Like Checks and Balances? Why don't you try these on for size.

Seven Shields Against Government Tyranny


Do you think your government does a good job of keeping you safe? What about when it comes to keeping you safe from itself? That's always the hardest part of designing a good government. How do you protect the people when someone decides to "go rogue"?

Chances are, your government doesn't have even half as many safeguards as we do.

Want to take over the world via The Global Assembly? Ha. Good luck, you're gonna need it. Any young dictator or antichrist will have so many hoops to jump through that it will be virtually impossible for them (or anyone else) to use their position in The Global Assembly to hurt people.

Shield One: An educated and informed populace 

As cliche as it sounds, engaged citizens who know what's going on are always the first line of defense against government overreach. Current elections don't give people enough time at the polls to make a smart decision. We think that election day should be more like election week- so you have enough time to come in for an hour and actually read about the candidates' positions (in their own words) before voting. Each election, the local electoral district would compile a pamphlet giving each candidate and party 2 or 3 pages to "sell themselves" to the voter. You would need to read this book and answer some very basic multiple-choice questions about the candidate (like what's their name, what is their policy on x issue) before you are allowed to vote.

Does it slow people down? Yes. But that's the entire point. If you have no idea who the candidates are or where they stand on the issues, you shouldn't be voting in the first place.

Shield Two: Nested Councils

Unlike in today's democracies, a young dictator can't just pretend to be a man of the people and run for high-level public offices. The Global Assembly's motto is "The Best Government, for The Best People". If you want to make it to the top, you have to start from the bottom and prove that you have what it takes. Every politician starts in a regional assembly. The regional assembly then chooses the national assembly, the national assembly chooses the global. Over time, the wheat gets separated from the chaff and the cream rises to the top.

This is also an extension of the previous principle. Normal citizens usually don't have the time or energy to keep in touch with every issue at every level of government- and that leaves them very vulnerable to manipulation by the mass media. By allowing each assembly to select the members of the next-higher assembly, we hold politicians accountable to a small group of people who are watching them like a hawk.

Because delegates don't have to worry about the next election, they can afford to think long-term. Partisan division is greatly reduced because seats in higher assemblies aren't publicly fought in huge, overstuffed, heavily politicized winner-take-all elections. The only seats that really matter are local seats, and local assemblies are too small for political parties to develop anyway.

Shield Three: The Rich and Powerful 

In the new system, the rich and powerful are on your side. The Global Assembly transforms the greed of the wealthy into a public asset- so you can relax, we're all on the same team. Contributism means that it's no longer profitable for big business and big government to conspire against the people. As a matter of fact, the wealthy compete against each other to design and implement the best public policy so they can earn the most profit. Any public official who expresses the slightest intent of abusing their power will immediately be voted out of office by the shareholders. Even potential laws or measures that negatively impact public welfare (profits) will be vetoed. The rich's investment in society is just too great for them to let incompetent leaders rule.

Imagine the ruthlessness of the corporate world applied to politics. Except, in this case, instead of failing to make enough money, people who don't produce enough social improvement get fired.

Shield Four: Instant Recall 

Any lower assembly that sent you up can bring you down. Delegates can be censured or recalled at any time- so if they slip up or step over the line, they'll be out before the day is up. At the same time, if they develop a consistent track record of good governance, they have a big opportunity to advance. The takeaway is this: You may be high in the ranks, but one small mistake can bring you crashing down, as it should. You don't win once then consider yourself safe for the next four years. You are to always act in the best interests of the people.

Shield Five: Political Decentralization 

The name "Global Assembly" conjures images of an all-powerful world government controlling everything and telling you what to do. Nothing could be further from the truth. Power is deliberately kept close to the people and mainly exercised not at the regional or national level, but the local level. Cities and towns are sovereign, autonomous entities. They can do anything they want so long as it doesn't interfere with the normal operation of nearby cities. Each higher assembly mainly plays a coordinative and administrative role, resolving disputes among cities and managing trade. Higher assemblies also allow cities to pool money together to fund common projects. They do create some policy, but for the most part it's in the form of long-term general guidelines, not edicts or directives. 

Political decentralization is vertical too, not just horizontal. Each assembly has a bicameral legislature so a bill needs to be approved twice before it becomes law- once in the democratically-elected upper assembly, and once by the shareholders. Bills can be sent back for revision if a third (17/50) of the assemblies underneath feel it violates subsidiarity. If a bill is condemned by over half the assemblies underneath it (25/50), it dies. 

Shield Six: Global Demilitarization

Looking to take over the army and just force your way into power? Nope. Once the global assembly is authorized by the people, there will be no need for war since everyone's basic needs are taken care of. After ratification, every offensive military weapon designed to hurt or kill people will be destroyed. This includes nuclear warheads, bombs, chemical weapons and biological agents. If you want to storm the armories of the future, all you will find are a few rifles and grenades- way less than what you need if you wanted to take over the world.

Shield Seven: The People

And finally, if you get through all of that, Mr. Hitler, you still need to deal with us- the people.

Any act, law, ruling, regulation or government official (save judges) can be removed by the people at any time via referendum.

The proposer will have a set number of days to collect signatures as specified in the constitution. The higher the assembly you're targeting, the more signatures you'll need- but a challenged law must be put to public vote where everyone gets to decide if it stays or goes.

Now, considering all of that.. How will any dictator manage to amass enough power to quote unquote "take over the world" and implement a 1984-style fascist dystopia? Nobody will let them seize power outright, and if they try to go stealth mode they'll be removed by the people whenever they try anything funny. The Global Assembly isn't about centralizing power. It's about decentralizing it and putting it back where it belongs.