Wikipedia:Arbitration/Policy/Procedure for changing this policy/Old proposal

No policy has yet been approved for this

Proposal

1. The policy as passed should only be changed by the application of agreed amending procedure. This term should be interpreted strictly on the assumption that there is no such thing as a non-controversial policy change. (Sorry Martin, but your corrections after the vote was finished would not be considered valid.)
2. For purposes of future amendment and voting, the policy can be subdivided into sections. each of which can be amended separately. Once the section pages have been set up, general editing should be prevented on the head policy page to insure the integrity of the policy. The amendment of a section by these policies permits it to be so changed in the broader policy, and only then would the amendment be applied to the head policy page.
3. The votes used to adopt the general policy would initially be considered as votes to support each and every section of the policy. Similarly the votes opposing it would also be initially considered as having opposed each and every section. For this the voting record (minus the comments) would be transferred to the record for each section. This will now be called the "section vote" (there is a proper word for this, I can't remember what it is).
4. It is unrealistic to believe that every voter who supported the policy was 100% in favour of every one of its sections, so once these initial votes have been posted, any person may change his vote on any section, and people who previously did not vote may add their votes.
5. An adopted policy will remain in force as long as at least 40% of the votes continue to support it.
6. To prevent a situation where dropping below the 40% threshold would leave us with no policy at all, and if the circumstances warrant, a vote may then be held to make clear that it is the intention of the community to repeal that policy.
7. Any member may propose any amendment to any section.
8. All amendments must be phrased in a precise manner, clearly indicating what will be changed in the section.
9. Discussion may take place at any time after the amendment is proposed, and sub-amendments may be proposed.
10. No voting will take place until a minimum number of members have seconded the proposal.
11. When the wording of the proposed amendment appears to have become stable, the proposer or any of the seconders may call for a vote.
12. The voting shall take place over a pre-determined period of time that is not less than one week in length.
13. No sub-amendments to a proposal may be made once voting has started.
14. The amendment shall be adopted if a minimum number of members participate in the vote, and at least 60% of the voters have clearly voted in favour. Abstentions will be considered in determining the participation rate, but not in determining whether the 60% has been met.
15. When the amendment has been passed it will immediately be incorporated into the text at the head of the page, as provisional policy.
16. If, after one week the amendment has not resulted in a negative section vote, that amendment will be considered as fully adopted policy, and an administrator shall make the necessary changes to the policy on the head policy page.