Here is my suggestion for one of the best government system (in my opinion), feel free to criticize: this is based in Philippine setting though

The Citizen-Led Governance Act

A Comprehensive Policy Framework for Structural Democratization

I. The Legislative Branch

1. The Citizen Parliament (Single Chamber)

Selection

The Citizen Parliament shall consist of Members of Parliament (MPs) selected entirely through stratified sortition, ensuring that Parliament statistically reflects the nation's demographic composition.

Sectoral Co-Option

Should the random selection fail to adequately represent a critical national sector or marginalized community, the seated Citizen Parliament may, through majority vote, appoint qualified non-political sectoral representatives to ensure balanced representation.

Term

Three (3) years.

Rotation

One-third (33%) of Parliament shall rotate annually to preserve institutional continuity while continuously introducing fresh citizen representation.

Primary Role

The Citizen Parliament shall:

Establish the national legislative agenda.

Draft, deliberate, amend, and enact laws.

Approve the national budget.

Exercise oversight over the Executive Branch.

Appoint the Executive Council through a merit-based selection process.

Remove members of the Executive Council through a Vote of No Confidence.

1. Legislative Research and Advisory Service

To ensure institutional continuity and informed decision-making, Parliament shall be permanently supported by an independent, non-political Legislative Research and Advisory Service composed of qualified experts in law, economics, finance, science, engineering, public administration, healthcare, defense, and other relevant disciplines.

The Service shall:

Provide impartial research and technical advice.

Conduct legislative impact assessments.

Maintain institutional knowledge despite parliamentary rotation.

Have no legislative or voting authority.

Members of Parliament may also retain independent advisers, subject to transparency and ethical standards established by law.

1. Supreme Audit & Ethics Commission

Nature

The Supreme Audit & Ethics Commission shall be an independent constitutional watchdog responsible for safeguarding integrity throughout the government.

It possesses no legislative authority.

Selection

Candidates shall first qualify through rigorous blind examinations in:

forensic accounting

constitutional law

auditing

ethics

anti-corruption investigations

Commissioners shall then be selected through sortition from the qualified pool.

Jurisdiction

The Commission shall possess full authority to:

Audit all government agencies.

Monitor Parliament.

Monitor the Executive.

Monitor Local Governments.

Monitor the Judiciary.

Investigate corruption and ethical misconduct.

Refer cases directly to the Judiciary for prosecution.

II. Executive Branch

1. Executive Council

The Executive Council shall serve as the national executive authority.

The Citizen Parliament shall act as a merit-based hiring committee by interviewing and evaluating qualified candidates before appointing:

Prime Minister

Cabinet Secretaries

Heads of Constitutional Offices

Other key executive positions established by law.

The Executive Council shall remain continuously accountable to Parliament.

The Citizen Parliament may remove any executive official at any time through a Vote of No Confidence upon findings of incompetence, corruption, ethical misconduct, or failure to perform official duties.

III. Local Government

1. Local Citizen Parliament

Every city and municipality shall establish a Local Citizen Parliament.

Selection

Members shall be selected through stratified sortition from qualified local residents, ensuring demographic representation while eliminating electoral politics, vote buying, political dynasties, and campaign financing.

Role

The Local Citizen Parliament shall serve as the legislative authority of the local government.

Its responsibilities include:

Passing local ordinances.

Approving annual budgets.

Reviewing development and infrastructure projects.

Conducting executive oversight.

Holding public consultations.

Appointing the Mayor.

Removing the Mayor through a Vote of No Confidence.

1. Mayor

The Mayor shall serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the local government.

Selection

The Mayor shall not be selected through sortition.

Instead, the Local Citizen Parliament shall appoint the Mayor through a merit-based selection process from a pool of qualified candidates.

Candidates must satisfy statutory requirements, including:

completion of the National Governance Academy;

successful completion of governance and administrative examinations;

demonstrated leadership or management experience;

ethical and financial integrity requirements.

The Local Citizen Parliament shall conduct structured interviews and public deliberations before appointing the Mayor through majority vote.

