Paper 72 Overview: Government on a Neighboring Planet

This paper tells about a special planet near Urantia that has a very good government system. This planet had problems like Urantia did when its Planetary Prince joined Lucifer's rebellion, but they managed to create a good society anyway. Their advanced nation has created a fair government with many good ideas that could help Urantia.

This advanced nation has good ways of handling political organization, home life, education, industry, crime, and military matters. They share this information to help Urantia understand how to make better governments and societies. The planet has not received a Magisterial Son yet, but they still progressed well.

With permission, the author tells us about the social, moral, and political life of an advanced human race on a planet in the Satania system. This planet's history is similar to Urantia because it also experienced the Lucifer rebellion. The planet received a Material Son like Adam but he also failed in his mission, and they never received a Magisterial Son.

This advanced civilization has developed on a continent about the size of Australia with 140 million people. The people are a mixed race of blue, yellow, and violet ancestry who live about 90 years on average. They have great natural resources and a good water supply from mountains in the middle of their continent.

This nation moved from tribal life through monarchy and dictatorship phases over thousands of years. About five hundred years ago, one of three ruling dictators had a change of heart and gave up power, which led to a single ruler. The nation progressed under monarchy for over one hundred years and then gradually changed to a representative government that has been improving for two hundred years.

This nation has a representative government with a central capital and one hundred free states. Each state has a governor and legislature elected for ten years, and judges appointed for life. Cities have simple and efficient governments, with no city allowed to have more than one million people.

The national government has three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The chief executive is elected every six years. The legislative branch has three houses based on different groups of society. The judicial system has two main court systems—law courts and socioeconomic courts—that handle different kinds of cases.

On this continent, it is against the law for two families to live under the same roof. Home sites must be large, and land used for homes is free from taxes. Family life is considered very important, and both parents must attend schools to learn about child-raising.

Most families have about five children who are controlled by their parents or guardians chosen by the courts. Young people remain legally under their parents until age fifteen. Marriage is not allowed before age twenty, and people must get permission and take classes about marriage responsibilities first. Divorce rates are much lower than on Urantia.

The educational system is required for all children from ages five to eighteen. Schools are very different from Urantia's, with no regular classrooms. Students study one subject at a time and become assistant teachers after three years. Books are used only to help solve problems in school workshops and farms.

After basic education, students can go to special colleges or adult schools. The entire system aims to make every student a skilled worker by age eighteen. People with mental disabilities are trained only in farming and animal care and are not allowed to have children.

Industry on this planet still has some problems, but workers are increasingly becoming part-owners in businesses. Social conflicts are decreasing, and they have peaceful ways to solve economic problems. Violence has been banned as a way to settle industrial disputes.

Workers are paid in three ways: interest on invested money, salary for skills, and wages for labor. People work six hours a day, four days a week, nine months per year. The richest person on the continent still works six hours daily in his business, then studies to qualify for public service, which is becoming the main goal for ambitious people.

The nation works hard to replace charity with a dignified government insurance system for old age. Everyone must retire at sixty-five unless they get special permission to work until seventy. Government workers and philosophers are exempt from this rule.

Money for old-age pensions comes from four sources: monthly contributions from workers, gifts from wealthy people, earnings from state mines, and income from natural resources. The government takes dishonesty in pension management very seriously, with harsh penalties for betraying public trust.

The federal government handles old-age pensions and supports creative people, while state governments are more involved with individual citizens. Cities manage health, sanitation, water, and other local services. Cities have no taxing power and cannot go into debt.

The federal government gets money from five sources: import duties, royalties from inventions, inheritance taxes, leasing military equipment, and income from natural resources. No state can tax more than one percent of property value per year. The federal government cannot go into debt, and a three-fourths vote is needed for states to borrow money except during war.

Beyond basic education, special schools exist for various purposes. Statesmanship schools prepare people for public office at national, regional, and state levels. Other special institutions include schools of philosophy, science institutes, professional training schools, and military academies.

The military schools train volunteers from eighteen to thirty years old. Students learn military tactics while also studying music or another subject. This system prevents the creation of a professional military class by giving many people useful skills along with military training.

Voting rights are available to all citizens twenty years and older, but the system has been modified to be more effective. People join two voting groups based on their job and their social interests. These groups elect representatives to government.

Some people can earn extra votes (up to nine more) for outstanding service or wisdom. People working in mines or government jobs supported by taxes temporarily lose voting rights. The system creates unified, intelligent groups that elect their best members to government positions.

This society handles crime, mental illness, and degeneracy in ways that might seem shocking to Urantians. Ordinary criminals work in agricultural colonies that support themselves. Serious criminals and dangerous mentally ill people are sentenced to death in gas chambers by the courts.

The nation is moving from negative to positive law. They try to prevent crime by identifying potential criminals and sentencing them to detention colonies. If these people show improvement, they can be released. The crime rate is much lower than in other nations.

Graduates of federal military schools can become "guardians of civilization" in seven ranks. The National Council of Defense oversees military affairs. Military officers study for four years, always learning a trade or profession along with military training.

Military service during peacetime is voluntary, with enlistments lasting four years. The nation maintains strong defenses but has not used its military for offensive war in over one hundred years. When at peace, military equipment is used for trade, business, and recreation.

Though this nation's society and government are better than many on Urantia, the other eleven continents on this planet have inferior governments. The advanced nation is planning to establish relationships with these other peoples and send missionaries to them.

The author worries they might make the mistake of forcing their culture and religion on others. The planet has not received a Magisterial Son or bestowal mission, yet is still doing well. Urantia, having received the Spirit of Truth, is better prepared for establishing a worldwide government and eventually moving toward the ages of light and life.