democratic-governance

The chapter requires secret ballot elections every two years, ensuring participation rights for all adults and restricting official coercion to elected or accountable officials.

1 chapter across 1 book

The Postman (1985)David Brin

1. The freedoms guaranteed under the Bill of Rights shall not be withheld from any man or woman within the territory of the United States. Trials for all serious crimes shall be by an impartial jury of one’s peers. Except in cases of dire martial emergency, summary judgments and executions violating due process are absolutely forbidden.

This chapter establishes foundational legal and civil rights principles for a post-apocalyptic United States, emphasizing the inviolability of freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, the requirement of impartial jury trials, and the prohibition of summary executions except under extreme martial conditions. It also forbids slavery and lifelong debt bondage, and mandates democratic elections with secret ballots to ensure legitimate governance and limit coercion to elected officials or their direct appointees.