Evolution of the TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic Constitution
Background
The Constitution began as a set of rules set down by the council of TiP Nation Island. It then began to be organized and brought together into a single body. Various drafts were made at different times. For your convenience, the date of creation is listed with each draft. So far, all drafts have been written by Matt Gibson, but nothing is contained therein that did not clear the council. Not all of the rules were written by Matt Gibson, either, but almost all of them ended up in the Constitution. This Constitution is now the Supreme Law of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic.
Rules
Main
The rules of TiP Nation Island preceded the Constitution. Meticulous records were kept of these rules, and they have been reproduced below.
We will not be cowed into inaction or ineffectiveness this time. We will listen to your concerns, but we will not tolerate people who are only here to troll. By joining this endeavor, you are agreeing to the council system and the rules it sets up. You are free to voice dissent to these rules and challenge them in a polite, respectful manner. In turn, the council will answer all concerns raised and will speak to other members in a polite, respectful manner.
First Council Members (7/16/12): Matt Gibson, Kate Evans, Ethan Katz, Jak Dougherty, Bora Gunay
1. The councilmembers each get one vote. Majority rules.
2. You may not rescind an action, but you may vote against your own action.
Votes for: Matt, Kate, Ethan
Votes Against: Jak
Date: 7/16/12
3. You may step down at any time.
Votes for: Matt, Kate, Ethan, Jak
Votes Against: None
Date: 7/16/12
4. A councilmember may not be barred from the council without due cause and a public vote of TiPsters.
Votes For: Matt, Kate, Jak
Votes Against: None
Date: 7/16/12
5. Decisions are made by the majority of the council in attendance, provided the number in attendance is greater than three, not the council at large.
Votes For: Matt, Kate, Jak
Votes Against: None
Date: 7/16/12
6. Any member of the council may call a meeting at any time, provided that they give 24 hours notice to the other members of the council.
Votes For: Matt, Bora
Votes Against: Jak
Date: 7/16/12
7. Any rule written by a council of three that is not unanimously passed shall be marked by underlining and may be challenged when a council of five is convened.
Votes For: Matt, Jak, Bora
Votes Against: None
Date: 7/16/12
8. Anything that is put to the group as a whole (not just the council) for a vote must be available for exactly 72 hours, at which time we can take results.
Votes For: Matt, Jak, Bora
Votes Against: None
Date: 7/16/12
9. A councilmember has a term lasting one year.
Votes For: Jak, Bora
Votes Against: Matt
Date: 7/16/12
10. A councilmember may run for re-election as many times as he/she wishes.
Votes For: Matt, Bora
Votes Against: Jak
Date: 7/16/12
11. A record of the votes for any rule will be kept.
Votes For: Matt, Jak, Bora
Votes Against: None
Date: 7/16/12
12. The record of votes on the rules will be made available to any member of TiPnation upon request.
Votes For: Matt, Jak, Bora
Votes Against: None
Date: 7/16/12
13. The council serves first as a body that generates legislation. Second as a body that serves by addressing the needs of the people who consider us to be an authority (ie, the citizens of TiPnation), through the use of aforementioned legislation.
Votes For: Matt, Jak, Bora
Votes Against: None
Date: 7/16/12
14. The Bill of Rights will be written either by a council of five or by the second council meeting held after 7/16/12.
For: Matt, Jak, Bora
Against: None
Date: 7/16/12
15. Rules that tie will be marked in italics and will be decided at the next council of five.
For: Matt, Jak, Kate
Against: None
Date: 7/16/12
16. a. Rules passed by the council will be put monthly to a public vote. A two-thirds majority may override the rule.
For: Matt, Kate, Jak, Bora
Against: None
Date: 7/16/12
b. At least two members of the council must dissent from the rule to be able to put it to public vote.
For: Matt, Kate
Against: Jak, Bora
Date: 7/16/12
17. Members of the public may propose rules. However, the council will vote on these rules and decide them.
For: Matt, Kate
Against: None (Jak was present but declined to vote)
Date: 7/16/12
Second Council Members (7/20/12): Matt Gibson, Kate Evans, Lucas Ryan, Marissa Osterhout, Jak Dougherty
18. In order for a nonTiPster to join the group after 7/20/12, he/she must be vetted by, and gain the approval of, two councilmembers.
For: Matt, Marissa, Jak
Against: None
Date: 7/20/12
19. A member of the group’s membership may be challenged at any time, given due cause. The council will decide whether they may remain or must go. In the event that a member is voted to go, the dissent of two or more councilmembers will cause this decision to go to public vote.
For: Matt, Marissa, Jak
Against: None
Date: 7/20/12
20. There shall be an executive branch of two consuls. Their powers will be defined by a council of five.
For: Matt, Marissa, Jak
Against: None
Date: 7/20/12
21. The consuls shall have the power to regulate the Facebook page and shall be able to remove people at will. If their actions are challenged, the council will vote to legitimize. In order to prevent trolls from keeping each other, this will not go to public vote.
For: Matt, Jak, Lucas
Against: None
Decline to vote: Kate
Date: 7/21/12
Third Council Members (7/22/12): Matt Gibson, Cameron Robertson, Marissa Osterhout, Lucas Ryan, Dylan Quintal, Kate Gibson
First Consuls (7/22/12): Ian Chiles and Braden Gammon
22. All public votes will begin on a Thursday and end on a Sunday.
For: Matt, Marissa, Kate, Lucas, Dylan
Against: None
Date: 7/27/12
Fourth Council Members (7/28/12): Matt Gibson, Cameron Robertson, Marissa Osterhout, Lucas Ryan, Dylan Quintal, Kate Gibson, Harry Adams
23. In order to amend or overrule an existing rule, a motion must gain 2/3 of the council vote (rounded up, so 4/5 not 3/5) and 2/3 of the popular vote.
For: Harry, Matt, Kate
Against: None
Date: 7/28/12
24. If the consuls are agreed, they may veto a law within 72 hours of its passage. A ¾ vote of the council will override the veto and send it to a public vote. If a majority of the public agrees with the law, it will be passed.
For: Matt, Kate, Harry
Against: None
Date: 7/28/12
25. If there is any campaigning involved, mudslinging should be strictly prohibited. If it is decided by a vote that mudslinging has occurred, the candidate should have to remove himself from the race.
For: Matt, Marissa, Kate
Against: Harry
Date: 7/28/12
Vetoed: Ian and Braden on 8/4/12
26. Must win 40% of vote to be reelected after 10 years.
For: Matt, Kate, Harry, Marissa
Against: None
Date: 7/28/12
27. The council may kick a member off by calling a vote of no-confidence and getting the consent of every other councilmember.
For: Marissa, Kate
Against: Harry, Matt
Date: 7/28/12
28. The council will follow Parliamentary Procedure.
For: Matt, Harry, Marissa, Kate
Against: None
Date: 7/28/12
29. If there is ever pay for the council, it will not exceed 20% of the average pay for a working citizen.
For: Matt, Kate, Harry, Marissa
Against: None
Date: 7/28/12
30. The government of TiPnation will not recognize political parties.
For: Matt, Kate, Harry, Marissa
Against: None
Date: 7/28/12
31. A councilmember who misses five meetings in a row without adequate excuse may be dismissed from the council.
For: Harry, Kate, Marissa
Against: Matt
Date: 7/28/12
32. The council will meet on either one or two days of the week, which shall be the same every week, and the time will be announced prior to the meeting.
For: Harry, Kate, Marissa, Matt
Against: None
Date: 7/28/12
Fifth Council Members (8/4/12): Matt Gibson, Cameron Robertson, Marissa Osterhout, Lucas Ryan, Dylan Quintal, Kate Gibson, Harry Adams, Evan Tiemann
33. We do a check on every new member of the group, to ensure they are a legitimate person.
For: Matt, Harry, Kate
Against: None
Date: 8/4/12
34. The consuls have a term lasting 2 years.
For: Kate, Matt, Marissa, Dylan, Evan
Against: Harry
Date: 8/4/12
Vetoed: Braden and Ian 8/4/12
35. a. The consuls may not veto a law dealing with their powers or salaries
b. The consuls may not veto this law.
For: Kate, Matt, Marissa, Dylan, Evan
Against: Harry, Lucas
Date: 8/4/12
36. The council will start a Kickstarter.
For: Kate, Matt, Dylan
Against: Harry, Evan
Date: 8/4/12
Vetoed: Ian and Braden on 8/4/12
37. Rule 35 is hereby repealed. 35a will be voted on again in a week. In that time, there will be public discussion of the rule.
For: Matt, Harry, Lucas, Marissa, Cameron, Dylan
Against: None
Date: 8/5/12
38. There shall be a separate Facebook group called "TiP Nation Council" that contains only current council members and consuls. The group will be open so anybody can see the posts, and admins must approve members. The group address will be tipnationcouncil@groups.facebook.com, and anybody may submit proposals by emailing to that address.
For: Matt, Lucas, Evan, Marissa
Against: None
Date: 8/5/12
39. Rule 23 is hereby amended to read, “In order to amend or overrule an existing rule, a motion must gain 2/3 of the entire council vote (rounded up, so 4/5 not 3/5) and 2/3 of the popular vote."
For: Matt, Lucas, Evan, Dylan, Marissa, Kate
Against: None
Date: 8/5/12
Public Vote: For: 24. Against: 3
40. The council hereby overrides the consuls’ veto on Rule 36.
For: Evan, Marissa, Lucas, Matt, Dylan, Kate
Against: Harry
Date: 8/6/12
Public Vote: For: 22. Against: 4
Sixth Council Members (8/19/12): Matt Gibson, Cameron Robertson, Marissa Osterhout, Lucas Ryan, Dylan Quintal, Kate Gibson, Alex Allen, Evan Tiemann, Joe Neely
41. While rights may be added to the Bill of Rights and existing rights may be amended, once added, rights may not be overruled or taken away.
For: Matt, Dylan, Kate, Cameron, Evan, Lucas
Against: None
Date: 8/7/12
42. The elected judges of the Supreme Court shall have a term of 3 years
For: Matt, Kate, Dylan, Joe, Lucas
Against: None
Date: 8/20/12
43. The appointed judges of the Supreme Court shall have a term of 1 year
For: Matt, Kate, Dylan, Joe, Alex, Marissa
Against: None
Date: 8/20/12
44. Elected judges may run for re-election but may not have two consecutive terms.
For: Matt, Kate, Dylan, Alex, Lucas
Against: None
Date: 8/20/12
45. The new executive branch will be composed of a prime minister for internal affairs, a secretary of diplomacy for external affairs, and a supervisor.
For: Dylan, Alex, Matt, Marissa
Against: Evan
Date: 8/20/12
46. The Prime Minister and Secretary of Diplomacy shall be elected; the Supervisor shall be appointed by the council.
For: Dylan, Alex, Matt, Evan, Marissa
Against: None
Date: 8/20/12
47. The Supreme Court shall have the power of judicial review, the power to hear all cases against the government or government officials, the power to strip government officials of position if they are found guilty of any crime, including but not limited to corruption, the power to be the final say in criminal and civil cases.
For: Matt, Evan, Marissa, Kate, Alex
Against: None
Date: 8/21/12
48. The Supreme Court may choose whether or not to hear suits against civilians or allow lower courts’ decisions to stand, but it must hear all cases in which the government or government officials shall be party.
For: Matt, Evan, Marissa, Kate, Alex
Against: None
Date: 8/21/12
Seventh Council Members (8/26/12): Matt Gibson, Lucas Ryan, Marissa Osterhout, Kate Gibson, Dylan Quintal, Alex Allen, Evan Tiemann, Joe Neely, Clayton Delp
49. 2/3 of the heads of the executive branch must agree to veto an act of the council.
For: Matt, Kate, Lucas, Marissa, Joe, Alex, Evan
Against: None
Date: 8/26/12
50. The supervisor will have the power to impeach the executives and call a trial by the Supreme Court.
For: Matt, Kate, Lucas, Marissa, Joe, Alex, Evan
Against: None
Date: 8/26/12
51. In areas where it is decided that there is overlap in the powers of the executives and the executives disagree on how to do things, the Supervisor will have the final say.
For: Alex, Matt, Marissa, Lucas, Kate, Evan
Against: None
Date: 8/26/12
52. All matters of foreign affairs, including, but not limited to, the appointment of ambassadors, the negotiation of treaties, the initial declaration of war, and the establishment of national defense but excepting those that shall be in the power of the council shall be in the realm of the Secretary of Diplomacy.
For: Matt, Marissa, Lucas, Kate, Evan
Against: Alex
Date: 8/26/12
53. The council shall have the power to lay and collect tariffs and import duties.
For: Kate, Marissa, Lucas, Alex, Evan, Matt
Against: None
Date: 8/26/12
54. The Secretary of Diplomacy shall be the commander-in-chief of the military.
For: Matt, Kate, Marissa, Lucas, Alex, Evan
Against: None
Date: 8/26/12
55. In the case of a tie in the council, the Prime Minister may cast a tie-breaking vote instead of opening the vote to the people. If the Prime Minister declines to cast a tie-breaking vote, the people will vote.
For: Kate, Marissa, Lucas, Alex, Evan, Matt
Against: None
Date: 8/26/12
56. The Executive Supervisor shall have the power to appoint a new Prime Minister in the case of death or removal from office via impeachment.
For: Kate, Marissa, Lucas, Alex, Evan, Matt
Against: None
Date: 8/26/12
57. In the case of death or impeachment of the Secretary of Diplomacy, the people shall vote in a new Secretary.
For: Kate, Marissa, Lucas, Alex, Evan, Matt
Against: None
Date: 8/26/12
58. In the case of death or impeachment of the Executive Supervisor, the council shall appoint a new Supervisor.
For: Kate, Marissa, Lucas, Evan, Matt
Against: Alex
Date: 8/26/12
59. The Prime Minister shall have a term of two years.
For: Kate, Marissa, Lucas, Alex, Evan, Matt
Against: None
Date: 8/26/12
60. The Secretary of Diplomacy shall have a term of two years.
For: Kate, Marissa, Lucas, Alex, Evan, Matt
Against: None
Date: 8/26/12
61. The Executive Supervisor shall have a term of one year.
For: Kate, Marissa, Lucas, Alex, Evan, Matt
Against: None
Date: 8/26/12
62. The Executive Supervisor shall ensure that the Prime Minister and Secretary of Diplomacy are informed of all new legislation passed by the council within three days of its passage.
