Engineering a new constitution for oz essay

The land of Oz has recently become democratized due to the disappearance of the authoritarian Wizard, and now the Lady Glinda is heading a transitional government that would move towards a new system of government. Our job is to provide recommendations toward what that government should consist of. In this report, we will support our recommendation that the land of Oz move toward a presidential system of government, with a proportional representation electoral system for the president and legislature, and a federal system of government.

Presidential system

Given the segregated and divisive nature of the land of Oz, it is recommended that a democratically appointed president be put into office. The primary cause for most of the problems inherent in the land of Oz seems to be placed squarely in the hands of mistakes made during authoritarian leadership, leading to income inequalities and racial tensions that threaten to throw the entirety of the land into chaos. However, with a democratically appointed president, many of these tensions can be alleviated, as the will of the people will be served through a leader that is agreed upon by the majority of the people of the land of Oz.

Glinda would act as an interim president for a term of two years; this would provide the fledgling nation enough stability through leadership as the rest of the government develops, while not eliminating the option of voting someone else in if Glinda does not perform as the people desire. At the end of her two-year interim term, she would act as the incumbent in public elections that would decide a new, democratically elected President of Oz. She would have the chance to run for reelection and be voted in as President, but it would also allow the nation-states to put forth candidates that would serve their interests as well. After the first election, presidents would be able to serve for four years and a total of two terms. The president will be able to veto laws set forth by the rest of the legislature, but they can be impeached for committing a crime.

A cabinet of representatives from each nation-state would be on staff to assist and advise the president in matters pertaining to their constituents, providing a personal link between the president and the varying peoples of Oz.

Electoral System: Proportional Representation

Given the varied and segregated nature of the nation states of Oz, proportional representation would be necessary in order to force a semblance of equality and restore inequalities that have been levied against certain nation-states as a result of the Wizard’s autocratic rule and other cultural factors.

There would be a house of representatives and a Senate in the Ozian legislature – two representatives for each nation in the Senate, and then a set number of representatives in the House based on the population of each nation. Each house would be equally weighted, and an American style system of checks and balances would be used to prevent one branch of the legislature from being more powerful than the other.

Federal system of government

The Emerald City would continue to serve as the nation’s capital, as it has the necessary resources and facilities to carry out that duty. Munchkinland, Quadling Country, The Vinkus, and Gilliken would all get their own state capitals by which the local and state governments could operate in conjunction with Emerald City. In addition to that, a portion of Munchkinland would also be set aside as a territory for Animals, giving them their own nation-state by which they can be represented and be free from repression. While this would present many cultural problems, especially between the Munchkinlander and Animals, there is also opportunity for growth and cooperation.

There would be no official religion of Oz, permitting both Unionists and Lurlinists to be integrated into this new nation, putting a stop to the Free State of Munchkinland. It is our hope that the increased level of involvement of Munchkinlanders in the affairs of the whole nation, as well as greater unity, will quell thoughts of secession.

The Animal Rights Resistance Movement would no longer be necessary with the creation of the Animal Territory state, as they would have their own lands and be granted rights. However, due to her crimes against the land of Oz, if Elphaba were to resurface, she would not be permitted to become the governor of this nation state.

It would be the job of the Vinkus territorial government to establish a more unified allegiance of clans in order to create a single government that represented the whole of the people. They would potentially need their own council of clans to make decisions as a whole, which would then be passed on as the collective law of the land.

Shell Thropp would not be allowed to maintain a secessionist Munchkinlander Militia; their authority would not be recognized by the Ozian government, and they would not be given representation in the Munchkinland legislature.

The Ozian military as it exists now would be integrated into the new federal government, with Glinda (and then any future elected president) acting as Commander in Chief of this military. However, Commander Cherrystone would be the equivalent of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
With the help of proportional representation and a two-house legislature, the smaller nations could be prevented from being marginalized, while the larger nations would be able to still exert the appropriate influence in proportion to their actual population and resources. The appointment of a president would give the people a say in what is being done in government, and a federal government would still allow a degree of autonomy for the individual nation-states to see to their own needs and problems without being totally overseen by an outside force.