The preceding rules encourage Delegates to complete their Delegate Team with 20 Delegates(make it “full”).
Regarding a Full Delegate Team:
Once a Delegate Team is “full” (all 20 Delegates are assigned), a vote is held to confirm the Team Leader. A majority vote is needed (at least 11 votes).
Note: If the Team Leader is not confirmed (does not get 11 votes), a vote for a new Team Leader is taken.
All Delegates interested in being selected as Team Leader are considered. The Delegate receiving the most votes is confirmed as the new Team Leader. At least 11 votes are needed for confirmation.
Voting continues until a new Team Leader is confirmed or it becomes clear 11 votes are not obtainable. If no Delegate is confirmed (receives 11 votes), the reigning Team Leader is confirmed by default.
The calendar month the Delegate Team becomes “full” (all 20 Delegates are assigned) is regarded as its anniversary. Annually thereafter, during that month, the Team Leader is confirmed or a new Team Leader is selected (as per #1).
Upon the Team Leader being confirmed for the new year, at any time thereafter, a fellow Delegate may ask for the Team Leader to be confirmed. However, during the year, only 7 votes are necessary for confirmation.
Note: Essentially, a 70% majority is necessary for removal.
The preceding rules encourage Delegate Teams to remain steady while affording Delegates the ability to make changes if faced with a compelling situation (such as if a Team Leader should violate policy, or is inept or negligent, and so on).
Conducting Business:
Local Delegate Teams are autonomous in that they determine when they meet, where they meet, how often they meet, and so on.
Although Delegate Teams use the democratic process when electing their Team Leader, they perform as a republic in that their Team Leader makes decisions on behalf of the Delegates.
Note: If Delegate Teams operated as democracies (as opposed to republics), decisions made by the Team Leaders would be subordinate to the majority opinion. Specifically, decisions made by the Team Leaders could be overruled by majority vote of the Delegates.
In a democracy, although officials are elected and conduct day-to-day business, they are not really in charge. In a democracy, the citizen majority makes the rules even after elections are over. In contrast, in a republic, after elections are over, the citizen majority has no more authority than any one individual. In other words, there are no minorities in a republic. Therefore, no one is oppressed.
In keeping with a republic (as opposed to a dictatorship), the authority of the Team Leader is limited.
Note: A dictator rules without restrictions or limitations. If the dictator becomes guided and limited by a parliamentary body or by a constitution from the people, the government is transformed from a dictatorship to a republic.
Once a Delegate Team is full (all 20 Delegates are assigned), a Delegate may ask for a vote of confirmation on an alternative measure to the one proposed by the Team Leader. However, to confirm the alternative measure, 14 votes are needed.
Note: Requiring super-super majority support (70%) to overrule the decisions of the Team Leader provides a check on the balance of power while preserving the integrity of the republic. (If only a simply majority were necessary to overrule the Team Leader, the Delegate Team would be performing as a democracy as opposed to a republic.)
Making Decisions:
Patriots are honest, forthright, and accountable. As such, voting is done by show of hands as opposed to secret ballot.
Note: The methodology of the Patriot Party® Delegate Program discourages corruption, slight of hand, questionable motives and uncertainty.
Patriots are positive and predisposed to finding solutions to problems. As such, when voting, questions are posed so decisions are a matter of confirmation as opposed to rejection.
Example: The question “Who does not want to meet on Tuesday?” does not solve the problem of when to meet. Preferred is “Who wants to meet on Wednesday?”.
Because the Delegate Team operates as a republic (in which the Team Leader makes decisions on behalf of the Delegate Team), a quorum is not necessary to validate a meeting.
An email, text message or phone call is sufficient to weigh in if a Delegate is not present and yet wishes to cast a vote if one is requested by a fellow Delegate.
Process of Delegate Removal:
To maintain integrity and viability, there must be a mechanism so that, in extreme cases (and only in extreme cases), Delegates may be voted off their Delegate Team.
Note: Valid reasons for removal include (but are not limited to) lack of participation, being convicted of a felony, and not supporting the Patriot Party® Platform.
A Delegate may be removed only when the Delegate Team is “full” (it has 20 Delegates).
As explained in the previous section “Making Decisions,” a reverse process is used when voting. In short, the lack of confirmation equates to removal.
Note: Again, Patriots are positive and solution driven.
The confirmation process begins with one Delegate saying, “I request a vote of confirmation.”
Note: As explained in the previous section “Making Decisions,” voting is done by a show of hands.
The Team first confirms (or doesn't confirm) the Delegate calling for confirmation. In this way, no Delegate is singled out for confirmation.
Note: A Delegate must receive 7 votes to be confirmed. Delegates who are absent must weigh-in unless 7 votes are obtained from the Delegates present (confirming the Delegate).
Then each Delegate is confirmed or not-confirmed in turn.
Note: Every Member is evaluated in turn to avoid the awkward situation of singling out a particular Delegate who is ultimately confirmed from having obtained 7 votes.
Delegates who do not receive confirmation are asked to relinquish their Delegate position voluntarily. If the Delegate objects, the Team Leader sends an email to the Patriot Party® Coordinator of his or her state to handle the matter.
Top