For: Kate, Marissa, Lucas, Alex, Evan, Matt
Against: None
Date: 8/26/12
63. If two members of the executive branch veto an act of the council, it shall take a two-thirds vote of the entire council and a majority of the people to override it.
For: Kate, Marissa, Lucas, Alex, Evan, Matt
Against: None
Date: 8/26/12
64. If all three members of the executive branch veto an act of the council, it shall take a three-fourths vote of the entire council and a two-thirds vote of the people to override it.
For: Kate, Marissa, Lucas, Alex, Evan, Matt
Against: None
Date: 8/26/12
65. Abuse of the power of veto shall be considered an impeachable offense. If abuse is suspected, a majority vote of the council shall cause the Supreme Court to hear the case.
For: Matt, Kate, Marissa, Lucas, Evan
Against: Alex
Date: 8/26/12
66. The Prime Minister will be chief officer of the police force.
For: Matt, Kate, Marissa, Lucas, Joe
Against: Alex, Evan
Date: 8/26/12
Eighth Council Members (8/30/12): Matt Gibson, Lucas Ryan, Marissa Osterhout Dylan Quintal, Alex Allen, Evan Tiemann, Joe Neely, Clayton Delp
First Supreme Court (8/25/12): Brandon Scott (Chief Justice) (Appointee), Tyler Tinari, Margaret Overton, Alec Polansky, Nikolai Horbovetz (Appointee)
Bill of Rights:
1. Citizens of TiPnation have the right to own any arms they want, provided that they fulfill the following three requirements: 1). They must pass a psychological evaluation. 2). They must successfully complete a course in the use of firearms. 3). They must wait a period of five days after the class to be eligible to purchase a firearm. The government reserves the right to regulate the storage of firearms and to set up legislation regarding the proper usage of firearms, as well as adding tests for the purchase of upper-level firearms. The government also retains the right to determine the definition of an upper-level firearm.
For: Matt, Marissa, Lucas, Cameron
Against: Dylan
Date: 7/22/12
2. The citizens of TiPnation will be guaranteed the right to worship their own god(s) in their own way and the right to choose not to worship any god(s) insofar as the practice of these beliefs does not cause bodily harm to unwilling participants. The government of TiPnation will not block the creation of places of worship. The government of TiPnation shall not endorse any religious institution, nor shall the government of TiPnation fund such institutions.
For: Matt, Kate, Evan, Marissa, Cameron, Lucas
Against: None
Abstain: Dylan
Date: 8/7/12
3. The right of civil union will not be denied any couple based on sex or sexuality. Any two consenting adults may marry within our nation, provided they are in their right minds. This shall not be construed to allow union between a human being and a non-rational animal.
For: Matt, Kate, Evan, Marissa, Cameron, Dylan, Lucas
Against: None
Date: 8/7/12
4. The government of TiPnation recognizes that it cannot regulate the substances which its adult citizens desire to put in their bodies. However, the government shall hold its citizens responsible for their actions under the influence of said substances. The government shall require any companies with the intent to distribute substances for ingestion that are generally considered damaging to the health to provide thorough education for their consumers. The government retains the right to determine what activities may be undertaken while under the influence of substances that cause impairment. The government recognizes private citizens’ right to limit which substances may be ingested on their property.
For: Matt, Marissa, Kate, Dylan, Evan, Lucas
Against: None
Date: 8/7/12
5a. The people have a right to free speech. There are three instances where this right may be denied. First, speech that encourages its listeners to violence against others is not protected. Second, speech that encourages the overthrow of the government is not protected. This shall not be construed to disallow speech against the governmental legislation, the current members of the government, or any sort of criticisms of the government that do not encourage a coup. Finally, speech that is used to commit treason against the state by passing information about the state to enemy states in a period of war is not protected.
For: Matt, Dylan, Cameron, Evan, Marissa, Lucas, Kate
Against: None
Date: 8/8/12
5b. The government of TiPnation recognizes that it cannot regulate the Internet or any other such institutions. The use of the Internet falls under the right to free speech and is protected except in the three mentioned instances.
For: Matt, Lucas, Marissa, Evan, Kate
Against: None
Date: 8/8/12
6. Requirements for Government:
a. The consuls and all officials of TIP nation must be democratically elected, and a vote of no confidence may be proposed at any time.
b. They must be completely open about their dealings and act in the best interests of all of TIP Nation. They must not accept bribes or put their personal gain above the community in any way in regards to their votes and policies.
c. Any deceit including but not limited to voting fraud, secret dealings, and blackmail shall be released in a report to the public as soon as it is suspected and sufficient evidence is found. An investigation shall then be launched. Should the suspect be found guilty, ALL the people of TIP nation shall vote on an adequate punishment.
For: Dylan, Matt, Lucas, Kate, Evan
Against: None
Date: 8/8/12
7. Rights of the people under an oppressive regime:
a. If the officials of TIP nation do not operate under these requirements, the ruling body shall hereby be classified as an oppressive regime and the people shall be given emergency powers.
b. The people now have unconditional freedom of speech and may speak out in favor of a coup or other overthrow of the government. They may also plan the coup as needed, but these plans must be made public unless secrecy is an absolute necessity.
c. Once the government has been overthrown, the people shall elect a new council.
d. The people have the right to investigate any allegations of breaches of these requirements. They shall publicize the results. Any dealings with the investigator by the government to stop the publication shall be regarded as bribery. Should the investigator(s) accept any deal or withhold information in any way, they shall be subject to criminal court.
e. The government is allowed to respond to these allegations in a publication of their own, the public shall then decide whether to remove the government and may investigate both sides as each individual sees fit.
For: Dylan, Matt, Lucas, Kate, Evan
Against: None
Date: 8/8/12
Draft One
The Constitution of the Micronation of TiPsters
Let it be known that this Constitution represents the limitations of the government. This document shall be the chains that hold the government, the rope that binds its hands, and stone around its neck for the empowerment of the people.
Article I: The Legislative Branch
Section 1. The legislative branch shall be composed of a council of eleven duly elected representatives. Each member of this council shall receive one vote. Councilmembers may vote for the legislation, against the legislation, or may abstain from voting. Majority rules. Should members of this council be absent from a meeting, the votes shall be tallied based on the number present if and only if the number present is greater than half the council. Legislation passed in this manner may be challenged by another councilmember. If this occurs, the entire council must vote on the legislation in question. In the case of a tie, a revote shall be called and the entire council must vote. If the legislation is still tied, it shall be put up for a public vote.
Section 2. The council serves first as a body that generates legislation. Second as a body that serves by addressing the needs of the people who consider the council to be an authority (ie, the citizens of this nation), through the use of aforementioned legislation.
Section 3. A councilmember has a term lasting one year. A councilmember may run for reelection as many times as he wishes. After a period of ten years, a councilmember must receive forty percent or greater of the public vote to be re-elected. No councilmember shall ever receive pay in excess of twenty percent of the mean income of the citizens of this nation.
Section 4. A councilmember may step down at any time. A councilmember may be stripped of his position only by a public vote. If the councilmember is a serious threat to national security, an emergency meeting of the council may be called to temporarily depose him. In order to temporarily depose a councilmember in this fashion, every other councilmember present must vote to depose. A councilmember who misses five meetings in a row without adequate excuse may be dismissed from the council. If another councilmember challenges such a dismissal, it shall be put to a public vote.
Section 5. The council will hold an official meeting every Saturday evening. The time and location of this meeting shall be announced at least twenty four hours in advance. A councilmember may call an emergency meeting if he gives twenty four hours notice to all other councilmembers.
Section 6. All official decisions of the council shall be made public. The public has the right to be present at council meetings. An official record of the votes on any piece of legislation shall be kept and made available to the public.
Section 7. If one third or more of the members of the entire council dissent from a piece of legislation that has passed, that legislation shall be put to a public vote at the end of the month. If two thirds of the voters vote against the legislation, it shall be repealed.
Section 8. Members of the public shall have the right to prepare and present legislation before the council. However, the council will vote on the passage of the legislation in question.
Section 9. The council will keep its meetings civil and will follow Parliamentary Procedure to the best of its ability. If it is decided by the members of the public in attendance that the councilmembers are being unnecessarily disruptive or impolite to each other, there shall be a five minute interim after which the council shall reconvene. If there are still problems, the council will adjourn the meeting and reschedule it for a later date.
Section 10. In order to amend or overrule any part of this Constitution after such a date as it shall be deemed complete, the motion must gain the support of at least two thirds of the council and at least two thirds of the public.
Article II: The Bill of Rights
Section 1. While rights may be added to the Bill of Rights and existing rights may be amended, once added, rights may not be overruled or taken away.
Section 2. Citizens of TiPnation have the right to own any arms they want, provided that they fulfill the following three requirements: 1). They must pass a psychological evaluation. 2). They must successfully complete a course in the use of firearms. 3). They must wait a period of five days after the class to be eligible to purchase a firearm. The government reserves the right to regulate the storage of firearms and to set up legislation regarding the proper usage of firearms, as well as adding tests for the purchase of upper-level firearms. The government also retains the right to determine the definition of an upper-level firearm.
Section 3. The citizens of TiPnation will be guaranteed the right to worship their own god(s) in their own way and the right to choose not to worship any god(s) insofar as the practice of these beliefs does not cause bodily harm to unwilling participants. The government of TiPnation will not block the creation of places of worship. The government of TiPnation shall not endorse any religious institution, nor shall the government of TiPnation fund such institutions.
Section 4. The right of civil union will not be denied any couple based on sex or sexuality. Any two consenting adults may marry within our nation, provided they are in their right minds. This shall not be construed to allow union between a human being and a non-rational animal.
Section 5. The government of TiPnation recognizes that it cannot regulate the substances which its adult citizens desire to put in their bodies. However, the government shall hold its citizens responsible for their actions under the influence of said substances. The government shall require any companies with the intent to distribute substances for ingestion that are generally considered damaging to the health to provide thorough education for their consumers. The government retains the right to determine what activities may be undertaken while under the influence of substances that cause impairment. The government recognizes private citizens’ right to limit which substances may be ingested on their property.
Section 6. The people have a right to free speech. There are three instances where this right may be denied. First, speech that encourages its listeners to violence against others is not protected. Second, speech that encourages the overthrow of the government is not protected. This shall not be construed to disallow speech against the governmental legislation, the current members of the government, or any sort of criticisms of the government that do not encourage a coup. Finally, speech that is used to commit treason against the state by passing information about the state to enemy states in a period of war is not protected.
Section 7. The government of TiPnation recognizes that it cannot regulate the Internet or any other such institutions. The use of the Internet falls under the right to free speech and is protected except in the three mentioned instances.
Article III: The Requirements of Government and Rights of the People Under an Oppressive Regime
Section 1. Requirements for Government:
a. The consuls and all officials of TIP nation must be democratically elected, and a vote of no confidence may be proposed at any time.
b. They must be completely open about their dealings and act in the best interests of all of TIP Nation. They must not accept bribes or put their personal gain above the community in any way in regards to their votes and policies.
c. Any deceit including but not limited to voting fraud, secret dealings, and blackmail shall be released in a report to the public as soon as it is suspected and sufficient evidence is found. An investigation shall then be launched. Should the suspect be found guilty, ALL the people of TIP nation shall vote on an adequate punishment.
Section 2. Rights of the people under an oppressive regime:
a. If the officials of TIP nation do not operate under these requirements, the ruling body shall hereby be classified as an oppressive regime and the people shall be given emergency powers.
b. The people now have unconditional freedom of speech and may speak out in favor of a coup or other overthrow of the government. They may also plan the coup as needed, but these plans must be made public unless secrecy is an absolute necessity.
c. Once the government has been overthrown, the people shall elect a new council.
d. The people have the right to investigate any allegations of breaches of these requirements. They shall publicize the results. Any dealings with the investigator by the government to stop the publication shall be regarded as bribery. Should the investigator(s) accept any deal or withhold information in any way, they shall be subject to criminal court.
e. The government is allowed to respond to these allegations in a publication of their own, the public shall then decide whether to remove the government and may investigate both sides as each individual sees fit.
Draft Two
Let it be known that this Constitution represents the limitations of the government. This document shall be the chains that hold the government, the rope that binds its hands, and stone around its neck for the empowerment of the people.
Article I: The Requirements of Government and Rights of the People Under an Oppressive Regime
Section 1. Requirements for Government:
a. The consuls and all officials of TIP nation must be democratically elected, and a vote of no confidence may be proposed at any time.
b. They must be completely open about their dealings and act in the best interests of all of TIP Nation. They must not accept bribes or put their personal gain above the community in any way in regards to their votes and policies.
c. Any deceit including but not limited to voting fraud, secret dealings, and blackmail shall be released in a report to the public as soon as it is suspected and sufficient evidence is found. An investigation shall then be launched. Should the suspect be found guilty, ALL the people of TIP nation shall vote on an adequate punishment.
Section 2. Rights of the people under an oppressive regime:
a. If the officials of TIP nation do not operate under these requirements, the ruling body shall hereby be classified as an oppressive regime and the people shall be given emergency powers.
b. The people now have unconditional freedom of speech and may speak out in favor of a coup or other overthrow of the government. They may also plan the coup as needed, but these plans must be made public unless secrecy is an absolute necessity.
c. Once the government has been overthrown, the people shall elect a new council.
d. The people have the right to investigate any allegations of breaches of these requirements. They shall publicize the results. Any dealings with the investigator by the government to stop the publication shall be regarded as bribery. Should the investigator(s) accept any deal or withhold information in any way, they shall be subject to criminal court.
e. The government is allowed to respond to these allegations in a publication of their own, the public shall then decide whether to remove the government and may investigate both sides as each individual sees fit.
Article II: The Orderings of Government
Section 1. The government shall be split into three branches. These three branches shall be the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The people shall compose a fourth emergency branch of government.
Section 2. No member of the government, legislation by the government, or action within the government shall violate the rights of the people. This document shall not be interpreted to contain an exhaustive list of the rights of the people, although the rights mentioned in this document are guaranteed already.
Section 3. The government shall not recognize political parties. Political parties shall not appear on the ballot. This section shall not be interpreted to prohibit people from forming organizations based on political concerns.
Section 4. There shall be no mudslinging. If a candidate is accused of mudslinging, a public vote shall be open for twenty four hours to determine if mudslinging has occured. If it is decided that mudslinging has occurred, the candidate in question shall step down. Only members of the public can accuse a candidate of mudslinging; other candidates cannot make such accusations.
