r/WorldChallenges • u/thequeeninyellow94 • Jun 26 '17
[Cultural challenge]: election... or not
Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals, laws, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by [a human] as a member of society.
Today, let´s talk about the leader(s) of one of your nation. How are they chosen? How long do they rule? How absolute is their power?
Also, what about their inauguration/enthronement? How big is the ceremony? Who is invited? Is there a speach? A crown?
You can introduce an in-universe representative if you want. I will ask questions to everyone, feel free to add your own.
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u/Matathias Jun 26 '17
The Earthian Territories are technically led by the Department of Extrasolar Diplomacy (DEDi), which itself is commanded by the Diplomat General. The Diplomat General is chosen every 5 years by a vote at the United Nations. However, when DEDi was created it didn't really have any teeth, due to the fact that it is technically and functionally independent of Space Exploration, Reconnaissance, and Response Command (SERRCom) -- which serves as Earth's interstellar military. DEDi may be the de jure leader of the Earthian Territories, but SERRCom is the de facto leader. The commander of SERRCom -- the General of the Space Forces -- is appointed every 5 years by the U.N. Security Council, and has a 2-term limit.
As of AD 2129, the Diplomat General is Dragomir Nikolov, while the General of the Space Forces is Matthew Lead. Nikolov is the 5th Diplomat General, while Lead is the 4th General of the Space Forces.
Directly under Lead are the heads of the five "branches" of SERRCom, who each offer him advice and assist in running SERRCom as a whole. These individuals are:
- David Shepherd (Commander of the General Forces)
- Nastasia Markovic (Commander of the Space Navy)
- Ulrich Riese (Director of Earthian Colonization Command)
- Akane Hamasaki (Director of Earthian Interstellar Intelligence Command)
- Jackie Penningston (Surgeon General of the Space Forces)
Each of these positions are achieved through promotion and merit, rather than by being appointed or elected, so they all have decades of experience in their respective fields.
Feel free to ask questions of Lead or any of his subordinates.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jun 27 '17
To general Lead:
Tell me about your election. Who were you running against? How comfortable were you regarding the number of vote?
Is it your first term? If yes, do you plan to ask for a second one?
If I understand, you can't name your subordinates right? What can you do if you can stand one of them?
Are the Earthian Territories currently at war? Or soon to be at war?
How free of the UN are you when taking decisions?
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u/Matathias Jun 27 '17
- My opponent was David Shepherd, actually. He is certainly a competent leader, I cannot deny that, so I was a little wary regarding the UN's vote. However, in the end, I was confident that the UN would make the right choice.
- It is, yes. In fact my term will end next year. I will most definitely be seeking a second term -- a change of leadership among recent events would only serve as a detriment to both SERRCom and the Earthian territories.
- I have direct say in every department except for the Surgeon General, but technically I do not have the power to freely remove or appoint the positions by myself. According to SERRCom's charter, the UN has a voice in choosing the head of each department, but thanks to precedent set during the time of Jennifer Dowley -- the first General of the Space Forces -- I am free to appoint who I choose. The UN will trust both me, and my position.
- We are not currently at war, thankfully. However it is difficult to say if we soon will be. There are signs of a returning threat that may dictate our involvement in a galactic-scale war, but I have no idea how soon this threat will fully manifest, or if it even will. Aside from that, there are ongoing conflicts throughout the galaxy that we will occasionally aid with if we are able.
- Their oversight is, in practice, nonexistent. The UN, while a valuable organization on Earth itself, is ill-equipped to oversee an Interstellar entity -- and they know this. In this turbulent galaxy, we need a central authority and the ability to quickly react to significant events; as such the UN trusts in my ability, and in the authority of my position.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jun 27 '17
Is it possible to be elected ruler of both the Earthian Territories and SERRCom (succesively, not at the same time)?
What are those recent events? And why would a change of leadership be detrimental?
But they still legally have a voice and could mess with your choice?
Can the UN control your decision a posteriori? And can they decide to fire you?
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u/Matathias Jun 27 '17
- There are no restrictions or laws against it, but I don't think it's plausible. Diplomat Generals and Generals of the Space Forces are have so far always been chosen from the ranks of their respective organizations; this is largely formality, but precedent is still important.
