"Laws are like sausages — it is best not to see them being made"
--Otto von BismarckBullet Points:-- NRP set in a single nation
-- You play members of congress and the presidential administration.
-- The game will work like a super small scale NRP, each person getting a single order.
-- The key to this game is cooperation and working together, not winning the game.
-- Fine, you want to win? Get your president reelected and make the country a better place
Setting: United States of America, present day This is subject to change, it could be a fictional country but I still want to keep the American form of government.
Situation: The presidential elections have just finished and a new commander-in-chief is in the White House. With the president comes a new cabinet and administration, it's up to them and Congress to help the country by enacting new laws and policies that will benefit the people of America. Keep in mind that every choice and decision doesn't happen in a vacuum There will be resistance from members of the opposition, your own party, and even from the voters. As good as it is to change things for the better, it's also good to get reelected. Will your legacy be one of immense fortune and prosperity? Or one of economic ruin? Will you stand firm against the foreign powers of the world? Or bend the knee in the name of peace? Those decisions are yours to make.
In Character Info: The game will run pretty much like any NRP. You'll all have one single order you can use in a turn, each turn will consist of about three months. If you're a cabinet member your orders need to be run by the president for confirmation (chain of command and all that) but members of the House and Senate don't need presidential approval to try to pass legislation through their legislative bodies. The IC thread will mainly for announcements of new policies and laws, along with reaction from various politicians on events that I will create. I'll have a list of stats for the country, along with the most important state: Approval rating. A higher approval rating from the president means his/her party could sweep a midterm election and make passage of laws and bills through congress easier. It also means that oh so important objective of reelection is a lot easier for the president.
Executive Branch
President of the United States: Open
"Being president is like being a jackass in a hailstorm. There's nothing to do but to stand there and take it."
-- Lyndon B. Johnson
The head of state, the President acts as the face and leader of the administration. He/she sets the course of the administration and creates the policy for the rest of the cabinet to follow. The president is also commander-in-chief of the armed forces, with the capability to use them in actions without an official declaration of war.
Vice President of the United States:Open
"The man with the best job in the country is the vice-president. All he has to do is get up every morning and say, 'How is the president?'"
-- Will Rogers
With a vague constitutional role, the office of the Vice President is more defined now than it has been in the past. The VP is no longer just a face to help balance the elction ticket. He/she helps broadcast the administration's message and goals to the people of the country and the congress. While officially president of the US Senate, the Vice President rarely sits in on a Senate session. Often the proactive nature of the VP in the government can depend on the individual in the office and the plans of the president's administration.
Secretary of State:Open
"Oh, you know. I am Secretary of State. My trips aren't successful. I just talk to people."
-- George P. Shultz
The chief diplomat and head of foreign affairs. The Secretary of State is in charge of guiding and shaping the administration's foreign policy regarding other nations. Like everything else in the administration, the country's foreign policy works in accordance with the rest of the President's defense, economic, and moral goals. The State Department has the power to either prevent war, or to incite it with diplomatic discourse.
Secretary of Defense:Open
"Our armament must be adequate to the needs, but our faith is not primarily in these machines of defense but in ourselves."
-- Chester Nimitz
War, what is it good for? If anybody knows that it would be the Secretary of Defense. Seen as the deputy commander-in-chief as some, he/she is responsible for the armed forces of the nation. Both the Secretary and President are advised by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and National Security Advisor on various subjects that fall under the umbrella term of national security.
Secretary of the Treasury:Open
Whichever party is in office, the Treasury is in power.
--Harold Wilson
The money man of the cabinet. The Secretary of the Treasury acts as economic adviser to the President as well as the chief developer of the administration's financial, economic, and tax policy that effects both the voters and the economy.
Attorney General: Open
"If I am going to pick and choose the laws I defend, I wouldn't be doing my duty as attorney general."
-- Kelly Ayotte
The AG acts as legal adviser and counsel for the president and the administration. The AG is also the head of the Justice Department. The FBI, DEA, and the rest of the national law enforcement branches of the country are all under the AG's purview. The Solicitor General that argues cases in front of the Supreme Court does so as a member of the Justice Department.
Legislative Branch
"Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress; but I repeat myself"
--Mark Twain
Speaker of the House of Representatives: Open
The Speaker of the House is the leader of the House of Representatives and second in the line of succession right behind the VP. The party with the majority in the House is responsible for appointing a senior Congressman to fill the role. Along with Majority Leader and Chief Whip, the House leadership push legislation through the House. Due to the nature of politics, the Speaker may not be part of the same party as the President and can make passing administration legislation through the House all the more difficult. An election that changes the makeup of the House can result in the House leadership changing to the party with majority and a new Speaker taking the gavel.
US Senate Majority Leader: Open
While the Vice President and President Pro Temp are ceremonial roles in the Senate, the Senate Majority Leader acts as de facto leader of the Senate. A smaller legislative body means getting the votes to pass bills and amendments can be easier or harder depending on the issue being debated. Like the Speaker of the House, the Majority Leader and the party in control of the Senate is subject to change after elections.
Judicial Branch
"Presidents come and go, but the Supreme Court goes on forever."
-- William Howard Taft
Supreme Court of the United States: NPC/GM Control
The highest court in the land, the Supreme Court are in charge of hearing arguments on laws and appeals ranging from condemned criminals, to legality of government legislation, to even interpreting the constitution. Court justices are appointed by the president and confirmed through the Senate and House. Supreme Court appointments are for life, although, several judges retire before death. If a set does need replacing, remember you are picking not just someone to help your president, but someone to help presidents to come. The political makeup of the court depends on which justices were appointed during a particular presidential administration. A liberal president may have to deal with a combative Supreme Court due to a major overhaul of the bench during a conservative presidency, and vice versa.
Current lineup, tenure, and political leanings:
Chief Justice Emmerson Finley (20 years), liberal
Samuel Irving (25 years), conservative
John Everard (18 years) liberal
William Jeffrey (17 years) moderate, slightly leaning liberal
Jessica Edison (15 years) moderately liberal
Robert Alberto (12 years) conservative
Miriam Humphrey (10 years) conservative
Jacob Jordan (8 years) liberal
Edna Dixon (2 years) moderate, slightly leaning conservative
Out of Character Info: To make things work better, I figure I can create an IRC channel for people to discuss things together before submitting orders. Like I said, the key to success is to work together.
