Drafting a Two-Tier Citizenship System

[Diamat]

Dear Members, Fellow Citizens,

I created this thread for those who are interested in the two-tier citizenship system to share ideas and draft a proposal that will eventually be submitted to the Curia. Let me say this right away, this thread is NOT for people who are against this idea. I will ask the Curator to erase any posts violating these rules. Those who wish to criticize the two-tiered system may do so in the Q&S section.

I wanted to make this an open process, where both citizens and non-citizens could participate. So I would especially welcome the input of non-citizens.


I will update the OP as we refine the system. Here is the most up-to-date version (everything in red and green amends the Constitution):



Section II

Article II. Election Procedure

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

When an election required the following process shall be applied.

Election Votes

All applicants for CdeC, Curator, and Magistrate must hold the rank of Patrician.

When a Curial Election is required, the Curator shall open an application thread in the Curia and the Curator shall post an announcement in any relevant forum. Applicants for the vacant position must post their reasons for wishing to hold the position and any relevant qualifications in the application thread. Any comments, debates or off topic posting shall be deleted. The thread shall remain open for one week.

The Hexagon Council may veto applicants, and should more than six members apply for any position, may shortlist six members to stand for the election. Once applications are complete, the Curator shall open a poll in the Curia Votes and sticky the thread. The vote shall last for one week, and the member who receives the plurality of votes shall be elected.

Where more than one of the same position is vacant, the procedure is the same, and the members with the highest votes are elected. In the case of ties, a run off vote is held between the tied members lasting 3 days.

Where the election is for the vacant position of Curator, all candidates must meet the requirements of CdeC applications. A debate thread shall be opened at the same time as the application thread in the main Curia by the Curator for Curia members to question candidates on their election. Non-candidates may post in this thread but all posts must be directing a relevant question or questions towards the candidates. Candidates may post as much as needed in this thread. The debate thread shall be closed at the end of the elections.

Article IV. The Conslium de Civitates

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The Consilium de Civitates manages the granting and removal of all Curia Ranks by voting. The Consilium de Civitates may also function as an advisory body to the staff of TWC in matters concerning the Curia and its Citizens.

Membership

The full membership comprises of:
Twelve elected CitizensPatricians, who may discuss and vote on all matters within the Consilium de Civitates Forum

• Hexagon members, who may discuss all matters within the Consilium de Civitates Forum, but have no vote.
• The Curator, who may take part in all Consilium de Civitates discussions, and has the deciding vote only in the case of a tie. The Curator has veto powers over any Consilium de Civitates decision

Elected members of the Consilium de Civitates and the Curator must actively participate in discussions and votes. Hexagon members' participation is optional.


Elections

Consilium de Civitates members are elected as per Article II, Section II for three months, with the added requirements that that they currently have no active staff warnings and that for the period of three months prior to the commencement of the elections they have; held their rank as citizenPatrician, and received no warnings from the Consilium de Civitates. Applicants who do not meet these requirements will be invited to withdraw by the Curator by PM detailing on what criteria they failed. Should the notified candidate fail to satisfy the Curator that they do indeed meet the criteria for application they will be removed from consideration by the Curator prior to the shortlisting of candidates for election. At the time of removal the candidates failed criteria will be placed in the application thread for public scrutiny.

If a member of the Consilium de Civitates leaves office for any reason before the expiration of their term, the vacant position may be filled by Curator appointment. The Curator may appoint a Citizen Patrician that ran in the immediate previous election or a Staff Member who otherwise fits the requirements for the position. The appointment shall expire with the positions that are next up for election when a replacement member will be elected to serve the remainder of the term. If choosing from a pool of election candidates, any vacant positions will be filled in decreasing order of time remaining on the term starting from the next highest vote recipient after those who are elected to full terms.

Section III

Article I. Ranks

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Citizens

TWC has a two-tier citizenship system consisting of Plebeians and Patricians. While both are considered citizens, they are of differing tiers, as explained below.


Plebeians

All contributing members of Total War Center have the opportunity to become Plebeians. To qualify for Plebeian, a member must have at least fifty posts, been a registered member for two months, and have no warnings. If a member has been warned, the member must have gone six consecutive months without a further warning. An applicant for Plebeian is expected to have a history of good behavior and demonstrated involvement in the community.

If a member meets these requirements, he may post an application thread in the CVRIA's [Insert Name of Subforum]. After two days have passed the Curator adds a Poll lasting for ten days. If the nominee achieves sixty per cent of the non-abstaining votes, he will become a Plebeian.

