ALLIANCE GOVERNANCE

Alliance Governance

Structure, Membership, and Enforcement

Core Concept

The Hemispheric Alliance is not another trade agreement—it's an economic and political union with teeth. Membership requires democratic governance, human rights standards, living wages, and fiscal transparency. The reward: access to an 895-million-person prosperity zone. The enforcement: exclusion from that market.

Membership Requirements

Democratic Governance

Term limits: No indefinite rule—leaders must leave

Human Rights Standards

Women's rights: Legal equality, education access, workplace protections

Economic Standards

Fiscal transparency: Public budgets, anti-corruption enforcement

Governance Structure

Alliance Council

Composition: One representative per member nation

Voting: GDP-weighted for economic matters, one-nation-one-vote for membership/standards

Secretariat: Permanent staff for administration, monitoring, dispute resolution

Standards Body

Technical assistance: Help countries meet standards, not just punish failure

Development Fund Board

Corruption prevention: Independent audits, clawback provisions

Enforcement Mechanisms

Graduated Responses

Level 2 - Probation: Reduced Development Fund access, enhanced monitoring

Level 3 - Partial suspension: Tariffs on specific sectors, restricted market access

Reinstatement: Clear path back for countries that reform

Why It Works

Transparent: Public criteria, public assessments—hard to game

Joining Process

Timeline: Typically 2-5 years from application to full membership

Relationship to Existing Institutions

WTO: Alliance rules supersede for internal trade, WTO governs external

Discussion Questions

What's the right balance between GDP-weighted and equal voting?

Note: Alliance governance must balance effectiveness with legitimacy. Too weak and standards are meaningless; too strong and it becomes US dominance by another name. Validators invited to critique this balance.