Core Module 2 – Due March 5th at 11:59pm Module objective – The objective of this assignment is to design a constitution for Zombie Land, a fictitious post-conflict state. There are no right or wrong answers. Instead you should use your imagination to create a set of institutions, rules, and norms that you think best promotes peace and development in the country. Your assignment should emphasize the design of political institutions, voting rules, and institutions within the government. You should also consider what kind of economic institutions and incentives the new regime will have. Please use arguments to support why a particular type of institutional design is a good fit for this country. The goal is to design an institutional arrangement that promotes political and economic stability in the long run. Make specific references to how the design you choose will work in zombieland. You can pull institutions from science fiction/movies/tv, history, or other countries to make your case. This is your regime and you can design it however you want, so be imaginative. You cannot replicate the U.S. system (this is world politics not American politics) but you can replicate aspects of other countries. However, your design should also incorporate arguments and theories from the readings and lectures. You should cite course readings for theories/arguments/evidence you use. You should cite course lecture slides for theories/arguments/evidence taken from class discussion. Please read this entire document carefully. There is a lot of information. Grading rubric Component Inadequate (C-F) Acceptable (B) Excellent (A) Regime Type Simply provides a label rather than a definition or description of the process and structure. I.e democracy with no analysis of how democracy can vary Discussed regime type and how different regime institutions can affect political outcomes. Institutional rules for choosing leaders, elected officials, and mechanisms of accountability Discusses the regime and how the rules chosen will affect political outcomes. Identifies rules for choosing officials and promoting accountability. Analyses how this regime will affect zombieland by pointing to specific aspects of the country and how they will be affected by the regime chosen. Political Stability Discusses how the regime type is associated with political stability Discusses how the regime type is associated with political stability citing evidence or arguments. Uses evidence or arguments to identify strengths and weaknesses in the design. Discusses how the regime type is associated with political stability citing evidence or arguments. Uses evidence or arguments to identify strengths and weaknesses in the design. Identifies the ways in which behavior and incentives within zombieland will change. Institutional Design Describes branches of government and roles Describes branches of government and roles. Discusses distribution of decision making across levels of government. Considers what to do when institutions may be in conflict. Describes branches of government and roles. Discusses distribution of decision making across levels of government. Considers what to do when institutions may be in conflict. Discusses if checks are required or oversight and accountability mechanisms. Discusses how these rules will affect Zombieland and the different actors within it. Resource Distribution Describes how resources will be utilized including taxation and government allocations. Describes how resources will be utilized including taxation and government allocations including how this will support political stability. Describes how resources will be utilized including taxation and government allocations including how this will support political stability and potential impacts on individual populations and public opinion. Ties economic incentives of the system to aspects of Zombieland. Zombieland Background: Zombieland is a former colony that was granted independence in 1968. Following a year of benevolent democratic rule, the country erupted into civil conflict that involved divisions between two predominant “peoples”, one of which is spilt (northern zombies and southern zombies are the same “people” but are divided by language, geography, and a history of competition – essentially competing groups of zombies). Two periods of peace in the country, from 1978-1981 and from 1996-2006, are a consequence of military imposed rule established by the Zombie royal family who loosely governed during pre-colonial times. The first peaceful period was one of extreme authoritarianism and terror, dominated by the northern zombies who comprise 32% of the population. The northern zombies were excluded from access to resources, government office, and educational opportunities during the 200 year long colonial period and have deep seated mistrust of the southern Zombies, who claim to have much more style and royal Zombie lineage. The second peaceful period was imposed by a second military regime under the guidance of Vampires. While little historic resentment between Vampires and Northern zombies and southern zombies existed, the Vampires managed to create a significant amount during the ten year long military rule that served to pit groups both zombie groups against the vampires. In 2008, faced with the threat of renewed civil conflict, the military leaders offered to step down provided that a Constitution is established and a new government implemented. In 2008, the country voted in a referendum 79% to establish a new constitution. Parts of the northern zombie population abstained from the vote, claiming they wished to be a separate entity and Constitutional process was corrupt. The northern zombies has also been accused by the international community of harboring drug trafficking efforts, and may have a large informal economy based on the trade of illegal