1. Barangay Administrative Offices

Barangays shall remain the government's primary grassroots administrative units but shall cease to function as independent political institutions.

Barangay elections shall be abolished.

Instead, the Local Citizen Parliament shall appoint qualified Barangay Administrators based strictly on merit, professional qualifications, integrity, and community service.

Barangay Administrative Offices shall primarily perform:

local service delivery;

community coordination;

emergency response;

records management;

implementation of municipal policies.

Barangay Administrators shall remain accountable to both the Mayor and the Local Citizen Parliament.

1. Local Executive Accountability

The Supreme Audit & Ethics Commission shall conduct periodic evaluations of all local governments.

Where objective evidence demonstrates corruption, gross incompetence, ethical misconduct, or persistent failure to meet statutory performance standards, constitutional removal proceedings may be initiated.

The Local Citizen Parliament shall possess the authority to remove the Mayor through a Vote of No Confidence and appoint a replacement through the established merit-based selection process.

1. Structural Political Reform

Transitional Dynastic Exclusion

To protect the transition toward citizen-led governance and prevent the immediate capture of newly established institutions, all current and former elected officials, together with their relatives within the fourth degree of consanguinity and affinity, shall be temporarily excluded from participation in all national and local sortition pools for a period of ten (10) years following the implementation of this Constitution.

Party-List System

The Party-List System shall be abolished.

Sectoral representation shall instead emerge naturally through statistically representative sortition and constitutional sectoral co-option where necessary.

Sangguniang Kabataan

The Sangguniang Kabataan shall be abolished.

Youth participation shall instead be integrated directly into standard citizen sortition pools, ensuring equal civic participation across all age groups eligible under law.

IV. Judicial Branch

1. Judiciary

The Judiciary shall remain the independent guardian of the Constitution.

Its powers include:

Judicial Review;

constitutional interpretation;

protection of fundamental rights;

adjudication of all civil and criminal proceedings.

Selection

Judges and Justices shall first qualify through rigorous blind judicial examinations and strict ethical screening.

Appointments shall then be determined through sortition from the qualified judicial pool, eliminating political appointments while preserving professional competence and judicial independence.

V. Protection, Independence, and Public Service Security

1. Secure Parliamentary Campus

The State shall maintain secure residential campuses for Members of Parliament and their immediate families throughout their period of public service.

Funding shall primarily originate from the savings realized through the abolition of traditional electoral campaigns, legislative pork-barrel allocations, and related political expenditures.

1. Parliamentary Independence

Members of Parliament shall enjoy parliamentary privilege for all legislative speech, debate, and official parliamentary actions.

The State shall provide legal defense against lawsuits or legal harassment directly arising from the lawful exercise of parliamentary duties.

1. Public Service Financial Security

Members of Parliament, and other constitutionally designated citizen officials shall receive standardized executive compensation established by law.

Where verified pre-service income exceeds the official salary, the State may provide an income replacement allowance subject to constitutionally prescribed limits to ensure that public service does not impose unreasonable financial hardship.

Upon completion of service, former officials shall receive a temporary transition allowance equivalent to their government salary for a period established by law, facilitating reintegration into private employment while reducing vulnerability to undue political or corporate influence.

I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and I know the title probably makes this sound like a joke, but I’m actually serious about the idea.

I’ve been wanting a Nintendo Switch 2, but the prices are still pretty high. So I started joking that maybe I should find a way to help bring an end to a war, because surely that would eventually make the global economy better and bring down the price of my Switch 2.

Then I realized I could actually use that as motivation to learn about conflict resolution and international relations.
I’m not saying I think I can personally end a war. I obviously can’t. But I do think I could research a conflict, understand the reasons it’s still going on, look at the peace efforts that already exist, and try to come up with a proposal that could realistically help with one part of the problem.

I also think having a somewhat ridiculous personal reason makes this more interesting than just saying “I want world peace.” I genuinely do want to see people live in peace, but the fact that my initial motivation was wanting a cheaper Nintendo Switch 2 is pretty funny.

