Election
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An election in micronationalism usually refers to the formal democratic process by which a group elects an individual or collective of individuals to hold public office, usually that of a lawmaker, policymaker or officer in a government of a micronation, but occasionally elections take place to select public officers in intermicronational organisations. The Grand Unified Micronational, or GUM, for instance, frequently re-elects their presiding officer and administrative head[1].
Elections are most commonly used, as in macronations, by national governments that use representative democracy as their structure of government, though elections have also taken place in nations with monarchies such as the Abeldane Empire. Elections in micronationalism, and in particular the MicroWiki sector, vary in terms of vulnerability to interference; elections to the chair of the GUM, for instance, can generally be considered to be conducted freely and fairly, while the earlier example of Abelden cannot, as it was revealed in 2020 that former Abeldane Emperor Stephen Freayth had engaged in electoral misconduct in the nation since 2017[2].
Elections are distinct from referendums, which are conducted in a similar fashion - a population voting on a subject in a broadly democratic fashion - but the voting body are making a decision on an issue rather than appointing an individual to a public office.
Micronational political parties are extremely common in micronations that use elections, though some nations, such as the Usian Republic and Shireroth have outlawed them.
Utility
Electoral democracy is a common choice for micronational governments, and has advantages: election seasons promote activity, the lack of which is a common route by which micronations dissolve. It also provides an avenue for new individuals to be onboarded into the workings of the country, and therefore a reason to be involved. Nations such as the Kingdom of Purcal and the Republic of New York, for instance, promote democratic elections as a selling point for joining their Discord servers[3].
There are disadvantages, however, particularly for countries with strict constitutional requirements for the conducting of elections. Nations with small populations are not generally well-suited to democracy as there are often as many candidates as potential voters.
See also
- List of elections in Bryantia
- List of elections in Cubia
- List of elections in Delphia
- List of elections in Rewalde
References
- ↑ "Results of the chair election", Jayden Lycon, Grand Unified Micronational. Published 23 February 2021. Accessed 30 October 2023.
- ↑ Karjasari, Tarik (10 July 2020). "Concordiagate: Abelden shaken to its core as leaks uncover plot at the heart of Concordia". L'Sydunche. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- ↑ "#self-promotion", MicroWiki Community Discord server. Accessed 30 October 2023.