Article III: The Legislative Branch
Section 1. The legislative branch shall be composed of a council of eleven duly elected representatives. Each member of this council shall receive one vote. Councilmembers may vote for the legislation, against the legislation, or may abstain from voting. Majority rules. Should members of this council be absent from a meeting, the votes shall be tallied based on the number present if and only if the number present is greater than half the council. Legislation passed in this manner may be challenged by another councilmember. If this occurs, the entire council must vote on the legislation in question. In the case of a tie, a revote shall be called and the entire council must vote. If the legislation is still tied, it shall be put up for a public vote.
Section 2. The council serves first as a body that generates legislation. Second as a body that serves by addressing the needs of the people who consider the council to be an authority (ie, the citizens of this nation), through the use of aforementioned legislation.
Section 3. A councilmember has a term lasting one year. A councilmember may run for reelection as many times as he wishes. After a period of ten years, a councilmember must receive forty percent or greater of the public vote to be re-elected. No councilmember shall ever receive pay in excess of twenty percent of the mean income of the citizens of this nation.
Section 4. A councilmember may step down at any time. A councilmember may be stripped of his position only by a public vote. If the councilmember is a serious threat to national security, an emergency meeting of the council may be called to temporarily depose him. In order to temporarily depose a councilmember in this fashion, every other councilmember present must vote to depose. A councilmember who misses five meetings in a row without adequate excuse may be dismissed from the council. If another councilmember challenges such a dismissal, it shall be put to a public vote.
Section 5. The council will hold an official meeting every Saturday evening. The time and location of this meeting shall be announced at least twenty four hours in advance. A councilmember may call an emergency meeting if he gives twenty four hours notice to all other councilmembers.
Section 6. All official decisions of the council shall be made public. The public has the right to be present at council meetings. An official record of the votes on any piece of legislation shall be kept and made available to the public.
Section 7. If one third or more of the members of the entire council dissent from a piece of legislation that has passed, that legislation shall be put to a public vote at the end of the month. If two thirds of the voters vote against the legislation, it shall be repealed.
Section 8. Members of the public shall have the right to prepare and present legislation before the council. However, the council will vote on the passage of the legislation in question.
Section 9. The council will keep its meetings civil and will follow Parliamentary Procedure to the best of its ability. If it is decided by the members of the public in attendance that the councilmembers are being unnecessarily disruptive or impolite to each other, there shall be a five minute interim after which the council shall reconvene. If there are still problems, the council will adjourn the meeting and reschedule it for a later date.
Section 10. In order to amend or overrule any part of this Constitution after such a date as it shall be deemed complete, the motion must gain the support of at least two thirds of the council and at least two thirds of the public.
Article IV: The Judicial Branch
Section 1. The judicial branch shall be composed of a five person panel of judges. Two of these judges shall be appointed by the council; the remaining three shall be elected by the people.
Article V: The Executive Branch
(""This article was added but the executives and their powers were not yet determined. We just knew we wanted an executive branch."")
Article VI: The People in Government
Section 1. The people of this nation are expected to actively participate in their government. The people shall have various powers over their government. However, it is up to the people to exercise these powers.
Section 2. All proposals and elections put to a public vote must be available to all members of the public for exactly 72 hours. Results will be taken at that time. All elections shall begin on a Thursday and end on a Sunday.
Section 3. The people shall have the power to depose government officials at any time by calling a vote of no confidence. At least two-thirds of the people must vote in favor of deposing the official in question to successfully depose him.
Article VII: The Bill of Rights
Section 1. While rights may be added to the Bill of Rights and existing rights may be amended, once added, rights may not be overruled or taken away.
Section 2. Citizens of TiPnation have the right to own any arms they want, provided that they fulfill the following three requirements: 1). They must pass a psychological evaluation. 2). They must successfully complete a course in the use of firearms. 3). They must wait a period of five days after the class to be eligible to purchase a firearm. The government reserves the right to regulate the storage of firearms and to set up legislation regarding the proper usage of firearms, as well as adding tests for the purchase of upper-level firearms. The government also retains the right to determine the definition of an upper-level firearm.
Section 3. The citizens of TiPnation will be guaranteed the right to worship their own god(s) in their own way and the right to choose not to worship any god(s) insofar as the practice of these beliefs does not cause bodily harm to unwilling participants. The government of TiPnation will not block the creation of places of worship. The government of TiPnation shall not endorse any religious institution, nor shall the government of TiPnation fund such institutions.
Section 4. The right of civil union will not be denied any couple based on sex or sexuality. Any two consenting adults may marry within our nation, provided they are in their right minds. This shall not be construed to allow union between a human being and a non-rational animal.
Section 5. The government of TiPnation recognizes that it cannot regulate the substances which its adult citizens desire to put in their bodies. However, the government shall hold its citizens responsible for their actions under the influence of said substances. The government shall require any companies with the intent to distribute substances for ingestion that are generally considered damaging to the health to provide thorough education for their consumers. The government retains the right to determine what activities may be undertaken while under the influence of substances that cause impairment. The government recognizes private citizens’ right to limit which substances may be ingested on their property.
Section 6. The people have a right to free speech. There are three instances where this right may be denied. First, speech that encourages its listeners to violence against others is not protected. Second, speech that encourages the overthrow of the government is not protected. This shall not be construed to disallow speech against the governmental legislation, the current members of the government, or any sort of criticisms of the government that do not encourage a coup. Finally, speech that is used to commit treason against the state by passing information about the state to enemy states in a period of war is not protected.
Section 7. The government of TiPnation recognizes that it cannot regulate the Internet or any other such institutions. The use of the Internet falls under the right to free speech and is protected except in the three mentioned instances.
Draft Three
Let it be known that this Constitution represents the limitations of the government. This document shall be the chains that hold the government, the rope that binds its hands, and stone around its neck for the empowerment of the people.
Article I: The Requirements of Government and Rights of the People Under an Oppressive Regime
Section 1. Requirements for Government:
a. The consuls and all officials of TIP nation must be democratically elected, and a vote of no confidence may be proposed at any time.
b. They must be completely open about their dealings and act in the best interests of all of TIP Nation. They must not accept bribes or put their personal gain above the community in any way in regards to their votes and policies.
c. Any deceit including but not limited to voting fraud, secret dealings, and blackmail shall be released in a report to the public as soon as it is suspected and sufficient evidence is found. An investigation shall then be launched. Should the suspect be found guilty, ALL the people of TIP nation shall vote on an adequate punishment.
Section 2. Rights of the people under an oppressive regime:
a. If the officials of TIP nation do not operate under these requirements, the ruling body shall hereby be classified as an oppressive regime and the people shall be given emergency powers.
b. The people now have unconditional freedom of speech and may speak out in favor of a coup or other overthrow of the government. They may also plan the coup as needed, but these plans must be made public unless secrecy is an absolute necessity.
c. Once the government has been overthrown, the people shall elect a new council.
d. The people have the right to investigate any allegations of breaches of these requirements. They shall publicize the results. Any dealings with the investigator by the government to stop the publication shall be regarded as bribery. Should the investigator(s) accept any deal or withhold information in any way, they shall be subject to criminal court.
e. The government is allowed to respond to these allegations in a publication of their own, the public shall then decide whether to remove the government and may investigate both sides as each individual sees fit.
Article II: The Orderings of Government
Section 1. The government shall be split into three branches. These three branches shall be the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The people shall compose a fourth emergency branch of government.
Section 2. No member of the government, legislation by the government, or action within the government shall violate the rights of the people. This document shall not be interpreted to contain an exhaustive list of the rights of the people, although the rights mentioned in this document are guaranteed already.
Section 3. The government shall not recognize political parties. Political parties shall not appear on the ballot. This section shall not be interpreted to prohibit people from forming organizations based on political concerns.
Section 4. There shall be no mudslinging. If a candidate is accused of mudslinging, a public vote shall be open for twenty four hours to determine if mudslinging has occured. If it is decided that mudslinging has occurred, the candidate in question shall step down. Only members of the public can accuse a candidate of mudslinging; other candidates cannot make such accusations.
Article III: The Legislative Branch
Section 1. The legislative branch shall be composed of a council of eleven duly elected representatives. Each member of this council shall receive one vote. Councilmembers may vote for the legislation, against the legislation, or may abstain from voting. Majority rules. Should members of this council be absent from a meeting, the votes shall be tallied based on the number present if and only if the number present is greater than half the council. Legislation passed in this manner may be challenged by another councilmember. If this occurs, the entire council must vote on the legislation in question. In the case of a tie, a revote shall be called and the entire council must vote. If the legislation is still tied, it shall be put up for a public vote.
Section 2. The council serves first as a body that generates legislation. Second as a body that serves by addressing the needs of the people who consider the council to be an authority (ie, the citizens of this nation), through the use of aforementioned legislation.
Section 3. A councilmember has a term lasting one year. A councilmember may run for reelection as many times as he wishes. After a period of ten years, a councilmember must receive forty percent or greater of the public vote to be re-elected. No councilmember shall ever receive pay in excess of twenty percent of the mean income of the citizens of this nation.
Section 4. A councilmember may step down at any time. A councilmember may be stripped of his position only by a public vote. If the councilmember is a serious threat to national security, an emergency meeting of the council may be called to temporarily depose him. In order to temporarily depose a councilmember in this fashion, every other councilmember present must vote to depose. A councilmember who misses five meetings in a row without adequate excuse may be dismissed from the council. If another councilmember challenges such a dismissal, it shall be put to a public vote.
Section 5. The council will hold an official meeting every Saturday evening. The time and location of this meeting shall be announced at least twenty four hours in advance. A councilmember may call an emergency meeting if he gives twenty four hours notice to all other councilmembers.
Section 6. All official decisions of the council shall be made public. The public has the right to be present at council meetings. An official record of the votes on any piece of legislation shall be kept and made available to the public.
Section 7. If one third or more of the members of the entire council dissent from a piece of legislation that has passed, that legislation shall be put to a public vote at the end of the month. If two thirds of the voters vote against the legislation, it shall be repealed.
Section 8. Members of the public shall have the right to prepare and present legislation before the council. However, the council will vote on the passage of the legislation in question.
Section 9. The council will keep its meetings civil and will follow Parliamentary Procedure to the best of its ability. If it is decided by the members of the public in attendance that the councilmembers are being unnecessarily disruptive or impolite to each other, there shall be a five minute interim after which the council shall reconvene. If there are still problems, the council will adjourn the meeting and reschedule it for a later date.
Section 10. In order to amend or overrule any part of this Constitution after such a date as it shall be deemed complete, the motion must gain the support of at least two thirds of the council and at least two thirds of the public.
Article IV: The Judicial Branch
Section 1. The judicial branch shall be composed of a five person panel of judges. Two of these judges shall be appointed by the council; the remaining three shall be elected by the people.
Section 2. The elected justices shall have a three-year term. While these justices may serve more than one term, they may not serve two or more consecutive terms.
Section 3. The appointed judges shall have a term of one year.
Article V: The Executive Branch
Section 1. The Executive Branch shall be composed of a Prime Minister, who shall handle internal policy and affairs; a Secretary of Diplomacy, who shall handle foreign policy and diplomatic relations; and an Executive Supervisor, who shall oversee these two branches.
Section 2. The Prime Minister and Secretary of Diplomacy shall be popularly elected. The Executive Supervisor shall be appointed by the council.
Article VI: The People in Government
Section 1. The people of this nation are expected to actively participate in their government. The people shall have various powers over their government. However, it is up to the people to exercise these powers.
Section 2. All proposals and elections put to a public vote must be available to all members of the public for exactly 72 hours. Results will be taken at that time. All elections shall begin on a Thursday and end on a Sunday.
Section 3. The people shall have the power to depose government officials at any time by calling a vote of no confidence. At least two-thirds of the people must vote in favor of deposing the official in question to successfully depose him.
Article VII: The Bill of Rights
Section 1. While rights may be added to the Bill of Rights and existing rights may be amended, once added, rights may not be overruled or taken away.
Section 2. Citizens of TiPnation have the right to own any arms they want, provided that they fulfill the following three requirements: 1). They must pass a psychological evaluation. 2). They must successfully complete a course in the use of firearms. 3). They must wait a period of five days after the class to be eligible to purchase a firearm. The government reserves the right to regulate the storage of firearms and to set up legislation regarding the proper usage of firearms, as well as adding tests for the purchase of upper-level firearms. The government also retains the right to determine the definition of an upper-level firearm.
Section 3. The citizens of TiPnation will be guaranteed the right to worship their own god(s) in their own way and the right to choose not to worship any god(s) insofar as the practice of these beliefs does not cause bodily harm to unwilling participants. The government of TiPnation will not block the creation of places of worship. The government of TiPnation shall not endorse any religious institution, nor shall the government of TiPnation fund such institutions.
Section 4. The right of civil union will not be denied any couple based on sex or sexuality. Any two consenting adults may marry within our nation, provided they are in their right minds. This shall not be construed to allow union between a human being and a non-rational animal.
Section 5. The government of TiPnation recognizes that it cannot regulate the substances which its adult citizens desire to put in their bodies. However, the government shall hold its citizens responsible for their actions under the influence of said substances. The government shall require any companies with the intent to distribute substances for ingestion that are generally considered damaging to the health to provide thorough education for their consumers. The government retains the right to determine what activities may be undertaken while under the influence of substances that cause impairment. The government recognizes private citizens’ right to limit which substances may be ingested on their property.
Section 6. The people have a right to free speech. There are three instances where this right may be denied. First, speech that encourages its listeners to violence against others is not protected. Second, speech that encourages the overthrow of the government is not protected. This shall not be construed to disallow speech against the governmental legislation, the current members of the government, or any sort of criticisms of the government that do not encourage a coup. Finally, speech that is used to commit treason against the state by passing information about the state to enemy states in a period of war is not protected.
Section 7. The government of TiPnation recognizes that it cannot regulate the Internet or any other such institutions. The use of the Internet falls under the right to free speech and is protected except in the three mentioned instances.
Draft Four
The Constitution of the Micronation of TiPsters
Let it be known that this Constitution represents the limitations of the government. This document shall be the chains that hold the government, the rope that binds its hands, and stone around its neck for the empowerment of the people.