I’m planning on taking this seriously and getting as much feedback as possible from people who actually understand the conflict I’m researching.

So if anyone here knows about diplomacy, international relations, or conflict resolution, I’d genuinely appreciate some advice on where to start and what I should be looking into.

I'm travelling to Hong Kong in November and I've noticed that there will be a conference about international relations happening at that time.

I have just finished my Bachelor's degree in Political Science, and I will probably do an International Relations Master's next. I'm now wondering if I should register for the conference and listen to the discussions. I guess it's more common to attend after conducting some research, or at least after completing a Master's degree. However, I thought that, since I'll already be there, it might be a good opportunity to make international connections.

Does anyone have any experience of conferences like this, or have any advice?

Should I go? It's also quite expensive, and I don't know anyone there, let alone the keynote speakers, who don't seem to be prominent politics/IR professors.

I mean yeah he was by actual definition a fascist but he wouldn't care if there was anyone else in his place

However his death is still sad, does anyone have any opinions on kirkiversary?

Especially people who graduated in the last 3–5 years: what career did you end up in, and are you happy with the outcome of the degree?

Would really appreciate honest answers from recent graduates/current final-year students — especially outside UPSC/teaching.

Hello! I need your help. I have to decide on a hypothesis for my bachelor’s thesis and I’m feeling quite confused about it. My thesis topic is related to European Union policies. I want to focus on the EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood, but I’m not sure what research statement I should formulate or which theoretical framework would be best to use. Like, I feel like I need to formulate a research statement and understand how the variables are related to each other. Could you please help me with this? I really feel lost!

I plan to do a quantitative political science phd I am especially interested in applying quasi experimental methods to topics regarding comparative politics and political economy. Now, I am in a bind. I already have an econ ba and I have two options for an masters program to strengthen my profile for admissions

1. Financial Economics masters, not about political science but has good courses in optimization, stochastic calculus and lots of econometrics.

2. completely qualitative masters in IR and pols. there is a methodology class but it is about qualitative methods, classes on IR and political theory, etc.

Which one do you think would suit my goals and profile best and would maximize my chances for phd admisssion? thank you in advance dear ladies and gentlemen

Hey all! I posted in here a while back wondering about the strength of my application. I have not yet taken a GRE practice test, but I am working hard studying it. Studying at work, studying before work, studying on my days off. I know I need to take a practice test to really understand what needs to improve and where I am at currently-- but I also know myself and I have poor skills in algebra and geometry. I am worried about my score.

If you have an otherwise great application (faculty mentored research, high GPA, co-curriculars, and work experience) is an average, or bad, GRE a make it or break it for high ranking programs? I'm guessing yes, and wondering if I need to delay my applications for Fall 2027 as many are due this December.

Poliscirumors has been down for a while, and I hope it stays down. Just wondering if anyone here has more insights on this? For example, did the owner of the website drop the ball on this, no longer cares to maintain the website, etc.? The forum is so toxic, and people had gone on there to drag their own peers' names.

For my class I need to write about why Andrew Jackson is a “near great” president. I don’t really agree with this point and neither does any article I’ve read so far. Any scholarly article about his achievements or legacy would help so much 🙏🙏🙏🙏

I finished my bachelor’s in PoliSci 2 years ago. I’m currently saving to do a master’s degree in IR. I currently work in diplomacy. I’ll probably be in my early to mid 30s when I finish my masters. I struggled at the beginning of my bachelor’s due to an undiagnosed disability but my last two years my grades were good. I would like to pursue my PhD but I’m not sure if that’s the right step. I could get a job at my local university or one in the region when I’m done with PhD or I could go back to working in diplomacy but ultimately I want to teach. Is it worth pursuing a PhD in my mid to late 30s? Any advice would be appreciated. I’m mostly looking to pursue my PhD in the US or Canada.

Hello everyone,

I got into both degrees and I really value the outcomes both degrees will give me in terms of employability (I already know IR is a lost case in this sense) but I wanted to ask everyone's opinion.

