisions made at higher levels. A ‘Citizen’s Veto’ could easily be provided for, once again facilitated by the ease of immediate and timely communications, through modern technology, at and between every level of the organization’s structural hierarchy. Such a measure could be an immensely powerful tool in the forging of True Democracy. Such a tool could provide a real means to enforce the Inverse Principle of Democratic Hierarchy, (see chapter 5b), under which ultimate power resides at the bottom of the hierarchy, among The People.

For the purposes of illustration, let’s posit a prototype scheme for a Citizen’s Veto. Let’s assume that the organization’s constitution will stipulate that every measure passed by a Congress at any level, (District, State, or National), will not 'take effect' until it meets three requirements. 1) It must be reviewed and approved as ‘constitutional’ by the appropriate level Judicial Board. 2) It must be signed by the President, (in the case of legislation passed by the National Congress), or by the Coordinator of the appropriate level Advisory Council; (the Executive Branch, including the proposed Advisory Council structure, will be discussed in chapter 10-II). And 3) a specified time period must elapse during which a Citizen’s Veto can be affected.

Let’s posit a prototype plan according to which any legislation will be designated as ‘major’, or ‘minor’, (or according to other useful classifications). Let’s assume that legislation designated as ‘minor’, which are matters of routine daily business, might possibly not be subject to Citizen’s Veto, or perhaps the time period allowed for a veto to be affected could simply be shorter. Such a provision would allow for the conduct of routine business in an orderly manner.

Major legislation would include all matters of general interest and import to the citizen-membership as a whole, at the level at which the legislation is being considered. Let’s posit that all legislation designated as ‘major’ will be subject to a Citizen’s Veto for a period of 15 days, (or 7 days, or 30 days, or whatever time period seems appropriate), after it is passed by the Congress at any level. The operational software could automatically post a notice of all ‘major’ legislation passed by a Congress at any level, to the appropriate level forums for citizen review. These notices could automatically include, (automated by the software), a veto-ballot that each citizen-member can use to cast a vote to veto the legislation. Quorum requirements as constitutionally defined, (the total number of required veto-votes cast, as a percentage of the total membership, to affect a Citizen’s Veto), can be automatically applied by the operational software. After the defined period of time expires, the veto ballots can be automatically counted by the software, and the results posted. The legislation will either pass, or be vetoed.

The Judicial Board review of all legislation passed, the purview of which would be limited to issues of the constitutionality of legislation, (not political considerations), would necessarily include a review of the legislation’s proper classification, (as 'minor' or 'major'), to ensure that legislation has not been improperly classified (as ‘minor’) in order to preclude citizen review and the possibility of veto.


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