The British Study Edition of the Urantia Papers

100,000 citizens.

^72:2.2 There are 5 different types of metropolitan government, depending on the size of the city, but no city is permitted to have more than 1,000,000 inhabitants. On the whole, these municipal governing schemes are very simple, direct, and economical. The few offices of city administration are keenly sought by the highest types of citizens.

^72:2.3 The federal government embraces 3 co-ordinate divisions: executive, legislative, and judicial. The federal chief executive is elected every 6 years by universal territorial suffrage. He is not eligible for re-election except upon the petition of at least 75 state legislatures concurred in by the respective state governors, and then but for one term. He is advised by a supercabinet composed of all living ex-chief executives.

^72:2.4 ¶ The legislative division embraces 3 houses:

^72:2.5 1. The upper house is elected by industrial, professional, agricultural, and other groups of workers, balloting in accordance with economic function.

^72:2.6 2. The lower house is elected by certain organizations of society embracing the social, political, and philosophic groups not included in industry or the professions. All citizens in good standing participate in the election of both classes of representatives, but they are differently grouped, depending on whether the election pertains to the upper or lower house.

^72:2.7 3. The third house — the elder statesmen — embraces the veterans of civic service and includes many distinguished persons nominated by the chief executive, by the regional (subfederal) executives, by the chief of the supreme tribunal, and by the presiding officers of either of the other legislative houses. This group is limited to 100, and its members are elected by the majority action of the elder statesmen themselves. Membership is for life, and when vacancies occur, the person receiving the largest ballot among the list of nominees is thereby duly elected. The scope of this body is purely advisory, but it is a mighty regulator of public opinion and exerts a powerful influence upon all branches of the government.

^72:2.8 ¶ Very much of the federal administrative work is carried on by the 10 regional (subfederal) authorities, each consisting of the association of 10 states. These regional divisions are wholly executive and administrative, having neither legislative nor judicial functions. The 10 regional executives are the personal appointees of the federal chief executive, and their term of office is concurrent with his — 6 years. The federal supreme tribunal approves the appointment of these 10 regional executives, and while they may not be reappointed, the retiring executive automatically becomes the associate and adviser of his successor. Otherwise, these regional chiefs choose their own cabinets of administrative officials.

^72:2.9 ¶ This nation is adjudicated by two major court systems — the law courts and the socio-economic courts. The law courts function on the following 3 levels:

^72:2.10 1. Minor courts of municipal and local jurisdiction, whose decisions may be appealed to the high state tribunals.

^72:2.11 2. State supreme courts, whose decisions are final in all matters not involving the federal government or jeopardy of citizenship rights and liberties. The regional executives are empowered to bring any case at once to the bar of the federal supreme court.

^72:2.12 3. Federal supreme court — the high tribunal for the adjudication of national contentions and the appellate cases coming up from the state courts. This supreme tribunal consists of 12 men over 40 and under 75 years of age who have served 2 or more years on some state tribunal, and who have been appointed to this high position by the chief executive with the majority approval of the supercabinet and the third house of the legislative assembly. All decisions of this supreme judicial body are by at least a 2/3^rd vote.

^72:2.13 ¶ The socio-economic courts function in the following 3 divisions:

^72:2.14 1. Parental courts, associated with the legislative and executive divisions of the home and social system.

^72:2.15 2. Educational courts — the juridical bodies connected with the state and regional school systems and associated with the executive and legislative branches of the educational administrative mechanism.

^72:2.16 3. Industrial courts — the jurisdictional tribunals vested with full authority for the settlement of all economic misunderstandings.

^72:2.17 ¶ The federal supreme court does not pass upon socio-economic cases except upon the 3/4^th vote of the 3^rd legislative branch of the national government, the house of elder statesmen. Otherwise, all decisions of the parental, educational, and industrial high courts are final.

3. THE HOME LIFE

^72:3.1 On this continent it is against the law for two families to live under the same roof. And since group dwellings have been outlawed, most of the tenement type of buildings have been demolished. But the unmarried still live in clubs, hotels, and other group dwellings. The smallest homesite permitted must provide 4,600 m² of land. All land and other property used for home purposes are free from taxation up to 10 times the minimum homesite allotment.

^72:3.2 The home life of this people has greatly improved during the last century. Attendance of parents, both fathers and mothers, at the parental schools of child culture is compulsory. Even the agriculturists who reside in small country settlements carry on this work by correspondence, going to the near-by centres for oral instruction once in 10 days — every two weeks, for they maintain a 5-day week.

^72:3.3 The average number of children in each family is 5, and they are under the full control of their parents or, in case of the demise of one or both, under that of the guardians designated by the parental courts. It is considered a great honour for any family to be awarded the guardianship of a full orphan. Competitive examinations are held among parents, and the orphan is awarded to the home of those displaying the best parental qualifications.

^72:3.4 ¶ These people regard the home as the basic institution of their civilization. It is expected that the most valuable part of a child’s education and character training will be secured from his parents and at home, and fathers devote almost as much attention to child culture as do mothers.

^72:3.5 All sex instruction is administered in the home by parents or by legal guardians. Moral instruction is offered by teachers during the rest periods in the school shops, but not so with religious training, which is deemed to be the exclusive privilege of parents, religion being looked upon as an integral part of home life. Purely religious instruction is given publicly only in the temples of philosophy, no such exclusively religious institutions as the Urantia churches having developed among this people. In their philosophy, religion is the striving to know God and to manifest love for one’s fellows through service for them, but this is not typical of the religious status of the other nations on this planet. Religion is so entirely a family matter among these people that there are no public places devoted exclusively to religious assembly. Politically, church and state, as Urantians are wont to say, are entirely separate, but there is a strange overlapping of religion and philosophy.

^72:3.6 Until 20 years ago the spiritual teachers (comparable to Urantia pastors), who visit each family periodically to examine the children to ascertain if they have been properly instructed by their parents, were under governmental supervision. These spiritual advisers and examiners are now under the direction of the newly created Foundation of Spiritual Progress, an institution supported by voluntary contributions. Possibly this institution may not further evolve until after the arrival of a Paradise Magisterial Son.

^72:3.7 ¶ Children remain legally subject to their parents until they are 15, when the first initiation into civic responsibility is held. Thereafter, every 5 years for 5 successive periods similar public exercises are held for such age groups at which their obligations to parents are lessened, while new civic and social responsibilities to the state are assumed. Suffrage is conferred at 20, the right to marry without parental consent is not bestowed until 25, and children must leave home on reaching the age of 30.

^72:3.8 Marriage and divorce laws are uniform throughout the nation. Marriage before 20 — the age of civil enfranchisement — is not permitted. Permission to marry is only granted after one year’s notice of intention, and after both bride and groom present certificates showing that they have been duly instructed in the parental schools regarding the responsibilities of married life.