| Back | Governance of a National State | April 2004 (updated) |
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National Ruling Class A National State needs a National Ruling Class with the education, the time and inclination to look after the government of the country. Not all the population should be part of the Ruling Class. It is not necessary for everybody to be concerned with the job of government, when there are other jobs to do. The Ruling Class should rule according to ‘Holarchic’ principles – ie it should seek to rule in the best interests of the whole nation, taking everybody into account. Different groups and communities in society should have as much freedom as is compatible with overall harmony. The Ruling Class should seek to maximize the welfare of the nation, with some concern also for the welfare of those outside the nation. The Ruling Class needs a degree of common culture among its members so that they can communicate with each other and come to a consensus on matters that require such. The Ruling Class needs to be in proper contact with the rest of the population so that they are alive to their concerns and needs. The Ruling Class should be made up of people who are members of the national culture, so that they share the same culture and loyalties as the people who they are governing for. The Ruling Class needs to be large enough that it cannot be influenced by pressure from criminal or despotic powers. The Ruling Class need to take proper care of the instruments of state. They should seek to appoint the best people to positions of influence. The most important posts should go to indigenous people. The whole population should have the chance to give or withhold its consent from a government. - Parliament is there to provide a direct contact between the people and their government. Members of parliament should represent their constituents or the general public interest. - Government is there to manage the country in the way the people would wish it to be managed if they had the wisdom and expertise to do so. - The Police are there to maintain public order. It should be independent and serve the public interest. - The Army is there to defend the nation, and to act on the will of the nation. - The Justice system is there to punish wrongs committed in a way that provides a degree of resolution of issues to all parties concerned, and deters future crimes. It should approximate to the principles of natural justice with the seriousness of the punishment reflecting the harm caused by the crime. It should do its best to discover the true facts of a case. It should be impartial. In cases of uncertainty it should strike the right balance between the risk of letting off the guilty and convicting the innocent. It should strike the right balance of cost between the need for good decisions and the ability of people to afford them. - The Television Service is there both to shape the people and to entertain them. It has a duty to bring issues to the attention of the public with the degree of prominence that reflects the importance or urgency of the issue. It has a duty to reflect the realities of the world with a degree of faithfullness. - The Education system plays its part in the development of young people. It should pay attention both to the personal development of individuals for its own sake, and to the future needs of the country. - The Banking system is there to provide the best banking services to the population. The National Bank should be under public control. Money should be put into circulation to match the value of goods and services being exchanged. The government should not borrow from private banks. The practice of charging interest on debts should be curtailed. Welfare The welfare of a person may depend for instance on the richness and suitability of situations they come into, the degree to which their actions meet with a satisfactory response, the degree to which they are free to seek the best opportunities, the degree of choice of opportunities open to them., their ability to control the environment around them, their ability to get their needs met. The welfare of a nation can be judged by the sum of the welfare of its members and the degree to which current dynamics within society will lead to the future welfare of members. The political culture should draw closely on the traditional political culture of the core nation, with some developments that have been proved necessary to safeguard the political system from scientific Despotic forces. People must be educated in values and understanding that encourage them to act as an effective force in maintaining the state as an instrument of Social good. Those likely to form the Ruling Class need to be especially well trained in the understanding, arts, and values needed for good government. Value should be placed on the formation of strong families, communities and organisations that are able to provide different kinds of experiences and services to those who come into them. Value should be placed in distributing power , for instance by maintaining the independence of public institutions, by providing the conditions for people to set up their own civil organisations, by distributing wealth, by minimizing government supervision and interference. Nevertheless it is necessary to maintain government power sufficient for it to combat threats to the state. |