Article I: The Requirements of Government and Rights of the People Under an Oppressive Regime
Section 1. Requirements for Government:
a. The consuls and all officials of TIP nation must be democratically elected, and a vote of no confidence may be proposed at any time.
b. They must be completely open about their dealings and act in the best interests of all of TIP Nation. They must not accept bribes or put their personal gain above the community in any way in regards to their votes and policies.
c. Any deceit including but not limited to voting fraud, secret dealings, and blackmail shall be released in a report to the public as soon as it is suspected and sufficient evidence is found. An investigation shall then be launched. Should the suspect be found guilty, ALL the people of TIP nation shall vote on an adequate punishment.
Section 2. Rights of the people under an oppressive regime:
a. If the officials of TIP nation do not operate under these requirements, the ruling body shall hereby be classified as an oppressive regime and the people shall be given emergency powers.
b. The people now have unconditional freedom of speech and may speak out in favor of a coup or other overthrow of the government. They may also plan the coup as needed, but these plans must be made public unless secrecy is an absolute necessity.
c. Once the government has been overthrown, the people shall elect a new council.
d. The people have the right to investigate any allegations of breaches of these requirements. They shall publicize the results. Any dealings with the investigator by the government to stop the publication shall be regarded as bribery. Should the investigator(s) accept any deal or withhold information in any way, they shall be subject to criminal court.
e. The government is allowed to respond to these allegations in a publication of their own, the public shall then decide whether to remove the government and may investigate both sides as each individual sees fit.
Article II: The Orderings of Government
Section 1. The government shall be split into three branches. These three branches shall be the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The people shall compose a fourth emergency branch of government.
Section 2. No member of the government, legislation by the government, or action within the government shall violate the rights of the people. This document shall not be interpreted to contain an exhaustive list of the rights of the people, although the rights mentioned in this document are guaranteed already.
Section 3. The government shall not recognize political parties. Political parties shall not appear on the ballot. This section shall not be interpreted to prohibit people from forming organizations based on political concerns.
Section 4. There shall be no mudslinging. If a candidate is accused of mudslinging, a public vote shall be open for twenty four hours to determine if mudslinging has occurred. If it is decided that mudslinging has occurred, the candidate in question shall step down. Only members of the public can accuse a candidate of mudslinging; other candidates cannot make such accusations.
Article III: The Legislative Branch
Section 1. The legislative branch shall be composed of a council of eleven duly elected representatives. Each member of this council shall receive one vote. Councilmembers may vote for the legislation, against the legislation, or may abstain from voting. Majority rules. Should members of this council be absent from a meeting, the votes shall be tallied based on the number present if and only if the number present is greater than half the council. Legislation passed in this manner may be challenged by another councilmember. If this occurs, the entire council must vote on the legislation in question. In the case of a tie, a revote shall be called and the entire council must vote. If the legislation is still tied, it shall be put up for a public vote.
Section 2. The council serves first as a body that generates legislation. Second as a body that serves by addressing the needs of the people who consider the council to be an authority (ie, the citizens of this nation), through the use of aforementioned legislation.
Section 3. A councilmember has a term lasting one year. A councilmember may run for reelection as many times as he wishes. After a period of ten years, a councilmember must receive forty percent or greater of the public vote to be re-elected. No councilmember shall ever receive pay in excess of twenty percent of the mean income of the citizens of this nation.
Section 4. A councilmember may step down at any time. A councilmember may be stripped of his position only by a public vote. If the councilmember is a serious threat to national security, an emergency meeting of the council may be called to temporarily depose him. In order to temporarily depose a councilmember in this fashion, every other councilmember present must vote to depose. A councilmember who misses five meetings in a row without adequate excuse may be dismissed from the council. If another councilmember challenges such a dismissal, it shall be put to a public vote.
Section 5. The council will hold an official meeting every Saturday evening. The time and location of this meeting shall be announced at least twenty four hours in advance. A councilmember may call an emergency meeting if he gives twenty four hours notice to all other councilmembers.
Section 6. All official decisions of the council shall be made public. The public has the right to be present at council meetings. An official record of the votes on any piece of legislation shall be kept and made available to the public.
Section 7. If one third or more of the members of the entire council dissent from a piece of legislation that has passed, that legislation shall be put to a public vote at the end of the month. If two thirds of the voters vote against the legislation, it shall be repealed.
Section 8. Members of the public shall have the right to prepare and present legislation before the council. However, the council will vote on the passage of the legislation in question.
Section 9. The council will keep its meetings civil and will follow Parliamentary Procedure to the best of its ability. If it is decided by the members of the public in attendance that the councilmembers are being unnecessarily disruptive or impolite to each other, there shall be a five minute interim after which the council shall reconvene. If there are still problems, the council will adjourn the meeting and reschedule it for a later date.
Section 10. In order to amend or overrule any part of this Constitution after such a date as it shall be deemed complete, the motion must gain the support of at least two thirds of the council and at least two thirds of the public.
Article IV: The Judicial Branch
Section 1. The judicial branch shall be composed of a five person panel of judges. Two of these judges shall be appointed by the council; the remaining three shall be elected by the people.
Section 2. The elected justices shall have a three-year term. While these justices may serve more than one term, they may not serve two or more consecutive terms.
Section 3. The appointed judges shall have a term of one year.
Section 4. The Supreme Court shall have the power of judicial review, the power to hear all cases against the government or government officials, the power to strip government officials of position if they are found guilty of any crime, including but not limited to corruption, the power to be the final say in criminal and civil cases.
Section 5. The Supreme Court may choose whether or not to hear suits against civilians or allow lower courts’ decisions to stand, but it must hear all cases in which the government or government officials shall be party.
Article V: The Executive Branch
Section 1. The Executive Branch shall be composed of a Prime Minister, who shall handle internal policy and affairs; a Secretary of Diplomacy, who shall handle foreign policy and diplomatic relations; and an Executive Supervisor, who shall oversee these two branches.
Section 2. The Prime Minister and Secretary of Diplomacy shall be popularly elected. The Executive Supervisor shall be appointed by the council.
Article VI: The People in Government
Section 1. The people of this nation are expected to actively participate in their government. The people shall have various powers over their government. However, it is up to the people to exercise these powers.
Section 2. All proposals and elections put to a public vote must be available to all members of the public for exactly 72 hours. Results will be taken at that time. All elections shall begin on a Thursday and end on a Sunday.
Section 3. The people shall have the power to depose government officials at any time by calling a vote of no confidence. At least two-thirds of the people must vote in favor of deposing the official in question to successfully depose him.
Article VII: The Bill of Rights
Section 1. While rights may be added to the Bill of Rights and existing rights may be amended, once added, rights may not be overruled or taken away.
Section 2. Citizens of TiPnation have the right to own any arms they want, provided that they fulfill the following three requirements: 1). They must pass a psychological evaluation. 2). They must successfully complete a course in the use of firearms. 3). They must wait a period of five days after the class to be eligible to purchase a firearm. The government reserves the right to regulate the storage of firearms and to set up legislation regarding the proper usage of firearms, as well as adding tests for the purchase of upper-level firearms. The government also retains the right to determine the definition of an upper-level firearm.
Section 3. The citizens of TiPnation will be guaranteed the right to worship their own god(s) in their own way and the right to choose not to worship any god(s) insofar as the practice of these beliefs does not cause bodily harm to unwilling participants. The government of TiPnation will not block the creation of places of worship. The government of TiPnation shall not endorse any religious institution, nor shall the government of TiPnation fund such institutions.
Section 4. The right of civil union will not be denied any couple based on sex or sexuality. Any two consenting adults may marry within our nation, provided they are in their right minds. This shall not be construed to allow union between a human being and a non-rational animal.
Section 5. The government of TiPnation recognizes that it cannot regulate the substances which its adult citizens desire to put in their bodies. However, the government shall hold its citizens responsible for their actions under the influence of said substances. The government shall require any companies with the intent to distribute substances for ingestion that are generally considered damaging to the health to provide thorough education for their consumers. The government retains the right to determine what activities may be undertaken while under the influence of substances that cause impairment. The government recognizes private citizens’ right to limit which substances may be ingested on their property.
Section 6. The people have a right to free speech. There are three instances where this right may be denied. First, speech that encourages its listeners to violence against others is not protected. Second, speech that encourages the overthrow of the government is not protected. This shall not be construed to disallow speech against the governmental legislation, the current members of the government, or any sort of criticisms of the government that do not encourage a coup. Finally, speech that is used to commit treason against the state by passing information about the state to enemy states in a period of war is not protected.
Section 7. The government of TiPnation recognizes that it cannot regulate the Internet or any other such institutions. The use of the Internet falls under the right to free speech and is protected except in the three mentioned instances.
Draft Five
The Constitution of the Micronation of TiPsters
Let it be known that this Constitution represents the limitations of the government. This document shall be the chains that hold the government, the rope that binds its hands, and stone around its neck for the empowerment of the people.
Article I: The Requirements of Government and Rights of the People Under an Oppressive Regime
Section 1. Requirements for Government:
a. All officials of TIP nation must be democratically elected, and a vote of no confidence may be proposed at any time.
b. They must be completely open about their dealings and act in the best interests of all of TIP Nation. They must not accept bribes or put their personal gain above the community in any way in regards to their votes and policies.
c. Any deceit including but not limited to voting fraud, secret dealings, and blackmail shall be released in a report to the public as soon as it is suspected and sufficient evidence is found. An investigation shall then be launched. Should the suspect be found guilty, ALL the people of TIP nation shall vote on an adequate punishment.
Section 2. Rights of the people under an oppressive regime:
a. If the officials of TIP nation do not operate under these requirements, the ruling body shall hereby be classified as an oppressive regime and the people shall be given emergency powers.
b. The people now have unconditional freedom of speech and may speak out in favor of a coup or other overthrow of the government. They may also plan the coup as needed, but these plans must be made public unless secrecy is an absolute necessity.
c. Once the government has been overthrown, the people shall elect a new council.
d. The people have the right to investigate any allegations of breaches of these requirements. They shall publicize the results. Any dealings with the investigator by the government to stop the publication shall be regarded as bribery. Should the investigator(s) accept any deal or withhold information in any way, they shall be subject to criminal court.
e. The government is allowed to respond to these allegations in a publication of their own, the public shall then decide whether to remove the government and may investigate both sides as each individual sees fit.
Article II: The Orderings of Government
Section 1. The government shall be split into three branches. These three branches shall be the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The people shall compose a fourth emergency branch of government.
Section 2. No member of the government, legislation by the government, or action within the government shall violate the rights of the people. This document shall not be interpreted to contain an exhaustive list of the rights of the people, although the rights mentioned in this document are guaranteed already.
Section 3. The government shall not recognize political parties. Political parties shall not appear on the ballot. This section shall not be interpreted to prohibit people from forming organizations based on political concerns.
Section 4. There shall be no mudslinging. If a candidate is accused of mudslinging, a public vote shall be open for twenty four hours to determine if mudslinging has occurred. If it is decided that mudslinging has occurred, the candidate in question shall step down. Only members of the public can accuse a candidate of mudslinging; other candidates cannot make such accusations.
Article III: The Legislative Branch
Section 1. The legislative branch shall be composed of a council of eleven duly elected representatives. Each member of this council shall receive one vote. Councilmembers may vote for the legislation, against the legislation, or may abstain from voting. Majority rules. Should members of this council be absent from a meeting, the votes shall be tallied based on the number present if and only if the number present is greater than half the council. Legislation passed in this manner may be challenged by another councilmember. If this occurs, the entire council must vote on the legislation in question. In the case of a tie, a revote shall be called and the entire council must vote. If the legislation is still tied, it shall be put up for a public vote.
Section 2. The council serves first as a body that generates legislation. Second as a body that serves by addressing the needs of the people who consider the council to be an authority (ie, the citizens of this nation), through the use of aforementioned legislation.
Section 3. A councilmember has a term lasting one year. A councilmember may run for reelection as many times as he wishes. After a period of ten years, a councilmember must receive forty percent or greater of the public vote to be re-elected. No councilmember shall ever receive pay in excess of twenty percent of the mean income of the citizens of this nation.
Section 4. A councilmember may step down at any time. A councilmember may be stripped of his position only by a public vote. If the councilmember is a serious threat to national security, an emergency meeting of the council may be called to temporarily depose him. In order to temporarily depose a councilmember in this fashion, every other councilmember present must vote to depose. A councilmember who misses five meetings in a row without adequate excuse may be dismissed from the council. If another councilmember challenges such a dismissal, it shall be put to a public vote.
Section 5. The council will hold an official meeting every Saturday evening. The time and location of this meeting shall be announced at least twenty four hours in advance. A councilmember may call an emergency meeting if he gives twenty four hours notice to all other councilmembers.
Section 6. All official decisions of the council shall be made public. The public has the right to be present at council meetings. An official record of the votes on any piece of legislation shall be kept and made available to the public.
Section 7. If one third or more of the members of the entire council dissent from a piece of legislation that has passed, that legislation shall be put to a public vote at the end of the month. If two thirds of the voters vote against the legislation, it shall be repealed.
Section 8. Members of the public shall have the right to prepare and present legislation before the council. However, the council will vote on the passage of the legislation in question.
Section 9. The council will keep its meetings civil and will follow Parliamentary Procedure to the best of its ability. If it is decided by the members of the public in attendance that the councilmembers are being unnecessarily disruptive or impolite to each other, there shall be a five minute interim after which the council shall reconvene. If there are still problems, the council will adjourn the meeting and reschedule it for a later date.
Section 10. In order to amend or overrule any part of this Constitution after such a date as it shall be deemed complete, the motion must gain the support of at least two thirds of the council and at least two thirds of the public.
Article IV: The Judicial Branch
Section 1. The judicial branch shall be composed of a five person panel of judges. Two of these judges shall be appointed by the council; the remaining three shall be elected by the people.
Section 2. The elected justices shall have a three-year term. While these justices may serve more than one term, they may not serve two or more consecutive terms.
Section 3. The appointed judges shall have a term of one year.
Section 4. The Supreme Court shall have the power of judicial review, the power to hear all cases against the government or government officials, the power to strip government officials of position if they are found guilty of any crime, including but not limited to corruption, the power to be the final say in criminal and civil cases.
Section 5. The Supreme Court may choose whether or not to hear suits against civilians or allow lower courts’ decisions to stand, but it must hear all cases in which the government or government officials shall be party.
Article V: The Executive Branch
Section 1. The Executive Branch shall be composed of a Prime Minister, who shall handle internal policy and affairs; a Secretary of Diplomacy, who shall handle foreign policy and diplomatic relations; and an Executive Supervisor, who shall oversee these two branches.