Plebeians are selected by the Citizens of TWC. All Citizens, both Plebeians and Patricians, can post and vote in application threads.

All Plebeians have the rights associated with Peregrinus, but in addition may post within the Curia, subject to the procedures in Section II.


CitizensPatricians

Contributing members of TWC have the opportunity to become a Citizen Patrician of the Forum as per Article 2 below. Once a member becomes a Citizen Patrician, they can then choose between 3 different badges. Artifex, designed for those who are modders, Civitate, designed for those who have contributed to the debating side of the Site, whether in TW or non-TW, and CitizenPatrician, for those who associate with both.

To qualify for CitizenPatrician, a member must have at least fifty posts, been a registered member for two months, and have no warnings. If a member has been warned, the member must have gone six consecutive months without a further warning.

All CitizensPatricians have the rights associated with Peregrinus, but in addition may post within the Curia, subject to the procedures in Section II; may post with the Symposium and may patronise other members as per Article II.

Article II. Patronisation

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Any Citizen Patrician holding their rank for three months can patronise a Peregrinus or Plebeian for citizenship Patricianship subject to the requirements in Article I above. The process of patronisation is as follows.

1. The patron confirms the candidate meets the requirements, OR a candidate meeting the requirements contacts a Citizen Patrician asking for patronage.
2. The nominee sends the patron a PM explaining his duties and privileges as a CitizenPatrician, and his contributions to the community.
3. In the case that the nominee wishes his citizenship Patricianship application to be public: The patron posts this paragraph, along with his own, outlining why he nominated this member, in a new thread in the Quaestiones Perpetuae forum. Transparency of the Quaestiones Perpetuae forum is limited to Citizens only.
4. If the nominee wishes his citizenship Patricianship application to remain private, the patron sends the paragraph, along with his own, outlining why he nominated this member, to either the Curator or a member of the Consilium de Civitate. The application itself will then be posted in the Politia.
5. After two days have passed the Curator adds a Poll lasting for five days.
6. If the nominee achieves sixty per cent of the non-abstaining votes and at least two-thirds of all CdeC members voted, he becomes a CitizenPatrician.
7. In exceptional circumstances, the period of discussion can be extended at the behest of Councilors and discretion of the Curator, to comply with the voting requirements or otherwise.
8. The Curator informs the candidate and patron of the result. If the candidate does not pass, the Curator includes the date at which they may re-apply.
9. If the candidate passes, the Curator promotes the member to CitizenPatrician.

After the conclusion of the vote, if the examination was private the applicant can make it public by PMing the Curator. If a nominee fails his vote, he is not eligible to be considered again for one month after the conclusion of the traditional seven day processing period. Members of the CdeC must neither vote nor post in applications of members they patronise.

Addendum

All current citizens will become Patricians upon the ratification of this amendment.

[Diamat]

By the way, the reason I chose Patrician and Pleb is simply because I want to keep the term "citizen", since it makes changing the Constitution easier. Alternative name suggestions are welcome, but considering both as citizens would make the revisions easier and more practical.

[pacifism]

Just to be clear, Plebeians vote for Consilium de Civitates (or Consilium de Patricians, I suppose), Magistrates, and Curators, correct? Saying citizens in those sections would refer to both Plebeians and Patricians, correct?

In my opinion, I think the bar for "Plebeians" should be set slightly higher than specifically said in the text. Even if the goal of a Plebeian is to increase Curia-Symposium activity, I do not find activity and no infractions enough. These to me show a neutral contribution to the site, opposed to positive contribution (like modding, Content Staff work, authoring, decent debating) or negative contributions (getting infractions and/or being spammy). Curia and Symposium are for privileged contributors, not people who haven't gotten in trouble yet and post frequently. I think a +60% majority of Plebeian-Patrician votes might filter out most of it, but I am not yet throughly convinced you have unambiguously maintained the Curia members' positive contributions for Total War Center.

Let me put it this way: do you think I could become a Plebian right now if we had them? If yes, how much less could I have pulled off getting the rank? If it is not much less than what I have done right now, then you have in mind what I am asking for. If no, then you are thinking the rough thing I am asking for.

[Diamat]

Yes, Plebeians would still vote for everything, including bills, Pleb applications, CdeC, Curators, and Magistrates. This is why I chose to keep the term citizen, since it makes it easy to refer to both Plebs and Patricians with one single term.

