Proposal categories
This article is part of the project to document the change from the United Nations to the World Assembly within the NS world.
IMPORTANT: Before contributing to this article, you are advised to consult this discussion.
- This article has been partly taken from [1] and [2]. However, please note that NSwiki is not an official source for game rules.
Proposal categories describe the effects of resolutions upon WA Members. Every proposal submitted to the WA must be included in the correct category. Some have proved more popular over the years, with more Human Rights resolutions having passed than almost all others put together; Social Justice and Free Trade has also been widely used, while some categories have never seen a resolution pass, such as Gambling and Gun Control.
Since the separation of the WA into two separate branches, there are two distinct resolution types that can be introduced to the world body, with separate rules and conventions: the General Assembly, which includes all the traditional categories for WA legislation, and the Security Council.
General Assembly resolution types
Environmental
- A resolution to increase the quality of the world's environment, at the expense of industry.
Precisely what it sounds like. Any Environmental resolution will cause a hit to your industries while improving the environment. Any proposal written for this category should preferably talk about industry having to somehow pay for environmental improvements. Of course, this could be abstracted by saying that the government taxes industry more to implement an environmental plan of some kind. Unlike for most other categories, Environmental resolutions are subclassified by "Area of Effect": Automobile Manufacturing, Uranium Mining or Woodchipping industries, or All Businesses. No successful resolution has ever affected Uranium Mining, while the others have all been reasonably popular. While the NSUN passed a great number of Environmental resolutions, the WA has avoided environmental issues for the most part.
The decline in popularity of this category in recent years may stem from the perception that many of the NSUN's Environmental resolutions were of a very low quality. Indeed, all of the first five and eight of the first ten Environmental resolutions were repealed. The Green Think Tank was for a time an active organization in trying to specifically improve this category, producing several resolutions and Repeal "Save the forests of the World". By contrast, the growing number of repeals angered some: for example, the impending passage of Repeal "Stop dumping - Start Cleaning" prompted Ariddia's transfer of membership to its puppet, ESAT.
Human Rights
- A resolution to improve worldwide human and civil rights.
Human Rights is the polar opposite to Moral Decency. Resolutions in this category increase Civil Freedoms, and are in theory about allowing citizens greater control over personal aspects of their own lives. More Human Rights resolutions have been passed than in any other proposal category, and almost as many as in all other categories put together. From the early days of the NSUN to the recent WA, this category has been by far the most popular with legislators (in terms of sheer number of proposals) and voters (many of the resolutions with the biggest voting percentages have been in this category, including Female Genital Mutilation).
Moral Decency
- A resolution to restrict civil freedoms in the interest of moral decency.
Whereas Human Rights resolutions increase Civil Freedoms, Moral Decency ones decrease them. Used sparingly by the UN (although Outlaw Necrophilia and Abortion Legality Convention were key examples of the category's application), the World Assembly so far has considered just one Moral Decency proposal, and defeated it.
Free Trade
- A resolution to reduce barriers to free trade and commerce.
Proposals in this category increase Economic Freedoms, though not necessarily economic strength. Free Trade resolutions were quite popular in the UN, with multiple free-trade, standardization and intellectual-property agreements having passed the world body, but the WA of late has been trending against the category, with a repeal of a previously passed free-trade agreement, a defeat of a replacement, and even a defeat of a resolution on currency exchange.
Social Justice
- A resolution to reduce income inequality and increase basic welfare.
Social Justice is arguably the most complex category in the game. It is not a direct opposite to Free Trade, in that it not only reduces Economic Freedoms (and seemingly economic strength) but also boosts spending in Social Welfare and Healthcare, as well as making tax rates higher and more progressive. Although Social Justice has been a reasonably popular category (in both the UN and the WA), its effects have not been, with many nations complaining of recessions in the wake of Significant or Strong resolutions in this category passing.
The Furtherment of Democracy
- A resolution to increase democratic freedoms.
These proposals increase Political Freedoms, but do not necessarily force governments to become democracies (despite what many inexperienced players might argue). Very few of the Furtherment of Democracy proposals that reach the WA floor actually deal with elections or democratic rule, but instead simply focus on increasing political freedoms. Examples include Freedom of Assembly resolutions passed by both the United Nations and the World Assembly and the UN's Fair Sentencing Act.
In late 2002 and early 2003 a number of proposals were submitted using this category that recommended changes to how the United Nations and NationStates were designed. When the NationStates forum switched to the Jolt forum in July 2004 these resolutions were removed on the grounds that the text of the resolutions were really calling for changes in game mechanics. Today it is illegal submit a proposal in any category that proposes a change in game mechanics.
In its later years, the UN did not use the Furtherment of Democracy category much, and the trend has continued in the World Assembly -- though a free-expression act defeated by the UN was later passed by the WA.
Political Stability
- A resolution to restrict political freedoms in the interest of law and order.
The direct opposite to The Furtherment of Democracy, the Political Stability is designed to decrease Political Freedoms. It does not necessarily force dictatorships or abolish democracy, however: it could simply be removing certain issues from democratic control. The category has not been very popular in either the UN or the WA, but Rights and Duties resolutions passed under both bodies were Political Stability resolutions, as was the controversial World Assembly Headquarters.
Gun Control
- A resolution to tighten or relax gun control laws.