Section 2. The Prime Minister and Secretary of Diplomacy shall be popularly elected. The Executive Supervisor shall be appointed by the council.
Section 3. The executive branch shall hold the power of veto. At least two-thirds of the executives must agree to veto an act by the council. In the case that two-thirds of the executives vote to veto the decision of the council, a two-thirds vote of the council and majority of the people will override the veto. In the case that all three executives vote to veto the decision of the council, a three-fourths vote of the council and a two-thirds vote of the people will override the veto. Abuse of the power of veto shall be considered an impeachable offense. If a majority of the council votes that there has been abuse of the power of veto, the Supreme Court shall be required to hear the case.
Section 4. The Executive Supervisor will have the power to impeach the executives and call a trial for them by the Supreme Court. The Executive Supervisor shall also have the final say in those areas which the courts shall rule are an overlap of the Prime Minister’s and Secretary of Diplomacy’s powers if and only if these officials disagree in that area. It shall be the duty of the Executive Supervisor to inform the Prime Minister and Secretary of Diplomacy of all decisions of the council within 72 hours of the decisions’ passage.
Section 5. All matters of foreign affairs excepting those foreign powers which shall be in the power of the council, including, but not limited to, the appointment of ambassadors, the negotiation of treaties, the initial declaration of war, and the establishment of national defense shall be in the realm of the Secretary of Diplomacy. The Secretary of Diplomacy shall also be the commander-in-chief of the military.
Section 6. The Prime Minister shall have the power to cast the tie-breaking vote on the council. If he declines to vote, the legislation in question will go to public vote.
Section 7. The Executive Supervisor shall have a term of one year. In the case of death or impeachment while in office, the council will appoint a new Executive Supervisor.
Section 8. The Secretary of Diplomacy shall have a term of two years. In the case of death or impeachment while in office, the people shall vote in a new Secretary.
Section 9. The Prime Minister shall have a term of two years. In the case of death or impeachment while in office, the Executive Supervisor shall appoint a new Prime Minister.
Article VI: The People in Government
Section 1. The people of this nation are expected to actively participate in their government. The people shall have various powers over their government. However, it is up to the people to exercise these powers.
Section 2. All proposals and elections put to a public vote must be available to all members of the public for exactly 72 hours. Results will be taken at that time. All elections shall begin on a Thursday and end on a Sunday.
Section 3. The people shall have the power to depose government officials at any time by calling a vote of no confidence. At least two-thirds of the people must vote in favor of deposing the official in question to successfully depose him.
Article VII: The Bill of Rights
Section 1. While rights may be added to the Bill of Rights and existing rights may be amended, once added, rights may not be overruled or taken away.
Section 2. Citizens of TiPnation have the right to own any arms they want, provided that they fulfill the following three requirements: 1). They must pass a psychological evaluation. 2). They must successfully complete a course in the use of firearms. 3). They must wait a period of five days after the class to be eligible to purchase a firearm. The government reserves the right to regulate the storage of firearms and to set up legislation regarding the proper usage of firearms, as well as adding tests for the purchase of upper-level firearms. The government also retains the right to determine the definition of an upper-level firearm.
Section 3. The citizens of TiPnation will be guaranteed the right to worship their own god(s) in their own way and the right to choose not to worship any god(s) insofar as the practice of these beliefs does not cause bodily harm to unwilling participants. The government of TiPnation will not block the creation of places of worship. The government of TiPnation shall not endorse any religious institution, nor shall the government of TiPnation fund such institutions.
Section 4. The right of civil union will not be denied any couple based on sex or sexuality. Any two consenting adults may marry within our nation, provided they are in their right minds. This shall not be construed to allow union between a human being and a non-rational animal.
Section 5. The government of TiPnation recognizes that it cannot regulate the substances which its adult citizens desire to put in their bodies. However, the government shall hold its citizens responsible for their actions under the influence of said substances. The government shall require any companies with the intent to distribute substances for ingestion that are generally considered damaging to the health to provide thorough education for their consumers. The government retains the right to determine what activities may be undertaken while under the influence of substances that cause impairment. The government recognizes private citizens’ right to limit which substances may be ingested on their property.
Section 6. The people have a right to free speech. There are three instances where this right may be denied. First, speech that encourages its listeners to violence against others is not protected. Second, speech that encourages the overthrow of the government is not protected. This shall not be construed to disallow speech against the governmental legislation, the current members of the government, or any sort of criticisms of the government that do not encourage a coup. Finally, speech that is used to commit treason against the state by passing information about the state to enemy states in a period of war is not protected.
Section 7. The government of TiPnation recognizes that it cannot regulate the Internet or any other such institutions. The use of the Internet falls under the right to free speech and is protected except in the three mentioned instances.
Draft Six
The Constitution of the Micronation of TiPsters
Let it be known that this Constitution represents the limitations of the government. This document shall be the chains that hold the government, the rope that binds its hands, and stone around its neck for the empowerment of the people.
Article I: The Requirements of Government and Rights of the People Under an Oppressive Regime
Section 1. Requirements for Government:
a. All officials of TIP nation, councilmembers and executives, must be democratically elected, and a vote of no confidence may be proposed at any time.
b. Democratically elected shall be defined as “being elected by a majority of the popular vote.”
c. They must be completely open about their dealings and act in the best interests of all of TIP Nation. They must not accept bribes or put their personal gain above the community in any way in regards to their votes and policies.
d. Any deceit including but not limited to voting fraud, secret dealings, and blackmail shall be released in a report to the public as soon as it is suspected and sufficient evidence is found. An investigation shall then be launched. Should the suspect be found guilty, ALL the people of TIP nation shall vote on an adequate punishment.
Section 2. Rights of the people under an oppressive regime:
a. If the officials of TIP nation do not operate under these requirements, the ruling body shall hereby be classified as an oppressive regime and the people shall be given emergency powers.
b. The people now have unconditional freedom of speech and may speak out in favor of a coup or other overthrow of the government. They may also plan the coup as needed, but these plans must be made public unless secrecy is an absolute necessity.
c. Once the government has been overthrown, the people shall elect a new council.
d. The people have the right to investigate any allegations of breaches of these requirements. They shall publicize the results. Any dealings with the investigator by the government to stop the publication shall be regarded as bribery. Should the investigator(s) accept any deal or withhold information in any way, they shall be subject to criminal court.
e. The government is allowed to respond to these allegations in a publication of their own, the public shall then decide whether to remove the government and may investigate both sides as each individual sees fit.
Article II: The Orderings of Government
Section 1. The government shall be split into three branches. These three branches shall be the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The people shall compose a fourth emergency branch of government.
Section 2. No member of the government, legislation by the government, or action within the government shall violate the rights of the people. This document shall not be interpreted to contain an exhaustive list of the rights of the people, although the rights mentioned in this document are guaranteed already. Everyone shall have the right to be free so long as their freedom does not affect another person’s right to be free.
Section 3. The government shall not recognize political parties. Political parties shall not appear on the ballot. This section shall not be interpreted to prohibit people from forming organizations based on political concerns.
Section 4. There shall be no mudslinging. If a candidate is accused of mudslinging, a public vote shall be open for twenty four hours to determine if mudslinging has occurred. If it is decided that mudslinging has occurred, the candidate in question shall step down. Only members of the public can accuse a candidate of mudslinging; other candidates cannot make such accusations. We define “mudslinging” as “the spreading of hateful messages without evidence to back up the claims of said messages.”
Section 5. There shall be three days prior to an election during which citizens may make nominations. No further nominations will be accepted after the election starts.
Section 6. TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic shall not join the United Nations or any similar organizations.
Section 7. Ex post facto laws may be passed if they gain the approval of the Supreme Court after review by the Supreme Court.
Article III: The Legislative Branch
The Ordering of the Legislature
Section 1. The legislative branch shall be composed of a council of eleven duly elected representatives. Each member of this council shall receive one vote. Councilmembers may vote for the legislation, against the legislation, or may abstain from voting. Majority rules. Should members of this council be absent from a meeting, the votes shall be tallied based on the number present if and only if the number present is greater than half the council. Legislation passed in this manner may be challenged by another councilmember. If this occurs, the entire council must vote on the legislation in question. In the case of a tie, a revote shall be called and the entire council must vote. If the legislation is still tied, it shall be put up for a public vote.
Section 2. The council serves first as a body that generates legislation. Second as a body that serves by addressing the needs of the people who consider the council to be an authority (ie, the citizens of this nation), through the use of aforementioned legislation.
Section 3. A councilmember has a term lasting one year. A councilmember may run for reelection as many times as he wishes. After a period of ten years, a councilmember must receive forty percent or greater of the public vote to be re-elected. No councilmember shall ever receive pay in excess of twenty percent of the mean income of the citizens of this nation.
Section 4. A councilmember may step down at any time. A councilmember may be stripped of his position only by a public vote. If the councilmember is a serious threat to national security, an emergency meeting of the council may be called to temporarily depose him. In order to temporarily depose a councilmember in this fashion, every other councilmember present must vote to depose. A councilmember who misses five meetings in a row without adequate excuse may be dismissed from the council. If another councilmember challenges such a dismissal, it shall be put to a public vote.
Section 5. The council will hold an official meeting every Saturday at 12:00 pm EST. The location of each meeting shall be announced at least twenty four hours in advance. A councilmember may call an emergency meeting if he gives twenty four hours notice to all other councilmembers.
Section 6. All official decisions of the council shall be made public. The public has the right to be present at council meetings. An official record of the votes on any piece of legislation shall be kept and made available to the public.
Section 7. If one third or more of the members of the entire council dissent from a piece of legislation that has passed, that legislation shall be put to a public vote at the end of the month. If two thirds of the voters vote against the legislation, it shall be repealed.
Section 8. Citizens shall have the right to prepare and present legislation before the council. However, the council will vote on the passage of the legislation in question.
Section 9. The council will keep its meetings civil and will follow Parliamentary Procedure to the best of its ability. If it is decided by the citizens in attendance that the councilmembers are being unnecessarily disruptive or impolite to each other, there shall be a five minute interim after which the council shall reconvene. If there are still problems, the council will adjourn the meeting and reschedule it for a later date.
The Privileges of Councilmembers
Section 10. Except in case of treason, felony, or breach of the peace, a councilmember may not be arrested during a meeting of the council or on the way to a meeting of the council.
The Powers of the Council
Section 11. The council shall have the power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts, and to provide for the common defense, but all duties, imposts, and excises shall be uniform throughout TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic.
Section 12. The council shall have the power to determine the primary currency of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic. If the council begins to print its own currency, there shall never be more than 1000 banknotes per ounce of gold or other precious substance in the Treasury.
Section 13. The council shall have the power to borrow funds on the credit of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic, but the total debt is never to be in excess of twenty percent of the previous year’s Gross Domestic Product. The council may only acquire debt in times of war and economic depression. If debt is acquired at any other time, the total new debt may not exceed five percent of the previous year’s Gross Domestic Product.
Section 14. The council shall have the power to establish uniform laws regarding the naturalization of foreign citizens.
Section 15. The council shall have the power to make laws regarding the counterfeiting of currency, but the executives shall have the power to enforce these laws and the courts shall have the power to hold a trial for the accused and to decide the penalty.
Section 16. The initial system of roads shall be set up by the council, and the council shall provide funds for the maintenance of these roads. All roads after the initial system shall be in the realm of the private sector.
Section 17. The council shall have the power to establish copyright and patent laws.
Section 18. The council shall have the power to define piracies and felonies and to define the punishments for said crimes.
Section 19. The council shall have the power to make laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the powers granted by this Constitution.
Article IV: The Judicial Branch
The Ordering of the Judicial Branch
Section 1. The judicial branch shall be composed of a five person panel of judges. Two of these judges shall be appointed by the council; the remaining three shall be elected by the people.
Section 2. The elected justices shall have a three-year term. While these justices may serve more than one term, they may not serve two or more consecutive terms. Section 3. The appointed judges shall have a term of one year.
Section 4. The lower court justices shall be appointed by the Prime Minister with the consent of one other executive. These justices must be approved by a majority of the council.
Section 5. The public may call a vote of no confidence in a justice at any time, but two thirds of the voting public must vote in favor of impeaching the justice to remove that justice from office.
The Powers of the Courts
Section 6. The Supreme Court shall have the power of judicial review, the power to hear all cases against the government or government officials, the power to strip government officials of position if they are found guilty of any crime, including but not limited to corruption, and the power to be the final say in criminal and civil cases.
Section 7. The Supreme Court may choose whether or not to hear suits against civilians or allow lower courts’ decisions to stand, but it must hear all cases in which the government or government officials shall be party.
Article V: The Executive Branch
The Ordering of the Executive Branch
Section 1. The Executive Branch shall be composed of a Prime Minister, who shall handle internal policy and affairs; a Secretary of Diplomacy, who shall handle foreign policy and diplomatic relations; and an Executive Supervisor, who shall oversee these two branches.
Section 2. The Prime Minister and Secretary of Diplomacy shall be popularly elected. The Executive Supervisor shall be appointed by the council.
Section 3. The Executive Supervisor shall have a term of one year. In the case of death or impeachment while in office, the council will appoint a new Executive Supervisor.
Section 4. The Secretary of Diplomacy shall have a term of two years. In the case of death or impeachment while in office, the people shall vote in a new Secretary.
Section 5. The Prime Minister shall have a term of two years. In the case of death or impeachment while in office, the Executive Supervisor shall appoint a new Prime Minister.
Section 6. Each executive shall be required to attend at least one meeting of the council per month.
The General Powers of the Executive Branch
Section 7. The executive branch shall hold the power of veto. At least two-thirds of the executives must agree to veto an act by the council. In the case that two-thirds of the executives vote to veto the decision of the council, a two-thirds vote of the council and majority of the people will override the veto. In the case that all three executives vote to veto the decision of the council, a three-fourths vote of the council and a two-thirds vote of the people will override the veto. Abuse of the power of veto shall be considered an impeachable offense. If a majority of the council votes that there has been abuse of the power of veto, the Supreme Court shall be required to hear the case.
The Powers of the Executive Supervisor
Section 8. The Executive Supervisor will have the power to impeach the executives and call a trial for them by the Supreme Court. The Executive Supervisor shall also have the final say in those areas which the courts shall rule are an overlap of the Prime Minister’s and Secretary of Diplomacy’s powers if and only if these officials disagree in that area. It shall be the duty of the Executive Supervisor to inform the Prime Minister and Secretary of Diplomacy of all decisions of the council within 72 hours of the decisions’ passage.
