User:Rupert Clayton/Proposal for MOS:INSTITUTIONS

Capitalization for Board of Aldermen, etc.
Here's my proposal for a revision to MOS:INSTITUTIONS (changes in purple ). I am very open to discussing the exact rules we're going to set, how to phrase them, and the choice of examples:


 * Full names of institutions, organizations, companies, etc. are proper nouns and require capitals.
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 * Correct  || (proper noun): || Northern Ireland's Department of Justice was established in 2010.
 * Correct  || (proper noun): || The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has 11 members.
 * Incorrect  || (no caps for descriptive terms): || The Parliament of Iceland is called the Althing.
 * Correct  || (descriptive): || The parliament of Iceland is called the Althing.
 * }
 * Incorrect  || (no caps for descriptive terms): || The Parliament of Iceland is called the Althing.
 * Correct  || (descriptive): || The parliament of Iceland is called the Althing.
 * }
 * }


 * Short names used to refer to a specific organization and consistently capitalized in reliable generalist sources should also be treated as a proper noun and capitalized. Use the full name instead if using a short name would lead to ambiguity, such as on first reference, or where there is another similarly named organization. Where a short term is merely descriptive, do not capitalize it.


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 * Correct  || (proper nouns): || The headquarters building of the U.S. Justice Department was designed by Milton Bennett Medary. The Justice Department's budget for Fiscal Year 2015 is approximately $21 billion.
 * Correct  || (proper noun): || The Board of Supervisors has 11 members.
 * Incorrect || (ambiguous): || City leaders in Milwaukee and Chicago supported the initiative. The Common Council voted 10 to 5 in favor.
 * Correct || (use full name for clarity): || City leaders in Milwaukee and Chicago supported the initiative. The Milwaukee Common Council voted 10 to 5 in favor.
 * Incorrect || (don't capitalize descriptive terms): || In Tennessee the State Legislature has the power to decide a contested gubernatorial election.
 * Correct || (use lower case): || In Tennessee the state legislature has the power to decide a contested gubernatorial election.
 * Correct || (or the correct name): || In Tennessee the General Assembly has the power to decide a contested gubernatorial election.
 * }
 * Incorrect || (don't capitalize descriptive terms): || In Tennessee the State Legislature has the power to decide a contested gubernatorial election.
 * Correct || (use lower case): || In Tennessee the state legislature has the power to decide a contested gubernatorial election.
 * Correct || (or the correct name): || In Tennessee the General Assembly has the power to decide a contested gubernatorial election.
 * }
 * Correct || (or the correct name): || In Tennessee the General Assembly has the power to decide a contested gubernatorial election.
 * }
 * }


 * Common nouns used as short names for institutions, organizations, companies, etc. do not take capitals (university, college, hospital, high school) :
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 * Incorrect || (don't capitalize common nouns): || The University offers programs in arts and sciences.
 * Correct  || (use lower case): || The university offers programs in arts and sciences.
 * Correct  || (or a proper noun):   || The University of Delhi offers programs in arts and sciences.
 * Correct  || (common noun): || The department's budget is approximately $21 billion..
 * Correct  || (common noun): || The board has 11 members.
 * Correct  || (common noun): || The council voted to declare February 29 a public holiday.
 * }
 * Correct  || (common noun): || The department's budget is approximately $21 billion..
 * Correct  || (common noun): || The board has 11 members.
 * Correct  || (common noun): || The council voted to declare February 29 a public holiday.
 * }
 * Correct  || (common noun): || The council voted to declare February 29 a public holiday.
 * }


 * Avoid ambiguous common nouns such as "city" or "state" to indicate a governing body. Write clearly to indicate the city council, the state legislature or the state government.
 * The word the at the start of a title is uncapitalized, regardless of the institution's own usage (researchers at the Ohio State University not researchers at The Ohio State University).
 * If you are not sure whether the English translation of a foreign name is exact or not, assume it is rough and use lower case (e.g., the French parliament).


 * Political or geographical units such as cities, towns, and countries follow the same rules: As proper nouns they require capitals; but as generic words and rough descriptions (sometimes best omitted for simplicity) they do not.


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 * Incorrect || (generic):         || The City has a population of 55,000.
 * Correct  || (generic):          || The city has a population of 55,000.
 * Correct  || (title):            || The City of Smithville has a population of 55,000.
 * Correct  || ("city" omitted):   || Smithville has a population of 55,000.
 * Exception  || ("City" used as proper name for the City of London ):   || In the medieval period, the City was the full extent of London.
 * Correct  || (title):            || The City of Smithville has a population of 55,000.
 * Correct  || ("city" omitted):   || Smithville has a population of 55,000.
 * Exception  || ("City" used as proper name for the City of London ):   || In the medieval period, the City was the full extent of London.
 * Exception  || ("City" used as proper name for the City of London ):   || In the medieval period, the City was the full extent of London.
 * Exception  || ("City" used as proper name for the City of London ):   || In the medieval period, the City was the full extent of London.


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