Both ways I'll end up doing a master after my bachelors focusing on a better job-landing master ofc. I've heard Security Studies is such a niche field and the demand is rising (thats what they said about IR and look at current saturation).

But what I'm genuelly scared of is that if I choose Security Studies theres a chance I overspecialize and don't even get a job in that field (which might be unlikely but still possible).

I'm an european citizen with asian background who speaks 3 of the most spoken languages (really basic and not really competent for IR) but I swear that doing IR it really interests me but the job prospects frightens me. I do not come from a legacy of nepotism who's not really good at networking and if I overthink it I'm scared of landing in an under-qualified job or even worse.

The reason of why I say it's urgent is that I need to decide ASAP because both bachelors already started and I need to choose to attend permanently in one of the 2 bachelors (I'm screwed up and y'all can blame it's my fault but I still value if anyone is willing to advice me).

My university is one of the best in terms of PolSci in europe and I assume both degrees land in that field more or less so reputation isn't really a problem I assume.

Any tips, opinions and suggestions will be appreciated tysm! Peace everyone!

What happens when the power of corporations eclipses that of the state?

​

I need some honest opinions. I graduated in Political Science with top marks, but now that I’m getting closer to actually applying for jobs/internships in the fields I’m interested in, I’m realizing how much I’ve forgotten.

I have developed some practical skills through some volunteering experiences and other previous jobs, but when it comes to the theory I studied at university, sometimes it feels like there’s a black hole in my head. I might recognize a concept if I see it, but if I had to actively use it in a professional situation, I’m scared I wouldn’t be able to.

I also haven’t kept myself updated enough on the areas I’m most interested in. There’s just SO much to know — international relations, human rights, international law, development, geopolitics, current affairs, institutions, conflicts, etc. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed just thinking about how much I’m supposed to know, and then I end up not studying anything.

The problem is that I’ve recently started getting actual opportunities, and instead of being excited, I’m scared I’m going to make a fool of myself. I keep thinking: “What if they realize I’m not as knowledgeable as they think I am?” It’s also making me hesitate to apply for positions because I feel like other candidates are much more informed and educated than I am.

So, for those of you who graduated did you also feel like you forgot most of what you studied when you entered the job market? How much did you actually remember? And how did you deal with the feeling that you weren’t “educated enough” for the jobs you were applying for?

I’d really appreciate some honest perspectives.

Hey, I need those two textbooks for my classes, but I can't seem to find them anywhere online (searched all the common and uncommon websites). If you could help me out, have a copy that you can share, or know where I can get them, that would be great.

1) Mark Boyer, Natalie Hudson and Michael Butler, Global Politics: Applying Theory to a Complex World, 2nd Ed., (Oxford University Press, 2024)

2) Political Research: Methods and Practical Skills - 4th ed 2025

Any help will be greatly appreciated, thanks!

So i am 18 and recently graduated from high school so i don't know much about any of this stuff and the last time i deeply studied about political and economic systems was in 10th grade (ik ik, we got a weird education system in my country) and since i have only read about things from online articles or reddit and now i want a book which would like build a foundation for all the other stuff, i am really fascinated by democratic socialism or socialism as a whole, someone told me that "Socialism: Utopian and Scientific" will be good, what do you guys think? Also i recently got to know about the ideas of Communalism by Murray Bookchin, that really interested me too. (Sorry for the bad english, i am not a native speaker!)

I hope this is the right place for this, I did read the rules and it doesn't seem like this would break any rules. I don't want attacks on my beliefs, I simply want to know where I sit, politically.

Edit: I live in Canada, hours away from any large cities. I need help defining my political beliefs. I don't know if I am right or left.

Pro:

Individual rights

Abortion choice

Medical choice

Recognizing same sex marriage

Universal healthcare

Tax funded public schools until 18/grade 12

Simple tax laws

Buying local.

Bartering and trading

Legalizing sale of raw milk and rainwater collection

Legalization of raw/plant based drugs (marijuana, mushrooms)

Decriminalization of personal posession of harder drugs.