The Powers of the Secretary of Diplomacy
Section 9. All matters of foreign affairs excepting those foreign powers which shall be in the power of the council, including, but not limited to, the appointment of ambassadors, the negotiation of treaties, the initial declaration of war, and the establishment of national defense shall be in the realm of the Secretary of Diplomacy. The Secretary of Diplomacy shall also be the commander-in-chief of the military.
Section 10. The Secretary of Diplomacy shall have the power to regulate commerce with foreign nations.
Section 11. The Secretary of Diplomacy shall have the power to create trade alliances.
The Powers of the Prime Minister
Section 12. The Prime Minister shall have the power to cast the tie-breaking vote on the council. If he declines to vote, the legislation in question will go to public vote.
Section 13. The Prime Minister shall have the power to impose uniform laws on the subject of Bankruptcy.
Article VI: The People in Government
Section 1. The citizens of this nation are expected to actively participate in their government. The citizens shall have various powers over their government. However, it is up to the people to exercise these powers.
Section 2. All proposals and elections put to a public vote must be available to all citizens for exactly 72 hours. Results will be taken at that time. All elections shall begin on a Thursday and end on a Sunday.
Section 3. The citizens shall have the power to depose government officials at any time by calling a vote of no confidence. At least two-thirds of the citizens must vote in favor of deposing the official in question to successfully depose him.
Section 4. Each citizen shall receive one vote in an election.
Article VII: Permissible Taxes
Section 1. The council may tax exports, but never in excess of 2% of the value of the export.
Section 2. There shall be an amendment enumerating which taxes the council may impose and their maximum size which shall be considered either when the research on said taxes is complete or at the meeting three months from September 1, 2012.
Article VIII: Citizenship
Section 1. In order for someone with fewer than five friends in the micronation or who has joined the medium by which the micronation gains members less than one month before requesting to join the micronation to obtain citizenship, they shall be required to have two current citizens vouch for them and shall be interviewed by a current councilmember on their reasons for joining.
Section 2. In order to cast a vote in an election, a member must have been a citizen for at least one week.
Article IX: Concerning War
The Conditions For War
Section 1. War may be declared if and only if a majority of the entire council and the Secretary of Diplomacy agree to it. The Secretary of Diplomacy may call an emergency meeting of the council, bypassing the twenty four hour rule, to decide a declaration of war.
Section 2. War may be declared if another nation declares war on TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic.
Section 3. War may be declared if another nation attacks or threatens TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic.
Section 4. War may be declared if another nation violates the rights of the citizens of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic or if another nation violates the sovereignty of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic.
Section 5. War may be declared on conspirators against the government of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic provided the conspirators have a military force capable of overthrowing the government of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic.
Section 6. If a war does not satisfy one of the conditions listed above, the courts may declare the war invalid and recall any armed forces engaged in that war.
The Execution of War
Section 7. The council may raise an army, but any funds for that army must be renewed yearly in order that the justification for a war is frequently checked.
Section 8. The council and the Prime Minister shall together provide for and maintain a navy.
Section 9. The Prime Minister and the Secretary of Diplomacy shall set up the government and rules of the land and naval forces if they agree. In cases of disagreement, the Executive Supervisor shall decide.
Section 10. Once a war is declared, the Secretary of Diplomacy my call up a militia. The Secretary of Diplomacy shall provide for the organizing, arming, and disciplining of the militia.
Section 11. The government of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic shall not enter into a military alliance with another nation.
Article X: Concerning This Constitution.
Section 1. This Constitution shall be considered invalid unless ratified by a majority of the council and a majority of the voting public.
Section 2. Representatives of each branch of government shall write up a document for use of the courts explaining how this Constitution is to be interpreted. All members of the government shall be invited to write this document, as well as other representatives of the people.
Section 3. In order to amend or overrule any part of this Constitution after such a date as it shall be deemed complete, the motion must gain the support of at least two thirds of the council and at least two thirds of the public.
Article XI: The Bill of Rights
Section 1. While rights may be added to the Bill of Rights and existing rights may be amended, once added, rights may not be overruled or taken away.
Section 2. Citizens of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic have the right to own any arms they want, provided that they fulfill the following three requirements: 1). They must pass a psychological evaluation. 2). They must successfully complete a course in the use of firearms. 3). They must wait a period of five days after the class to be eligible to purchase a firearm. The government reserves the right to regulate the storage of firearms and to set up legislation regarding the proper usage of firearms, as well as adding tests for the purchase of upper-level firearms. The government also retains the right to determine the definition of an upper-level firearm.
Section 3. The citizens of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic will be guaranteed the right to worship their own god(s) in their own way and the right to choose not to worship any god(s) insofar as the practice of these beliefs does not cause bodily harm to unwilling participants. The government of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic will not block the creation of places of worship. The government of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic shall not endorse any religious institution, nor shall the government of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic fund such institutions.
Section 4. The right of civil union will not be denied any couple based on sex or sexuality. Any two consenting adults may marry within our nation, provided they are in their right minds. This shall not be construed to allow union between a human being and a non-rational animal.
Section 5. The government of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic recognizes that it cannot regulate the substances which its adult citizens desire to put in their bodies. However, the government shall hold its citizens responsible for their actions under the influence of said substances. The government shall require any companies with the intent to distribute substances for ingestion that are generally considered damaging to the health to provide thorough education for their consumers. The government retains the right to determine what activities may be undertaken while under the influence of substances that cause impairment. The government recognizes private citizens’ right to limit which substances may be ingested on their property.
Section 6. The people have a right to free speech. There are three instances where this right may be denied. First, speech that encourages its listeners to violence against others is not protected. Second, speech that encourages the overthrow of the government is not protected. This shall not be construed to disallow speech against the governmental legislation, the current members of the government, or any sort of criticisms of the government that do not encourage a coup. Finally, speech that is used to commit treason against the state by passing information about the state to enemy states in a period of war is not protected.
Section 7. The government of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic recognizes that it cannot regulate the Internet or any other such institutions. The use of the Internet falls under the right to free speech and is protected except in the three mentioned instances. Section 8. The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended. No exceptions.
Draft 7
The Constitution of the Micronation of TiPsters
Let it be known that this Constitution represents the limitations of the government. This document shall be the chains that hold the government, the rope that binds its hands, and stone around its neck for the empowerment of the people.
Article I: The Requirements of Government and Rights of the People Under an Oppressive Regime
Section 1. Requirements for Government:
a. All officials of TIP nation, councilmembers and executives, must be democratically elected, and a vote of no confidence may be proposed at any time.
b. Democratically elected shall be defined as “being elected by a majority of the popular vote.”
c. They must be completely open about their dealings and act in the best interests of all of TIP Nation. They must not accept bribes or put their personal gain above the community in any way in regards to their votes and policies.
d. Any deceit including but not limited to voting fraud, secret dealings, and blackmail shall be released in a report to the public as soon as it is suspected and sufficient evidence is found. An investigation shall then be launched. Should the suspect be found guilty, ALL the people of TIP nation shall vote on an adequate punishment.
Section 2. Rights of the people under an oppressive regime:
a. If the officials of TIP nation do not operate under these requirements, the ruling body shall hereby be classified as an oppressive regime and the people shall be given emergency powers.
b. The people now have unconditional freedom of speech and may speak out in favor of a coup or other overthrow of the government. They may also plan the coup as needed, but these plans must be made public unless secrecy is an absolute necessity.
c. Once the government has been overthrown, the people shall elect a new council.
d. The people have the right to investigate any allegations of breaches of these requirements. They shall publicize the results. Any dealings with the investigator by the government to stop the publication shall be regarded as bribery. Should the investigator(s) accept any deal or withhold information in any way, they shall be subject to criminal court.
e. The government is allowed to respond to these allegations in a publication of their own, the public shall then decide whether to remove the government and may investigate both sides as each individual sees fit.
Article II: The Orderings of Government
Section 1. The government shall be split into three branches. These three branches shall be the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The people shall compose a fourth emergency branch of government.
Section 2. No member of the government, legislation by the government, or action within the government shall violate the rights of the people. This document shall not be interpreted to contain an exhaustive list of the rights of the people, although the rights mentioned in this document are guaranteed already. Everyone shall have the right to be free so long as their freedom does not affect another person’s right to be free.
Section 3. The government shall not recognize political parties. Political parties shall not appear on the ballot. This section shall not be interpreted to prohibit people from forming organizations based on political concerns.
Section 4. There shall be no mudslinging. If a candidate is accused of mudslinging, a public vote shall be open for twenty four hours to determine if mudslinging has occurred. If it is decided that mudslinging has occurred, the candidate in question shall step down. Only members of the public can accuse a candidate of mudslinging; other candidates cannot make such accusations. We define “mudslinging” as “the spreading of hateful messages without evidence to back up the claims of said messages.”
Section 5. There shall be three days prior to an election during which citizens may make nominations. No further nominations will be accepted after the election starts.
Section 6. TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic shall not join the United Nations or any similar organizations.
Section 7. Ex post facto laws may be passed if they gain the approval of the Supreme Court after review by the Supreme Court.
Article III: The Legislative Branch
The Ordering of the Legislature
Section 1. The legislative branch shall be composed of a council of eleven duly elected representatives. Each member of this council shall receive one vote. Councilmembers may vote for the legislation, against the legislation, or may abstain from voting. Majority rules. Should members of this council be absent from a meeting, the votes shall be tallied based on the number present if and only if the number present is greater than half the council. Legislation passed in this manner may be challenged by another councilmember. If this occurs, the entire council must vote on the legislation in question. In the case of a tie, a revote shall be called and the entire council must vote. If the legislation is still tied, it shall be put up for a public vote.
Section 2. The council serves first as a body that generates legislation. Second as a body that serves by addressing the needs of the people who consider the council to be an authority (ie, the citizens of this nation), through the use of aforementioned legislation.
Section 3. A councilmember has a term lasting one year. A councilmember may run for reelection as many times as he wishes. After a period of ten years, a councilmember must receive forty percent or greater of the public vote to be re-elected. No councilmember shall ever receive pay in excess of twenty percent of the mean income of the citizens of this nation.
Section 4. A councilmember may step down at any time. A councilmember may be stripped of his position only by a public vote. If the councilmember is a serious threat to national security, an emergency meeting of the council may be called to temporarily depose him. In order to temporarily depose a councilmember in this fashion, every other councilmember present must vote to depose. A councilmember who misses five meetings in a row without adequate excuse may be dismissed from the council. If another councilmember challenges such a dismissal, it shall be put to a public vote.
Section 5. The council will hold an official meeting every Saturday at 12:00 pm EST. The location of each meeting shall be announced at least twenty four hours in advance. A councilmember may call an emergency meeting if he gives twenty four hours notice to all other councilmembers.
Section 6. All official decisions of the council shall be made public. The public has the right to be present at council meetings. An official record of the votes on any piece of legislation shall be kept and made available to the public.
Section 7. If one third or more of the members of the entire council dissent from a piece of legislation that has passed, that legislation shall be put to a public vote at the end of the month. If two thirds of the voters vote against the legislation, it shall be repealed.
Section 8. Citizens shall have the right to prepare and present legislation before the council. However, the council will vote on the passage of the legislation in question.
Section 9. The council will keep its meetings civil and will follow Parliamentary Procedure to the best of its ability. If it is decided by the citizens in attendance that the councilmembers are being unnecessarily disruptive or impolite to each other, there shall be a five minute interim after which the council shall reconvene. If there are still problems, the council will adjourn the meeting and reschedule it for a later date.
The Privileges of Councilmembers
Section 10. Except in case of treason, felony, or breach of the peace, a councilmember may not be arrested during a meeting of the council or on the way to a meeting of the council.
The Powers of the Council
Section 11. The council shall have the power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts, and to provide for the common defense, but all duties, imposts, and excises shall be uniform throughout TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic.
Section 12. The council shall have the power to determine the primary currency of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic. If the council begins to print its own currency, there shall never be more than 1000 banknotes per ounce of gold or other precious substance in the Treasury.
Section 13. The council shall have the power to borrow funds on the credit of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic, but the total debt is never to be in excess of twenty percent of the previous year’s Gross Domestic Product. The council may only acquire debt in times of war and economic depression. If debt is acquired at any other time, the total new debt may not exceed five percent of the previous year’s Gross Domestic Product.
Section 14. The council shall have the power to establish uniform laws regarding the naturalization of foreign citizens.
Section 15. The council shall have the power to make laws regarding the counterfeiting of currency, but the executives shall have the power to enforce these laws and the courts shall have the power to hold a trial for the accused and to decide the penalty.
Section 16. The initial system of roads shall be set up by the council, and the council shall provide funds for the maintenance of these roads. All roads after the initial system shall be in the realm of the private sector.
Section 17. The council shall have the power to establish copyright and patent laws.
Section 18. The council shall have the power to define piracies and felonies and to define the punishments for said crimes.
Section 19. The council shall have the power to make laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the powers granted by this Constitution.
Article IV: The Judicial Branch
The Ordering of the Judicial Branch
Section 1. The judicial branch shall be composed of a five person panel of judges. Two of these judges shall be appointed by the council; the remaining three shall be elected by the people.
Section 2. The elected justices shall have a three-year term. While these justices may serve more than one term, they may not serve two or more consecutive terms. Section 3. The appointed judges shall have a term of one year.
Section 4. The lower court justices shall be appointed by the Prime Minister with the consent of one other executive. These justices must be approved by a majority of the council.
Section 5. The public may call a vote of no confidence in a justice at any time, but two thirds of the voting public must vote in favor of impeaching the justice to remove that justice from office.
The Powers of the Courts
Section 6. The Supreme Court shall have the power of judicial review, the power to hear all cases against the government or government officials, the power to strip government officials of position if they are found guilty of any crime, including but not limited to corruption, and the power to be the final say in criminal and civil cases.
Section 7. The Supreme Court may choose whether or not to hear suits against civilians or allow lower courts’ decisions to stand, but it must hear all cases in which the government or government officials shall be party.
Article V: The Executive Branch
The Ordering of the Executive Branch
Section 1. The Executive Branch shall be composed of a Prime Minister, who shall handle internal policy and affairs; a Secretary of Diplomacy, who shall handle foreign policy and diplomatic relations; and an Executive Supervisor, who shall oversee these two branches.