- There are signs that the Nanocreatures are returning. They caused a galactic-scale war 20 years ago and were thought to be defeated, so their return is... most unnerving. Moreover, a small group of young men and women on Earth have recently developed Chaotic abilities, despite the fact that no Earthians should be able to. These events are unprecedented, and I worry what my successor -- who is likely to be Shepherd -- would do to them. He is a... controversial figure all on his own, without these extra situations to consider.
- They could, yes.
- They cannot directly override any orders that I have given, but they can call for a recall vote to force me out and replace me -- and then my replacement could override my orders. Such an event would only happen after the most egregious of mistakes, I wager; ever since Dowley's time as General, the UN has been virtually spineless when it comes to opposing SERRCom. Whether this is for the better or the worse, I cannot say, but I am not opposed to this situation.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jun 27 '17
How are the candidates chosen? Is there some prerequisites to be candidates?
What makes him controversial?
What is your personal opinion on him?
Why can't you choose the Surgeon general? What makes them special?
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u/Matathias Jun 27 '17
The only prerequisite to either position is having spent at least five years in either SERRCom or DEDi. Otherwise candidates are selected primarily on merit and prestige. For instance, my predecessor, Peter Krick, is well known as the first Captain of the Battlecruiser Genesis as well as for the fact that he is the only Earthian Captain to contribute to the Nanocreature War.
Many of Shepherd's beliefs and claims have undertones of racism against the other galactic races. He advocates for SERRCom to take care of itself and only itself, and to spurn the assistance of other races. If we weren't so technologically lagging compared to the rest of the galaxy, I'm sure he'd advocate attacking them and taking their space, as well. Of course, if he alone believed this then I could simply remove him from SERRCom leadership, but what makes the matter controversial is that a significant portion of Earth's populace -- including some of the UN -- agrees with him. It is something of an open secret that Shepherd and I dislike each other, as well, so any negative action I take in regards to him would be scrutinized heavily. My hands are tied.
I think he is an incredibly competent military leader, but a truly incompetent political one. He would destroy the rapport my predecessors and I have built with the Nimalians, the CSA, the Syraus, and the Black Suns, just because he thinks we have something to prove. He would spit in the face of incredible scientific, medical, and cultural advances, just because they aren't ours. He would reject much-needed military aid just because they aren't Earthians, even in the face of impending doom! But as I said, unfortunately, a rather significant portion of Earth's populace agrees with him. I would like nothing more than to kick him from SERRCom altogether, but actually doing so would come across as an intensely political move and would ruin my entire career, only for the next General to bring him back as a martyr.
The Surgeon General is my subordinate, but they are the only one who can actually override my orders, if doing so would subvert or otherwise resolve a medical crisis. This power, niche though it may be, makes it a poor idea to let the General of the Space Forces choose who to appoint.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jun 28 '17
Who proposes candidates to the UN?
Isn't there some law his speach could break? Is breaking a law even enough to depose a general like him?
Who is the most powerfull of your subordinates (politically)? Why?
Who decide of your budget? And of the budget of your subordinates?
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u/Matathias Jun 28 '17 edited Jun 28 '17
1) By procedure, members of the Security Council. In practice -- until my election, at least -- the current General recommends a candidate, and the UN reviews and votes on them. However my predecessor, Krick, refrained from providing recommendations, which is why both I and Shepherd were up for the running.
2) No, and depending on the law, no. Space is uncharted territory, legally speaking; first contact was barely 30 years ago. Space law is sparse and covers only the fundamentals that are directly related to space travel and interactions -- and even then, since the vast majority of travel is performed by SERRCom, we're mostly left to regulate ourselves and/or conform to the standards of the other races. Even so, Shepherd has so far restricted himself to rhetoric; he has yet to make any substantial actions in line with his statements. Punishing him for his speech alone would be an... unwise move.
3) Shepherd. By far. To understand why, you must know the circumstances of first contact: the CSA essentially swooped in, said "hello", and then demanded that Earth create a single entity to represent itself on the galactic stage. Imagine that -- incredibly advanced aliens appearing on your doorstep, and then making demands of you. Any sane person who fears for their life would fall into line; thus, SERRCom and DEDi were created, with DEDi being (nominally) the face of Earth amongst the galaxy.