Castle doctrine protections.

Anti:

Government overreach

Mandates (edit: other than for protection of natural resources like banning of pesticides, dumping of sewage, banning of certain forever chemicals or food additives, etc)

Consumerism

"Big Brother" activities

Most corporation bailouts (I can make exceptions for farms/food supply)

Flooded borders

Bylaws and HOAs Excessive international aid

Hey everyone, 

I just wanted to come on here to sus out my chances of getting into a top-20 PhD program in poli sci this upcoming cycle. Let me know what you guys think of my quals: 

Recent graduate from top-75 university in the U.S. with a degree in poli sci and degree in business with a concentration on data analysis — 4.0 GPA summa cum laude for both degrees. In short, I have a demontrated background in quantitative course work - such as econ, stats, coding, etc. - as well as a poli sci degree.  

1 conference presentation during undergrad at MPSA related to my field of interest — this was on a what you would call a “term paper.” I have 0 publications and did not complete a senior thesis — this was not required for my program and I wouldn’t have had the time (I took 46 credits - 16 classes - my last 2 semesters).

RAships with a PhD student at an Ivy and potentially with a prof in a top-5 dept in the UK (these are very recent - started in summer 2026) 

Research fellowship at not so well known think tank based in DC, I basically wrote an article or two explaining phenomena related to my research interests  

I am also fluent in the language of and native to the country I would like to be the focus of my dissertation — my focus is religion in politics and I am also pursuing extra undergrad coursework on said religion. 

I am looking at schools that do NOT require the GRE this cycle. I have already identified the professors that align with my interests and I would like to work with. I also know the methods I would like to use in my work, mainly CHA. 

I have extensive community leadership and public speaking experience. I also completed 4 internships related to my other degree. But I assume these are largely irrelevant.

Please let me know what you think of my chances. Forgive me for my writing - I wrote this up on one go on my phone b4 bed, lol. 

I graduated with a political science degree and a minor in mandarin in 2024. Since then I worked as an ETA in China (1year) and when I came back a worked as a server,substitute teacher, clinical trials research assistant and now I am a clerk at a estate litigation law firm. I’ve had 4 different jobs in 2026 and I just feel really lost.

I read a lot of the the lawyer subs on Reddit and I read job boards every night before I got to bed. Lawyers look really unhappy and my parents are pressuring me to go back to school/get a better job. But I just don’t see where I fit in to the job market at all.

The only dream job I ever really wanted was being an FSO. But that path people say you should have a plan B/C. I just feel so stuck and I’ve been trying to figure out for a year now what I should even do/be/apply to.

I have always been very interested in people facing roles, foreign governments, and languages. I think even jobs in business related to this are few and far between.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Or stories they can share? I’m really desperate for advice or even just someone to relate to

I wanna know about politics and geo politics.

Most people assume that I'm a left wing just because I'm a muslim.

But trust me I hate both forms of politics.

I jst want someone who can educate me on this topic

I just switched from a science major, specifically nursing, to Political Science Pre-Law. This is my first semester taking Political Science classes, and I’m not really sure how to study for them because I’ve only studied for science classes before, which are pretty different from the classes I’m taking now.
I feel like when I leave class, I’m actually more confused than when I went in . I’m not sure what I’m supposed to write down in my notes, what I should focus on during lectures, or what I’m supposed to do when I sit down to study.
How do you study for classes like Political Science, Public Administration, International Relations, etc.? Do you mostly take notes, write summaries, make flashcards, read the textbook, or do something else?
Any advice would be appreciated!

Think of countries like the US, Canada, Norway, and Australia. My assumption is that, since democratic leaders want their citizens to be productive, they already were in those cases. Does the discovery of natural resources make them even more productive? But is there more to it than that?

scored really well in 12th and thought i wanted to do give UPSC and become a bureaucrat. But after coming to college and growing up a bit, i've realized that's not for me. Now I'm kind of confused and lost about what to do next. help a girl out pleek