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Chi-Town Politics and Government |
By: A.Hamilton (hamilton1776@earthlink.net)
"The Coalition State of Chi-Town, It's Politics and Government" A Collection of Essays by Dr. Daniel Treadaway, University of Lazlo
Coalition States Government
It is common knowledge that the Emperor and his War Council rule the Coalition States with a tight grip. It is also little secret to the learned that Emperor Prosek has modeled himself after Adolph Hitler, infamous ruler of the German Empire in Pre-Cataclysm times. It is then little wonder that he has attempted to model his government and society after that of Nazi Germany. It has taken years to achieve this goal, but the Emperor has succeeded.
While the current CS regime is a mix of socialism and totalitarianism, that was not true in the past. Chi-Town started out as a benign community with a socialistic government. To survive in the changed environment, the community that would become Chi-Town had to focus on the group and not the individual. The community had a mayor and a council. The mayor was generally a man or woman who had demonstrated their ability to lead the community against threats of all kinds. From demons to monsters to D-Bee raiders. While the mayor held a great deal of power, it was not absolute. He acted much like a tyrant did in ancient Rome. During a war or an emergency the Mayor held near absolute power, able to command the resources of the community in whatever manor he or she saw fit. However, once the emergency or war came to an end his power was greatly diminished.
During peace time the method of governance was fairly simple. The council members ran for office and were elected by a simple majority of voters. All adults were allowed to vote. The Council could not create laws on their on. Rather, their job was to suggest laws. The citizens would then vote on those laws and in order for them to pass the law had to be agreed to by 2/3 majority. Once the laws were enacted, it was the job of The Council to enforce and carry out those laws, acting more as administrators then as rulers. Their powers was limited since they could not act outside the bounds set forth by the laws enacted by the citizenry. The Mayor acted as a chairman for the council, maintain order at the meetings. The community tended to enact laws that distributed it's resources to those who needed it most.
Much like the Ancient Roman Empire before it, this system of government had within it the seeds of it's own destruction.
By 01 P.A. Chi-Town had grown large enough to require a more complex system of government, basically the early system with several more levels added to it in a pyramid scheme. The city was divided into various sectors. Each sector had a mayor and a council. The Mayor and one Council member from each sector made up a High Council. From within that council one member was elected High Mayor. By this point the military had become a separate organization. Even though the leaders of the military technically answered to the High Council, more often than not the two worked together. In fact, military leaders often held seats on the High Council. However, it wasn't until 10 P.A. that the High Council and the Military leadership realized the ease with which they could manipulate the system.
Up until this point the CS had a small division of magic users, mostly Line Walkers and the occasional Mystic. Chi-Town had not taken a stance totally against magic, though they were weary of it. This wasn't to last. As the power of the Federation of Magic grew, and the military and civilian leadership began to feed information about the goings on in the ruins of Chicago, the citizens became less accepting of magic. The citizens eventually decided to outlaw the study and use of magic. And in so doing the leadership realized how easy it would be to seize power. Then came the attack by the Federation of Magic.
Gen. Joseph Prosek used the old war powers act from Chi-Town's past to assume absolute control during the war. By the time the war was over, the Federation of Magic routed and the Campaign of Blood finished, Joseph the First was so popular that when he declared himself Emperor for life there were few voices of protest. Joseph the First used his new power to do several things. First, he strengthened the military, making the Army even more powerful. He also began to restructure the government, a task his son, Karl, has since completed. It was thanks, in large part, to the achievements of his father that Karl has been able to mold the Coalition to fit his vision of conquest.
The present Coalition government has taken several elements from its roots in the old Chi-Town system of Mayor and Council. Several changes and additions have been made. While the military has always played an important part in Chi-Town government, in the current system it predominates. Secondly, government control of industry, economy, and personal freedoms has greatly increased. Lastly, the current system is bifurcated, that is it has two separate divisions that answer to one central body.
All the power of the current government rests in the hands of the Emperor, and to a lesser extent, the Executive Council. The Administrative Arm and the Bureaucratic Arm both emanate from the Executive Council. The two Arms have differing goals and means to carry them out. They are not intended to be equal, in fact the AA has a great deal more power then the BA.
The Bureaucratic Arm is based off the old system. Each level of the Fortress City elects a council and a mayor. The Emperor and Executive Council have to approve the elections and may remove someone from office for any reason. Elections occur every two years. Additionally, every five years the Emperor and Executive Council select one member from each council and one of the lofty mayors to be on the High Council and to serve as High Mayor respectively. The High Council and Mayor serve as a liaison between the Executive Counsel and the lower councils. And the positions are little more than a reward for service to the state. The council and the mayor implement the orders of the Executive Council on a local level. They also pass suggestions along to the Executive Council. Of course the suggestions are rarely anything controversial. The councils and mayors serve another important function. It makes the people feel involved in governing themselves, even though they aren't. Often the Emperor and the Executive Council use the lower councils to begin an initiative, leading the people to believe that the government is responsive to their desires instead of the government dictating to them.