Section 2. The Prime Minister and Secretary of Diplomacy shall be popularly elected. The Executive Supervisor shall be appointed by the council.
Section 3. The Executive Supervisor shall have a term of one year. In the case of death or impeachment while in office, the council will appoint a new Executive Supervisor.
Section 4. The Secretary of Diplomacy shall have a term of two years. In the case of death or impeachment while in office, the people shall vote in a new Secretary.
Section 5. The Prime Minister shall have a term of two years. In the case of death or impeachment while in office, the Executive Supervisor shall appoint a new Prime Minister.
Section 6. Each executive shall be required to attend at least one meeting of the council per month.
The General Powers of the Executive Branch
Section 7. The executive branch shall hold the power of veto. At least two-thirds of the executives must agree to veto an act by the council. In the case that two-thirds of the executives vote to veto the decision of the council, a two-thirds vote of the council and majority of the people will override the veto. In the case that all three executives vote to veto the decision of the council, a three-fourths vote of the council and a two-thirds vote of the people will override the veto. Abuse of the power of veto shall be considered an impeachable offense. If a majority of the council votes that there has been abuse of the power of veto, the Supreme Court shall be required to hear the case.
The Powers of the Executive Supervisor
Section 8. The Executive Supervisor will have the power to impeach the executives and call a trial for them by the Supreme Court. The Executive Supervisor shall also have the final say in those areas which the courts shall rule are an overlap of the Prime Minister’s and Secretary of Diplomacy’s powers if and only if these officials disagree in that area. It shall be the duty of the Executive Supervisor to inform the Prime Minister and Secretary of Diplomacy of all decisions of the council within 72 hours of the decisions’ passage.
The Powers of the Secretary of Diplomacy
Section 9. All matters of foreign affairs excepting those foreign powers which shall be in the power of the council, including, but not limited to, the appointment of ambassadors, the negotiation of treaties, the initial declaration of war, and the establishment of national defense shall be in the realm of the Secretary of Diplomacy. The Secretary of Diplomacy shall also be the commander-in-chief of the military.
Section 10. The Secretary of Diplomacy shall have the power to regulate commerce with foreign nations.
Section 11. The Secretary of Diplomacy shall have the power to create trade alliances.
The Powers of the Prime Minister
Section 12. The Prime Minister shall have the power to cast the tie-breaking vote on the council. If he declines to vote, the legislation in question will go to public vote.
Section 13. The Prime Minister shall have the power to impose uniform laws on the subject of Bankruptcy.
Article VI: The People in Government
Section 1. The citizens of this nation are expected to actively participate in their government. The citizens shall have various powers over their government. However, it is up to the people to exercise these powers.
Section 2. All proposals and elections put to a public vote must be available to all citizens for exactly 72 hours. Results will be taken at that time. All elections shall begin on a Thursday and end on a Sunday.
Section 3. The citizens shall have the power to depose government officials at any time by calling a vote of no confidence. At least two-thirds of the citizens must vote in favor of deposing the official in question to successfully depose him.
Section 4. Each citizen shall receive one vote in an election.
Section 5. Two representatives shall be elected by the public. These representatives shall have a term limit to be determined at a later date, but may run for re-election as many times as they wish. The responsibility of these representatives will be to take concerns and proposals directly from the public and present them to the council. There shall be an email address set up at which citizens can contact the representatives with their concerns. The representatives shall be responsible for periodically checking the email account and presenting the council with the most recent concerns and proposals from the public each week at the council meeting.
Section 6. If someone in the public is displeased with a law that has been passed in the council, they have the option of creating a public vote on the law. If a two thirds majority of the public votes against the law, it shall be taken to the courts for a final decision.
Article VII: Permissible Taxes
Section 1. The council may tax exports, but never in excess of 2% of the value of the export.
Section 2. There shall be an amendment enumerating which taxes the council may impose and their maximum size which shall be considered either when the research on said taxes is complete or at the meeting three months from September 1, 2012.
Article VIII: Citizenship
Section 1. All group members must choose their citizenship. Noncitizens shall be allowed to stay and observe, but they shall not be allowed to vote or hold public office.
Section 2. In order to obtain citizenship in “TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic,” one must first request to join the group. Once he or she has officially requested to join, one or both of the two administrators will contact him or her with a series of questions regarding his or her reasons for wanting to enter the group. Upon passing this examination by the administrator(s), one must agree to refrain from “trolling,” which we define as "Offending the citizens of TiP Nation Island through unconstructive and/or abusive comments for the purpose of self-amusement.” If the person agrees to these terms and the administrators agree that the person should be allowed in the group, he or she will be accepted, but placed on two week probation. Should the person commit any acts of conspiracy or trolling during this time, they will be automatically kicked out of the group without a trial and put on a record of people to never accept into the group in the future. If the person has committed no act of conspiracy or trolling within the two week period, however, they will be taken off probation and granted “full citizenship.”
Section 3. In order to cast a vote in an election, a member must have been a citizen for at least one week.
Section 4. If a person has obtained “full citizenship” in “TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic” and he or she commits an act of conspiracy or trolling, he or she shall first be placed under arrest. This means that he or she will not be allowed to make any posts or comments within the group until a trial has taken place. If the person refuses to agree to these terms or refuses to comply with them after the agreement has been made, he or she will be kicked from the group until the date of the trial AND their lack of cooperation can and will be used against them in the trial. If the outcome of the trial is so that the person is allowed to remain in the group, (or be allowed back into the group) the judges shall decide within the trial whether or not the person will be placed under probation after the trial and for how long. (The guidelines for probation will be the same as if the person was a new citizen)
Article IX: Concerning War
The Conditions For War
Section 1. War may be declared if and only if a majority of the entire council and the Secretary of Diplomacy agree to it. The Secretary of Diplomacy may call an emergency meeting of the council, bypassing the twenty four hour rule, to decide a declaration of war.
Section 2. War may be declared if another nation declares war on TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic.
Section 3. War may be declared if another nation attacks or threatens TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic.
Section 4. War may be declared if another nation violates the rights of the citizens of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic or if another nation violates the sovereignty of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic.
Section 5. War may be declared on conspirators against the government of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic provided the conspirators have a military force capable of overthrowing the government of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic.
Section 6. If a war does not satisfy one of the conditions listed above, the courts may declare the war invalid and recall any armed forces engaged in that war.
The Execution of War
Section 7. The council may raise an army, but any funds for that army must be renewed yearly in order that the justification for a war is frequently checked.
Section 8. The council and the Prime Minister shall together provide for and maintain a navy.
Section 9. The Prime Minister and the Secretary of Diplomacy shall set up the government and rules of the land and naval forces if they agree. In cases of disagreement, the Executive Supervisor shall decide.
Section 10. Once a war is declared, the Secretary of Diplomacy my call up a militia. The Secretary of Diplomacy shall provide for the organizing, arming, and disciplining of the militia.
Section 11. The government of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic shall not enter into a military alliance with another nation.
Article X: Concerning This Constitution.
Section 1. This Constitution shall be considered invalid unless ratified by a majority of the council and a majority of the voting public.
Section 2. Representatives of each branch of government shall write up a document for use of the courts explaining how this Constitution is to be interpreted. All members of the government shall be invited to write this document, as well as other representatives of the people.
Section 3. In order to amend or overrule any part of this Constitution after such a date as it shall be deemed complete, the motion must gain the support of at least two thirds of the council and at least two thirds of the public.
Article XI: The Bill of Rights
Section 1. While rights may be added to the Bill of Rights and existing rights may be amended, once added, rights may not be overruled or taken away.
Section 2. Citizens of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic have the right to own any arms they want, provided that they fulfill the following three requirements: 1). They must pass a psychological evaluation. 2). They must successfully complete a course in the use of firearms. 3). They must wait a period of five days after the class to be eligible to purchase a firearm. The government reserves the right to regulate the storage of firearms and to set up legislation regarding the proper usage of firearms, as well as adding tests for the purchase of upper-level firearms. The government also retains the right to determine the definition of an upper-level firearm.
Section 3. The citizens of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic will be guaranteed the right to worship their own god(s) in their own way and the right to choose not to worship any god(s) insofar as the practice of these beliefs does not cause bodily harm to unwilling participants. The government of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic will not block the creation of places of worship. The government of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic shall not endorse any religious institution, nor shall the government of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic fund such institutions.
Section 4. The right of civil union will not be denied any couple based on sex or sexuality. Any two consenting adults may marry within our nation, provided they are in their right minds. This shall not be construed to allow union between a human being and a non-rational animal.
Section 5. The government of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic recognizes that it cannot regulate the substances which its adult citizens desire to put in their bodies. However, the government shall hold its citizens responsible for their actions under the influence of said substances. The government shall require any companies with the intent to distribute substances for ingestion that are generally considered damaging to the health to provide thorough education for their consumers. The government retains the right to determine what activities may be undertaken while under the influence of substances that cause impairment. The government recognizes private citizens’ right to limit which substances may be ingested on their property.
Section 6. The people have a right to free speech. There are three instances where this right may be denied. First, speech that encourages its listeners to violence against others is not protected. Second, speech that encourages the overthrow of the government is not protected. This shall not be construed to disallow speech against the governmental legislation, the current members of the government, or any sort of criticisms of the government that do not encourage a coup. Finally, speech that is used to commit treason against the state by passing information about the state to enemy states in a period of war is not protected.
Section 7. The government of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic recognizes that it cannot regulate the Internet or any other such institutions. The use of the Internet falls under the right to free speech and is protected except in the three mentioned instances.
Section 8. The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended. No exceptions.
Draft 8
Preamble
Let it be known that this Constitution represents the limitations of the government. This document shall be the chains that hold the government, the rope that binds its hands, and stone around its neck for the empowerment of the people.
Article I: The Requirements of Government and Rights of the People Under an Oppressive Regime
Section 1. Requirements for Government:
a. All officials of TIP nation, councilmembers and executives, must be democratically elected, and a vote of no confidence may be proposed at any time.
b. Democratically elected shall be defined as “being elected by a majority of the popular vote.”
c. They must be completely open about their dealings and act in the best interests of all of TIP Nation. They must not accept bribes or put their personal gain above the community in any way in regards to their votes and policies.
d. Any deceit including but not limited to voting fraud, secret dealings, and blackmail shall be released in a report to the public as soon as it is suspected and sufficient evidence is found. An investigation shall then be launched. Should the suspect be found guilty, ALL the people of TIP nation shall vote on an adequate punishment.
Section 2. Rights of the people under an oppressive regime:
a. If the officials of TIP nation do not operate under these requirements, the ruling body shall hereby be classified as an oppressive regime and the people shall be given emergency powers.
b. The people now have unconditional freedom of speech and may speak out in favor of a coup or other overthrow of the government. They may also plan the coup as needed, but these plans must be made public unless secrecy is an absolute necessity.
c. Once the government has been overthrown, the people shall elect a new council.
d. The people have the right to investigate any allegations of breaches of these requirements. They shall publicize the results. Any dealings with the investigator by the government to stop the publication shall be regarded as bribery. Should the investigator(s) accept any deal or withhold information in any way, they shall be subject to criminal court.
e. The government is allowed to respond to these allegations in a publication of their own, the public shall then decide whether to remove the government and may investigate both sides as each individual sees fit.
Article II: The Orderings of Government
Section 1. The government shall be split into three branches. These three branches shall be the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The people shall compose a fourth emergency branch of government.
Section 2. No member of the government, legislation by the government, or action within the government shall violate the rights of the people. This document shall not be interpreted to contain an exhaustive list of the rights of the people, although the rights mentioned in this document are guaranteed already. Everyone shall have the right to be free so long as their freedom does not affect another person’s right to be free.
Section 3. The government shall not recognize political parties. Political parties shall not appear on the ballot. This section shall not be interpreted to prohibit people from forming organizations based on political concerns.
Section 4. There shall be no mudslinging. If a candidate is accused of mudslinging, a public vote shall be open for twenty four hours to determine if mudslinging has occurred. If it is decided that mudslinging has occurred, the candidate in question shall step down. Only members of the public can accuse a candidate of mudslinging; other candidates cannot make such accusations. We define “mudslinging” as “the spreading of hateful messages without evidence to back up the claims of said messages.”
Section 5. There shall be three days prior to an election during which citizens may make nominations. No further nominations will be accepted after the election starts.
Section 6. TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic shall not join the United Nations or any similar organizations.
Section 7. The Government is forbidden from ever enforcing an ex post facto law.
Article III: The Legislative Branch
The Ordering of the Legislature
Section 1. The legislative branch shall be composed of a council of eleven duly elected representatives. Each member of this council shall receive one vote. Councilmembers may vote for the legislation, against the legislation, or may abstain from voting. Majority rules. Should members of this council be absent from a meeting, the votes shall be tallied based on the number present if and only if the number present is greater than half the council. Legislation passed in this manner may be challenged by another councilmember. If this occurs, the entire council must vote on the legislation in question. In the case of a tie, a revote shall be called and the entire council must vote. If the legislation is still tied, it shall be put up for a public vote.
Section 2. The council serves first as a body that generates legislation. Second as a body that serves by addressing the needs of the people who consider the council to be an authority (ie, the citizens of this nation), through the use of aforementioned legislation.
Section 3. A councilmember has a term lasting one year. A councilmember may run for reelection as many times as he wishes. After a period of ten years, a councilmember must receive forty percent or greater of the public vote to be re-elected. No councilmember shall ever receive pay in excess of twenty percent of the mean income of the citizens of this nation.
Section 4. A councilmember may step down at any time. A councilmember may be stripped of his position only by a public vote. If the councilmember is a serious threat to national security, an emergency meeting of the council may be called to temporarily depose him. In order to temporarily depose a councilmember in this fashion, every other councilmember present must vote to depose. A councilmember who misses five meetings in a row without adequate excuse may be dismissed from the council. If another councilmember challenges such a dismissal, it shall be put to a public vote.
Section 5. The council will hold an official meeting every Saturday at 12:00 pm EST. The location of each meeting shall be announced at least twenty four hours in advance. A councilmember may call an emergency meeting if he gives twenty four hours notice to all other councilmembers.
Section 6. All official decisions of the council shall be made public. The public has the right to be present at council meetings. An official record of the votes on any piece of legislation shall be kept and made available to the public.