The challenge is to put into words requirements that are both vague yet also specific enough. This is why I chose the phrase, "involvement in the community." I would leave it up to citizens to interpret this phrase and decide on the standard for Pleb, so to speak. Compare it with the current reqs for citizenship, about which nothing at all is said in the current constitution (except for the standard no infraction stuff). However, if you have any suggestions for a better wording, please do share it.

Yes, I would consider you pleb-worthy. The way I envisioned the pleb class was not that they are close to patricianship, but simply that they are kind and have been actively contributing. Other citizens may have other visions, and I'm cool with that. That's why I would rather phrase it vaguely, so that citizens can themselves decide who they want to be a pleb.

[Makrell]

Why should pleibians not be eligeble for moderation duty?
IMO moderation overseers will see which members are worthy to become mods, and i do think they could find good men among the pleibians.

[Lord William]

because plebeians are inferior

[Makrell]

because plebeians are inferior

They are both citizens, and proven to be good members of the community. If not they would not get in. Moderation overseers should decide who becomes moderators, not CDEC. After all one can become both hexagon and content director without patricianship.

[ElvenKind]

because plebeians are inferior

Coming from one of CDeC members.

[Lord William]

This has nothing to do with the CdeC, I am a Citizen of TWC which entitles me to propose proposals and also me to vote any way I please.

plebs will be "citizens" but they will not be held to the same rigorous standards of a patrician, so no they aren't the same.

Moderation and the Hex decide who gets hired in accordance to the constitution, now hex has the authority to veto the bill but if they don't moderation staff will have to follow the constitution while hiring

[Makrell]

This has nothing to do with the CdeC, I am a Citizen of TWC which entitles me to propose proposals and also me to vote any way I please.

plebs will be "citizens" but they will not be held to the same rigorous standards of a patrician, so no they aren't the same.

Moderation and the Hex decide who gets hired in accordance to the constitution, now hex has the authority to veto the bill but if they don't moderation staff will have to follow the constitution while hiring

Indeed so, but the bill can easily be changed, IMO it should. And i dont see why it shouldnt. If a content director can be anyone but chosen by hex, a moderator should be the same.

[Vaðarholmr]

I would not be so quick to limit moderation to patricians, at least wait for moderation to state what they think of it.
*not talking for moderation*

I like both the proposals currently under discussion. I would have to think some more of the matter.

[Ishan]

IMO moderation overseers will see which members are worthy to become mods, and i do think they could find good men among the pleibians.

There are several "plebs" who can do far better moderation than any active citizen in curia. Only reason why they can't hire them is because curia wouldn't deem them citizen worthy due to ridiculous standards expected from "plebs".

[jimkatalanos]

Better not change the General Staff, both tiers should be eligible for moderators.

Plebs is an awful name btw.

[Inarus]

Moderation to "Plebeians" seems most apt, particularly with all the issues Rome 2 is bringing in.

Plebeians? Bourgeois? Or the going favourite:

Love how no one is able to propose something these days without writing something that offends someone in their opening post

Activity to Curia, even potential for more Moderators if OP is changed, this generally has my Support

[Joseph Simonyi de Vitézvár]

I think it can be worse in the long run in the sense that if someone wants to become a member of the Moderation staff and you put them in the lower tier, they will still have to get into the higher tier and if the standards are ridiculous high, then it will take basically the same amount of time for them to do it and thus defeat the whole point though. The main issue should be is the bar set to high.

[Lord William]

your underestimating the power the plebs are going to have, they will hold the majority of the voting power when it come to elections patricians are going to try and appease the masses to get elected. So no i don't think standards will rise too high cause the plebs wouldn't for high standards

[Sir Adrian]

I'm particularly interested in it, but it would give good members who lack the time to get in via the traditional ways a chance to make their voice heard.

I support it.


One question: will the status of citizen tier II play any role in one's citizen I application (I dislike the names of plebs and patricians)

[Lord William]

its a continuation your points accumulate the good and the bad

[Joseph Simonyi de Vitézvár]

your underestimating the power the plebs are going to have, they will hold the majority of the voting power when it come to elections patricians are going to try and appease the masses to get elected. So no i don't think standards will rise too high cause the plebs wouldn't for high standards

I certainly hope so.


I guess anything probably is better then what's going on now to be quite honest.


I support.

[Diamat]

That's an excellent point about moderation. Since the consensus here seems to be to make both plebs and patricians eligible, I changed the proposal accordingly.

And what jim said about the word "pleb," I agree. It's not really the best choice of words. Does anyone have a good alternative?