Remember that Personal/Civil Freedoms have subcategories. (Actually, Economic and Political Freedoms also have subcategories, but it's Civil that concerns us here.) "Human Rights" and "Moral Decency" affect the overall government control on the personal lives of citizens. "Gun Control" affects the degree of freedom regarding the private possession and use of firearms.
"Tighten" increases government regulation on the private use of firearms while "Relax" reduces these regulations. No resolution has ever passed in the Gun Control category.
This proposal category discusses only the private, personal possession of firearms, and does not address the use of guns by agents of the government (the police and military). Proposals concerning police or military weaponry are filed under "Global Disarmament" or "International Security".
International Security
- A resolution to improve world security by boosting police and military budgets.
International Security increases both Defense and Law & Order budgets, though it has a greater effect on the former. The category has been used often in both the UN and the WA, but it has suffered key defeats in the past, notably the Anti-Terrorism Act and the Prohibition of UN Military in the UN.
International Security cannot be used to establish a world military or police force (as it is, the World Assembly has already outlawed world police forces anyway). International Security resolutions may only change the level of national government spending.
Global Disarmament
- A resolution to slash worldwide military spending.
The opposite to the International Security category, Global Disarmament proposals cut military and police spending. Resolutions under this category were very popular in the UN, but the WA thus far has passed just two Global Disarmament documents.
Gambling
- A resolution to legalize or outlaw gambling.
Precisely what it sounds like. "Outlaw" will ban gambling (and eliminate the gambling industry) in all WA member nations while "Legalize" will allow gambling in all UN member nations.
No Gambling proposal has ever even reached quorum, and proposals submitted under this category have tended to be of poor quality.
Recreational Drug Use
- A resolution to ban, legalize, or encourage recreational drugs.
Precisely what it sounds like. "Outlaw" will impose a drug ban, "Legalize" and "Promote" will remove drug bans. They also have effects on the "Drugs" subcategory of Civil Freedoms; "Outlaw" will instantly impose total government control on drugs, "Legalize" will relax government control on drugs, and "Promote" will impose zero government control on drugs. "Promote" will also increase overall Civil Freedoms, but will not push it past the center. Just three UN resolutions dealing with drug use reached quorum, one of which was defeated, and another was just a blocker to prevent further legislation on the subject. The World Assembly has yet to consider a Recreational Drug Use resolution.
Advancement of Industry
- A resolution to develop industry around the world.
This is a wide-ranging pro-business Category that more accurately reflects the power of corporations in Jennifer Government. Added in March 2006 along with Education and Creativity, this category has four possible areas of effect: Labor Deregulation, Environmental Deregulation, Protective Tariffs and Tort Reform. As yet, it has not been widely used in either institution, and not at all in the WA. The UN passed only one such resolution, Individual Working Freedoms, while two others that reached quorum, both by the same author, were either withdrawn or removed from the floor prior to vote.
Education and Creativity
- A resolution to promote funding and the development of education and the arts.
Added in March 2006 along with Advancement of Industry, proposals in this category have four possible Areas of Effect: Educational, Artistic, Cultural Heritage, and Free Press. Education and Creativity resolutions were applied often in the UN, with resolutions ranging from the well-written (UN Educational Aid Act) to the innately silly and illegal (Max Barry Day). The WA has passed four resolutions under this category.
Bookkeeping
- A resolution to establish administrative parameters.
This category was never considered a permanent fixture of the game, and was only used for a special resolution by Maxtopia to establish the World Assembly after the United Nations' demise in April 2008.
Repeal
- A proposal to repeal a previously passed resolution
- Main article: Repeal
Any resolution passed by either branch of the World Assembly can be repealed, except for repeals themselves. Repeals have been widely used since their initial implementation during the UN -- especially in repealing older, poorly written resolutions and those which are ambiguous or ineffective -- but their success rate in both institutions has been relatively low when compared with substantive categories.
Security Council resolution types
In June 2009, the World Assembly was divided into two separate branches: the General Assembly and the Security Council, with the latter addressing situations in specific nations or regions. General Assembly rules regarding metagaming, etc., do not apply to SC proposals, which are regulated by a separate ruleset.
The following are resolution types that can be introduced to the Council.
Commendation
- A resolution to recognize outstanding contribution by a nation or region.
Added to the game in May 2009, along with Condemnations, Commendations seek to recognize and appreciate the services and contributions of a nation or a region in NationStates. Nominees do not have to be members of the World Assembly. Commendations add a special badge to the nation or region being commended; a repeal of a commendation removes it. Kandarin was the first nation to be commended by the Security Council and 10000 Islands the first region.
Condemnation
- A resolution to express shock and dismay at a nation or region.
Added to the game in May 2009, along with Commendations, Condemnations seek to rebuke the actions of a nation or a region in NationStates. Nominees do not have to be members of the World Assembly. Condemnations add a special badge to the nation or region being condemned; a repeal of a condemnation removes it. Condemn Omigodtheykilledkenny was the first successful Condemnation of a nation, and Condemn Macedon was the first for a region ("successful" solely in that they passed: it is noteworthy that residents of both Omigodtheykilledkenny and Macedon were seen to celebrate their Condemnations as much their authors).
Liberation
- A resolution to strike down Delegate-imposed barriers to free entry in a region
Liberation resolutions remove password protection on specific regions. The category is intended to apply only to regions that have been invaded, to prevent de facto griefing, but in reality any region can legally be "liberated." Repealing a Liberation resolution allows the Regional Delegate to re-institute password protection. The first region to be liberated was Belgium.