drugs. The Vampires and southern zombies fear that politics in the North is corrupt due to drug interests. Demographics Northern Zombies: Primarily residing in the North, 32% of the population. Southern Zombies: Primarily residing in the south (with about 10% of the total relocating to the center), 22% of the population. Claim historic rights to the monarchy Vampires: Primarily residing in the center, 42% of the population. During colonial rule, most educational resources and high office was held by the Zombie royal family, with benefits extended to broader members of the southern zombie constituency. The vampires, being immortal, have higher levels of education and income than the northern zombies as well. The population has about 61% literacy and an average life expectancy of 57 years (some vampires meet untimely ends due to sunlight and accidents). The groups speak different dialects of a common language, but differ in religious and social norms. The northern zombies are accused of religious intolerance and attempting to impose religious law on the rest of the country, requiring strict adherence to the “zombie code”. The vampires and southern zombies are largely secular, believing that adherence to any specific types of behaviors built on identity is poor form. They remain divided in everything except opposition to perceived religious fanaticism practiced by the northern zombies. Geography Zombieland is a diverse nation with two distinct regions. The north is heavy rainforest with abundant rainfall and subject to flooding. Central Zombieland is a more moderate climate, rolling hills, with heavily concentrated agriculture. Southern Zombieland features a dry hot desert climate and experiences regular periods of drought, but does have the country’s only ocean port. Economy and Resources The average per capita income in Zombieland is $4231 with 32% of the population living below the poverty line. The northern part of the country has experienced high levels of deforestation in some regions due to the export of valuable hardwoods. Logging is the primary economic base in Northern Zombieland, with much of the population relying on subsistence agriculture. The north has the highest concentration of poverty in the country. The northern zombies are concentrated in Northern Zombieland. Central Zombieland has considerable hydro power resources as a consequence of rivers flowing out of the north. The economy in Central Zombieland is larger scale farming of cash crops which are shipped abroad. This is the wealthiest region of the country, and also enjoys considerable mineral resources such as gold and tin. Vampires comprising 42% of the population, live in Central Zombieland. Southern Zombieland has few resources, and relies on its busy ocean port and shipping for the majority of its wealth. The population is often subject to severe water shortages, and has difficulty growing enough food to feed the population. The southern Zombies, traditionally either nomadic or fishing populations, resides primarily in Southern Zombieland, although nearly 10% of the population has relocated to Central Zombieland during the last 10 years following a particularly bad drought. One of the key challenges existing in Zombieland is an increase in illegal drug trafficking. Zombieland is currently the primary global producer for drug X. Estimates place revenues received through drug trafficking as at least equivalent to GDP for the entire country. Drug X is grown primarily in the north and trafficked through the south. In conjunction with high levels of drug production, drug violence has increased and government officials have been targeted, held hostage, and killed. Drug tourism in Zombieland has increased, generating an estimated 17 million dollars a year in unreported income from abroad. You are tasked with designing a distribution of political and economic authority for Zombieland that maximizes stability. Design a regime that promotes stability and security. You are required to explain why the regime type and economic system are likely the most stable for the country. Draw on arguments from the lectures and the readings. You can use examples from real countries to support your arguments. Assignment Tips The format that this assignment takes is entirely up to you. You can design it to look like an international human rights agreement (UDHR) or to look like an actual constitution (see for example Tunisia’s new constitution). In order to receive a good grade you need to: · Clearly define the regime type and institutions you chose. What are they, how do they function, how are decisions made, how are posts filled, how are decisions enforced? · For each institution explain how they promote stability in zombieland. What behavior do they change? How do they alter decisions to fight or not? · Make specific references to aspects of zombieland that make you believe these institutions are correct. · Use theories, and lessons we have discussed to couch your argument. · Consider how each of the different actors is likely to respond to the set of institutions you create · Cite readings from the semester (which chapter and page number). · Cite lectures – which lecture, and slide? Do not: · Use terms like democracy, autocracy, capitalism, socialism without explaining exactly what you are referencing. These are loaded terms so you need to define them explicitly and how you believe they should be designed and work. · Choose institutions that may lead to peace, but fail to explain why they work in this context. Why will your regime work in this context? · Replicate the U.S. system. This is world politics so no copying this country. Make sure you have both a well defined set of institutions AND a discussion of how each institution will promote peace in zombieland. Don’t be afraid to imagine a radically different way to organize a society.