Section 7. If one third or more of the members of the entire council dissent from a piece of legislation that has passed, that legislation shall be put to a public vote at the end of the month. If two thirds of the voters vote against the legislation, it shall be repealed.
Section 8. Citizens shall have the right to prepare and present legislation before the council. However, the council will vote on the passage of the legislation in question.
Section 9. The council will keep its meetings civil and will follow Parliamentary Procedure to the best of its ability. If it is decided by the citizens in attendance that the councilmembers are being unnecessarily disruptive or impolite to each other, there shall be a five minute interim after which the council shall reconvene. If there are still problems, the council will adjourn the meeting and reschedule it for a later date.
The Privileges of Councilmembers
Section 10. Except in case of treason, felony, or breach of the peace, a councilmember may not be arrested during a meeting of the council or on the way to a meeting of the council.
The Powers of the Council
Section 11. The council shall have the power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts, and to provide for the common defense, but all duties, imposts, and excises shall be uniform throughout TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic.
Section 12. The council shall have the power to determine the primary currency of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic. If the council begins to print its own currency, there shall never be more than 1000 banknotes per ounce of gold or other precious substance in the Treasury.
Section 13. The council shall have the power to borrow funds on the credit of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic, but the total debt is never to be in excess of twenty percent of the previous year’s Gross Domestic Product. The council may only acquire debt in times of war and economic depression. If debt is acquired at any other time, the total new debt may not exceed five percent of the previous year’s Gross Domestic Product.
Section 14. The council shall have the power to establish uniform laws regarding the naturalization of foreign citizens.
Section 15. The council shall have the power to make laws regarding the counterfeiting of currency, but the executives shall have the power to enforce these laws and the courts shall have the power to hold a trial for the accused and to decide the penalty.
Section 16. The initial system of roads shall be set up by the council, and the council shall provide funds for the maintenance of these roads. All roads after the initial system shall be in the realm of the private sector.
Section 17. The council shall have the power to establish copyright and patent laws.
Section 18. The council shall have the power to define piracies and felonies and to define the punishments for said crimes.
Section 19. The council shall have the power to make laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the powers granted by this Constitution.
Article IV: The Judicial Branch
The Ordering of the Judicial Branch
Section 1. The judicial branch shall be composed of a five person panel of judges. Two of these judges shall be appointed by the council; the remaining three shall be elected by the people.
Section 2. The elected justices shall have a three-year term. While these justices may serve more than one term, they may not serve two or more consecutive terms.
Section 3. The appointed judges shall have a term of one year.
Section 4. The lower court justices shall be appointed by the Prime Minister with the consent of one other executive. These justices must be approved by a majority of the council.
Section 5. The public may call a vote of no confidence in a justice at any time, but two thirds of the voting public must vote in favor of impeaching the justice to remove that justice from office.
The Powers of the Courts
Section 6. The Supreme Court shall have the power of judicial review, the power to hear all cases against the government or government officials, the power to strip government officials of position if they are found guilty of any crime, including but not limited to corruption, and the power to be the final say in criminal and civil cases.
Section 7. The Supreme Court may choose whether or not to hear suits against civilians or allow lower courts’ decisions to stand, but it must hear all cases in which the government or government officials shall be party.
Article V: The Executive Branch
The Ordering of the Executive Branch
Section 1. The Executive Branch shall be composed of a Prime Minister, who shall handle internal policy and affairs; a Secretary of Diplomacy, who shall handle foreign policy and diplomatic relations; and an Executive Supervisor, who shall oversee these two branches.
Section 2. The Prime Minister and Secretary of Diplomacy shall be popularly elected. The Executive Supervisor shall be appointed by the council.
Section 3. The Executive Supervisor shall have a term of one year. In the case of death or impeachment while in office, the council will appoint a new Executive Supervisor.
Section 4. The Secretary of Diplomacy shall have a term of two years. In the case of death or impeachment while in office, the people shall vote in a new Secretary.
Section 5. The Prime Minister shall have a term of two years. In the case of death or impeachment while in office, the Executive Supervisor shall appoint a new Prime Minister.
Section 6. Each executive shall be required to attend at least one meeting of the council per month.
The General Powers of the Executive Branch
Section 7. The executive branch shall hold the power of veto. At least two-thirds of the executives must agree to veto an act by the council. In the case that two-thirds of the executives vote to veto the decision of the council, a two-thirds vote of the council and majority of the people will override the veto. In the case that all three executives vote to veto the decision of the council, a three-fourths vote of the council and a two-thirds vote of the people will override the veto. Abuse of the power of veto shall be considered an impeachable offense. If a majority of the council votes that there has been abuse of the power of veto, the Supreme Court shall be required to hear the case.
The Powers of the Executive Supervisor
Section 8. The Executive Supervisor will have the power to impeach the executives and call a trial for them by the Supreme Court. The Executive Supervisor shall also have the final say in those areas which the courts shall rule are an overlap of the Prime Minister’s and Secretary of Diplomacy’s powers if and only if these officials disagree in that area. It shall be the duty of the Executive Supervisor to inform the Prime Minister and Secretary of Diplomacy of all decisions of the council within 72 hours of the decisions’ passage.
The Powers of the Secretary of Diplomacy
Section 9. All matters of foreign affairs excepting those foreign powers which shall be in the power of the council, including, but not limited to, the appointment of ambassadors, the negotiation of treaties, the initial declaration of war, and the establishment of national defense shall be in the realm of the Secretary of Diplomacy. The Secretary of Diplomacy shall also be the commander-in-chief of the military.
Section 10. The Secretary of Diplomacy shall have the power to regulate commerce with foreign nations.
Section 11. The Secretary of Diplomacy shall have the power to create trade alliances.
The Powers of the Prime Minister
Section 12. The Prime Minister shall have the power to cast the tie-breaking vote on the council. If he declines to vote, the legislation in question will go to public vote.
Section 13. The Prime Minister shall have the power to impose uniform laws on the subject of Bankruptcy.
Article VI: The People in Government
Section 1. The citizens of this nation are expected to actively participate in their government. The citizens shall have various powers over their government. However, it is up to the people to exercise these powers.
Section 2. All proposals and elections put to a public vote must be available to all citizens for exactly 72 hours. Results will be taken at that time. All elections shall begin on a Thursday and end on a Sunday.
Section 3. The citizens shall have the power to depose government officials at any time by calling a vote of no confidence. At least two-thirds of the citizens must vote in favor of deposing the official in question to successfully depose him.
Section 4. Each citizen shall receive one vote in an election.
Section 5. Two representatives shall be elected by the public. These representatives shall have a term limit to be determined at a later date, but may run for re-election as many times as they wish. The responsibility of these representatives will be to take concerns and proposals directly from the public and present them to the council. There shall be an email address set up at which citizens can contact the representatives with their concerns. The representatives shall be responsible for periodically checking the email account and presenting the council with the most recent concerns and proposals from the public each week at the council meeting.
Section 6. If someone in the public is displeased with a law that has been passed in the council, they have the option of creating a public vote on the law. If a two thirds majority of the public votes against the law, it shall be taken to the courts for a final decision.
Article VII: Crime and Punishment
Section 1. The use of capital punishment in TiP Nation Island is prohibited except in the most severe cases of first degree murder. If a convict is sentenced to death, he/she is entitled to a one year grace period. After such a time, the convict will appear before the same judge who sentenced him/her, provided that judge is still a judge, and the judge will decide whether or not to uphold the sentence. If the sentence is upheld, it shall be carried out. If the sentence is overturned, the judge may determine an appropriate alternative sentence.
Article VIII: Permissible Taxes
Section 1. The council may tax exports, but never in excess of 2% of the value of the export.
Section 2. There shall be an amendment enumerating which taxes the council may impose and their maximum size which shall be considered either when the research on said taxes is complete or at the meeting three months from September 1, 2012.
Article IX: Citizenship
Section 1. All group members must choose their citizenship. Noncitizens shall be allowed to stay and observe, but they shall not be allowed to vote or hold public office.
Section 2. In order to obtain citizenship in “TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic,” one must first request to join the group. Once he or she has officially requested to join, one or both of the two administrators will contact him or her with a series of questions regarding his or her reasons for wanting to enter the group. Upon passing this examination by the administrator(s), one must agree to refrain from “trolling,” which we define as "Offending the citizens of TiP Nation Island through unconstructive and/or abusive comments for the purpose of self-amusement.” If the person agrees to these terms and the administrators agree that the person should be allowed in the group, he or she will be accepted, but placed on two week probation. Should the person commit any acts of conspiracy or trolling during this time, they will be automatically kicked out of the group without a trial and put on a record of people to never accept into the group in the future. If the person has committed no act of conspiracy or trolling within the two week period, however, they will be taken off probation and granted “full citizenship.”
Section 3. In order to cast a vote in an election, a member must have been a citizen for at least one week.
Section 4. If a person has obtained “full citizenship” in “TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic” and he or she commits an act of conspiracy or trolling, he or she shall first be placed under arrest. This means that he or she will not be allowed to make any posts or comments within the group until a trial has taken place. If the person refuses to agree to these terms or refuses to comply with them after the agreement has been made, he or she will be kicked from the group until the date of the trial AND their lack of cooperation can and will be used against them in the trial. If the outcome of the trial is so that the person is allowed to remain in the group, (or be allowed back into the group) the judges shall decide within the trial whether or not the person will be placed under probation after the trial and for how long. (The guidelines for probation will be the same as if the person was a new citizen)
Section 5. Those who committed acts of treason and trolling or were involved in any form of conspiracy in the former "TiP Constitutional Democratic Republic" group shall hereby be forever banned from TiPNation Island and shall never be able to obtain citizenship.
Section 6. An allowance shall be made for a second chance for convicted trolls if two or more current citizens can vouch for them and the court deems a second chance in order. A second chance may not be offered prior to one month after the occurrence of the incident in question. If the troll is kicked a second time, they stay out permanently.
Article X: Concerning War
The Conditions For War
Section 1. War may be declared if and only if a majority of the entire council and the Secretary of Diplomacy agree to it. The Secretary of Diplomacy may call an emergency meeting of the council, bypassing the twenty four hour rule, to decide a declaration of war.
Section 2. War may be declared if another nation declares war on TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic.
Section 3. War may be declared if another nation attacks or threatens TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic.
Section 4. War may be declared if another nation violates the rights of the citizens of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic or if another nation violates the sovereignty of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic.
Section 5. War may be declared on conspirators against the government of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic provided the conspirators have a military force capable of overthrowing the government of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic.
Section 6. If a war does not satisfy one of the conditions listed above, the courts may declare the war invalid and recall any armed forces engaged in that war.
The Execution of War
Section 7. The council may raise an army, but any funds for that army must be renewed yearly in order that the justification for a war is frequently checked.
Section 8. The council and the Prime Minister shall together provide for and maintain a navy.
Section 9. The Prime Minister and the Secretary of Diplomacy shall set up the government and rules of the land and naval forces if they agree. In cases of disagreement, the Executive Supervisor shall decide.
Section 10. Once a war is declared, the Secretary of Diplomacy my call up a militia. The Secretary of Diplomacy shall provide for the organizing, arming, and disciplining of the militia.
Section 11. The government of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic shall not enter into a military alliance with another nation.
Article XI: Concerning This Constitution.
Section 1. This Constitution shall be considered invalid unless ratified by a majority of the council and a majority of the voting public.
Section 2. Representatives of each branch of government shall write up a document for use of the courts explaining how this Constitution is to be interpreted. All members of the government shall be invited to write this document, as well as other representatives of the people.
Section 3. In order to amend or overrule any part of this Constitution after such a date as it shall be deemed complete, the motion must gain the support of at least two thirds of the council and at least two thirds of the public.
Article XII: The Bill of Rights
Section 1. While rights may be added to the Bill of Rights and existing rights may be amended, once added, rights may not be overruled or taken away.
Section 2. Citizens of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic have the right to own any arms they want, provided that they fulfill the following three requirements: 1). They must pass a psychological evaluation. 2). They must successfully complete a course in the use of firearms. 3). They must wait a period of five days after the class to be eligible to purchase a firearm. The government reserves the right to regulate the storage of firearms and to set up legislation regarding the proper usage of firearms, as well as adding tests for the purchase of upper-level firearms. The government also retains the right to determine the definition of an upper-level firearm.
Section 3. The citizens of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic will be guaranteed the right to worship their own god(s) in their own way and the right to choose not to worship any god(s) insofar as the practice of these beliefs does not cause bodily harm to unwilling participants. The government of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic will not block the creation of places of worship. The government of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic shall not endorse any religious institution, nor shall the government of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic fund such institutions.
Section 4. The right of civil union will not be denied any couple based on sex or sexuality. Any two consenting adults may marry within our nation, provided they are in their right minds. This shall not be construed to allow union between a human being and a non-rational animal.
Section 5. The government of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic recognizes that it cannot regulate the substances which its adult citizens desire to put in their bodies. However, the government shall hold its citizens responsible for their actions under the influence of said substances. The government shall require any companies with the intent to distribute substances for ingestion that are generally considered damaging to the health to provide thorough education for their consumers. The government retains the right to determine what activities may be undertaken while under the influence of substances that cause impairment. The government recognizes private citizens’ right to limit which substances may be ingested on their property.
Section 6. The people have a right to free speech. There are three instances where this right may be denied. First, speech that encourages its listeners to violence against others is not protected. Second, speech that encourages the overthrow of the government is not protected. This shall not be construed to disallow speech against the governmental legislation, the current members of the government, or any sort of criticisms of the government that do not encourage a coup. Finally, speech that is used to commit treason against the state by passing information about the state to enemy states in a period of war is not protected.
Section 7. The government of TiP Constitutional Democratic-Republic recognizes that it cannot regulate the Internet or any other such institutions. The use of the Internet falls under the right to free speech and is protected except in the three mentioned instances.
Section 8. The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended. No exceptions.
Section 9. The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Section 10. No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
Section 11. The right of a woman to an abortion shall not be abridged before such a time as the brainwaves and heart of the unborn infant have started, but the life of the unborn infant takes precedence over this right after such a point unless the birth of the infant would threaten the mother's life in the opinion of a properly licensed medical official.
Section 12. A citizen shall have the right to be tried by a panel of no fewer than three judges in all civil and criminal suits.
Section 13. No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
Section 14. In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial panel of judges and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.
Section 15. The right of a citizen over the age of fourteen years to vote will not be abridged based on race, gender, or sexuality.