The Administrative arm is composed of all the organizations headed by members of the Executive Council. The Executive Council meets each week to discuss business and the Emperor may call a meeting at any time for any reason. Part of the Counsel is made up of various military heads and the rest are in charge of various civilian departments. Each of the Departments represented have some measure of control and answers to the Emperor.
The Department of Public Information is headed by none other than heir apparent, Joseph Prosek II. The Department of Public Information is responsible for insuring the IBS works smoothly and watches over it to ensure it follows the party line. This branch is also responsible for creating and executing the propaganda campaigns necessary to keep the public in line. Under Joseph II's leadership the branch has excelled. They keep the public convinced of the need for a xenophobic, expansionist policy, that reading is dangerous, and a hundred other policies.
The Justice Department is responsible for seeing to the trial and punishment of criminals. It is headed by Judge Bradley Martindale. The criminal justice system of Chi-Town is a simple and direct one, using an adversarial system. It does not use trial by a jury of ones peers however. Each level of the city has several Circuits. Any crime committed is tried in the Circuit in which it occurs. However, the actual Courts are all held in one central Justice Department building, a massive structure on level 25 of Chi-Town.
A typical criminal trial goes something like this: the accused is given a Defense Counselor and the state is represented by a Prosecution Counselor. Both the Defense Counselor. and the Prosecution Counselor work for the Justice Department, albeit under separate divisions. The Prosecution Counselor comes before the judge, making the accusation and presenting the State's case. The rules for evidence are very relaxed. The accused's past, both criminal and personal, may be used against him. Hearsay is admissible and PsiNET Mind Melters are often used to 'extract' the truth from the accused. The Defense Counselor then presents a defense using many of the same tactics. The Judge presides over the entire procedure and acts to ensure the law is followed. Once both sides have presented their case, the Judge decides guilt or innocence and hands down a sentence. If convicted, the accused has one appeal. If that appeal fails, the sentence is carried out swiftly.
All relations with friendly kingdoms (NGR, Whykin, Cordoba Republic) are dealt with by the Department of Foreign Relations. This department, headed by Professor Carla Korehira, handles the staffing and dispatching of Ambassadors, establishing exploratory committees and sending negotiation teams to establish trade relations. The department does not deal with hostile kingdoms, as that is left to the military. All Ambassadors have to make weekly reports to Professor Korehira's office and she passes along that information at the regular Council meetings.
Doctor L.J. Kloniki heads up the Food and Drug Administration. The Chi-Town FDA is no mere regulation agency like it's predecessor in pre-Cataclysm America. The FDA is in charge of regulating the massive farms and ranches controlled by the CS, establishing the means to distribute those food stuffs, and decisions such as which crops to grow and in what combinations. Further the FDA directs research into new drugs and their applications, including the life and youth prolonging gene treatments.
Doctor Matthew Fronval heads up the Department of Medicine, which works closely with the FDA. This Department controls all the hospitals in Chi-Town. Furthermore, any one wishing to practice medicine has to receive a license from the Department of Medicine that must be renewed each year. In order to receive a license, the applicant must have first graduated from the Medicine School at Chi-Town University and must take a series of tests to prove not only their skills as physicians but also their loyalty to the CS Government. The department also sponsors and controls all medical research that goes on in the Coalition States.
The Department of Cybernetics grew out of the Department of Medicine into it's on agency. It is headed by Doctor Thomas Clinton. The job of this department is to review requests for cybernetics and bionics, to regulate the production and distribution of those cybernetics, and to develop new cybernetic devices. This department is also responsible for approving Doctors for learning how to install and repair cybernetics and insuring that those doctors follow the party line.
Another closely related department is the Department of Science, headed by Doctor Victoria Lansport. This agency is designed to develop, test, and implement new applications of science for both civilian and military use. From the newest cleaning robots to the latest energy assault rifles, the tech was developed by the Department of Science. It is also responsible for developing new computer and robot technology. It also decides which companies may produce high technology items and licenses the outlets that may sell such items as well.
Tyler Wilpepper is one of the most powerful civilians in Chi-Town. He heads up the Department of Industry, which controls all production and industry in the Coalition States. It is this department that owns and runs all the major industries in the Coalition States. The executives of those corporations are all appointed by this department and answer to Wilpepper who answers to the Emperor. The few privately held corporations receive their license from this agency. Any company that loses it's license reverts to the control of this department. And the department can revoke a license at any time for any reason.
It is easy to see how this system allows the Emperor to maintain tight control over the Coalition States as all avenues of power lead directly to him and any who defy him can expect a quick and fatal fall. It also maintains a facade of civilian participation to keep the populace believing they have input when they do not.