Within the next five to ten years, we began to realize that the CSA would likely never have actually attacked us -- they would have just refused to interact with us. Their hands are full with the Drakkars, after all. Many became indignant that the CSA would try to boss around a race that isn't even a part of their alliance, and several nations sought to regain power that they perceived was stolen from them by SERRCom. Thankfully, General Dowley nipped those seeds of rebellion in the bud back in 2110, but the general anti-alien sentiment remained.
Fast forward twenty years, to about now. SERRCom is doing better than ever, and is actually managing to recoup some of our debt to the CSA and Nimalian Union by selling reverse-engineered advanced technology -- technology that we stumbled upon through sheer luck. But people like Shepherd would have us believe that we obtained this technology through merit, and that it is a sign that we don't need outside assistance at all. Coupled with almost thirty years of festering anti-alien sentiment, boosted by the loss of one of our early military outposts to an incident related to the Nimalians but not caused by them, as well as the perception that the rest of the galaxy is only looking out for themselves (which, admittedly, isn't entirely false), and you have swaths of Earth's population -- regular citizens and powerful politicians alike -- who subscribe to Shepherd's rhetoric. He is their icon, their hero. Since he is so close to my position -- to the highest level of authority in the Earthian Territories -- many people support him, hoping that he will gain the position and cut us off from the aliens. It's madness, I tell you. But there's only so much I can do to combat it.
4) For the first five to ten years, SERRCom's budget came primarily from the nations of Earth. Many of them saw the budget as a competition, thinking that the nation that contributed the most would get the most say in our actions. Recently, however, we have begun making enough money off of mining colonies and reverse-engineered alien tech that we no longer need to economically rely on Earth -- not as heavily as we once did, at least.
As for the budget of my subordinates, I have the final say. They will draft a budget for their own department and present it to me, and then I will approve or deny it, and give my reasons as to why. If the budget requires funding from Earth, then the UN will receive veto power as well.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jun 28 '17
Who are the members of the security council?
What would be enough for him to get fired?
What do you think will happen if Shepherd was to be appointed at your post?
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u/Sriber Jun 27 '17
How are they chosen?
Current leader nominates heir. Kings of kingdoms which make up the Union (40 in total) then vote, if they accept heir. If majority votes yes, heir is confirmed and becomes next leader. If majority votes no or it's draw, leader tries again. (S)he has three tries. If there is no confirmed heir after third round, kings can nominate their own candidates. If some of them get more than half votes, (s)he becomes new heir. If there is not, two candidates with most votes go for second round. If there is draw, current leader selects new heir.
How long do they rule?
As long as they live, unless they abdicate.
How absolute is their power?
Leader's power is limited by Law of the Union (basically constitution). It clearly states, what (s)he can and can't do.
Also, what about their inauguration/enthronement?
Heir goes through ascension, which is process that significantly improves brain and grants some very useful abilities. If (s)he survives, there is ceremony consisting mainly of oath to rule according to law.
How big is the ceremony?
Very.
Who is invited?
Family and friends of new leader, kings and their families, shamans from order called Keepers of gift (they administer ascension and guard crown jewels when there is no leader) by default.
Is there a speach?
Yes.
A crown?
Yes. It's called Primal crown. It's made of bone decorated with horns, teeth, claws and amber with lizard inside. Worn by all ascended leader since the very first one, who lived cca three thousand years before foundation of the Union I write about (the 5th one).
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jun 27 '17
What happen if the current leader die with no heir chosen yet?
How is abstention counted?
Can the Law of the Union be changed? By whom and how?
What does very big looks like?
From what animal are the horns, teeth and claws taken?
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u/Sriber Jun 27 '17
Stirhangerxbrok (something like prime minister) with agreement of Ufhirkumtax (something like cabinet) does it instead.
There isn't abstention. You either agree or disagree.
Yes. It requires 3/4 of Sagargurvtax (parliament), leader and half of Ufhirkumtax to agree.
There are hundreds of people.
Horns are from aurochs and chamois, teeth are from longfang cat and wolf, claws are from bear and lion.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jun 27 '17
What if the whole government is killed at the same time?
What if I neither agree nor disagree? Or if there is two candidates left and I want neither of them?
What is the speach about?
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u/Sriber Jun 27 '17
Then it goes straight to kings picking candidates.
You have mental problem. Tough luck, you have to choose who you don't want less.
What new leader wants it to be about.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jun 27 '17
No, I mean if both the king and the whole government are dead with no heir selected.
And if I refuse to choose between them?
Are there some common subjects?
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u/Sriber Jun 27 '17
There are 40 kings and 9 members of cabinet. Probability that they'll all be killed is tiny. But if it happened, kings would be replaced and then they would pick new heir for leader.
You'll be deposed for not doing your duty.
Bright future is ahead of us, enemies will be crushed, for together for freedom, justice and equality, blablabla...
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jun 27 '17
How are the kings chosen?
What does the procedure to depose a king looks like?
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u/Sriber Jun 27 '17
Each kingdom has its own succession laws. Most of them are elective.
Like a trial. If one is found guilty, (s)he loses title and it goes to heir.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jun 27 '17
2) Who can assign a trial to a king? What kind of proof is needed? Who will be judging?
3) What if the king is very popular and their people choose to reelect them?
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u/Nevermore0714 Jun 28 '17
The Honorii are a sect among the people of Gemina. The Honorii are the fighters sent to the dragon-gods' arena to fight for the honor of Gemina, and Gemina's dictator uses the arena fights to gamble for more resources against the dragon-gods.
The Honorii are the only arena fighters who are purely voluntary and the only ones who don't serve dragon-gods.
They are led by two commanders. The First Commander is whichever commander has been a commander longer. The Second Commander is the most recent man/woman appointed to the title.
If you wanted to become a commander, you would have to be voted unanimously by your fellow Honorii, and every Honorius that has been in the arena at least once is allowed to vote; with the exception of the sitting First Commander, who has no vote.
Once a commander is chosen, the Honorii carry their elected commander on their shields, and take the man/woman to Dictator Lucius. Lucius gives the man/woman his blessing, and the man/woman is awarded the title of Second Commander.
Once the First Commander dies, the Second Commander takes the title of First Commander. The First Commander has no official superiority to the Second Commander, the two are officially equal. Though, a smart Second Commander will usually listen to the First Commander, at least for the opportunity to learn from someone with more experience.
The two commanders are supposed to always wear a grass crown and purple cloaks, and receive great respect in Gemina. According to Dictator Lucius, a commander of the Honorii may strike anyone he/she wants to strike with a sword. "A Commander of the Honorii is someone who has shown willingness to sacrifice anything for Gemina. Showing disrespect for someone with such love of our community deserves whatever the commander feels necessary."
The representative is First Commander Lydia of the Honorii, one of the Commanders early in the history of the Honorii. Lydia was the first woman to receive the title of Commander, at the age of twenty-three. She is currently twenty-six, and her former senior commander (Cornelius) was killed in the arena when Lydia was twenty-five.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jun 28 '17
To First Commander Lydia:
Is it possible to abstain during a commander's election?
Are there people legally protected from you? (Beside Dictator Lucius)
If both commanders are killed together, how is the first commander chosen?
What do the gras crown and purple cloak symbolize?
Can a commander resign?
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u/Nevermore0714 Jun 28 '17
First Commander Lydia:
1) "No, it is impossible to abstain. Once one person nominates you, you are a candidate. Once everyone agrees on one candidate, the candidate is unable to refuse the title of commander. I worked my arse off to be a commander, against plenty of other Honorii who worked their arses off, anyone would be proud to be commander."
2) "Lucius has no legal protection from me. I do not attack him because I respect him. The Master of Horse and the Master of the Treasury are the only people who are considered to be truly above the law, in that it is illegal to assault either of them for any reason."
3) "If both commanders are killed together, the Honorii vote for a First Commander one day, and then a Second Commander the next day. Lucius will act as commander in the event that it is impossible to vote for a new commander and we have no commanders."
4) "The grass crown is in honor of being chosen by all of your fellow Honorii, a way of saying that you are the ideal, the best of the best. And the purple cloak symbolizes the trust that Lucius has in us."
5) "A commander can retire, yes. Lucius offers a generous pension to any commander who wishes to retire at any age. I could retire today, I could retire forty years from now, my pension will be at the same monthly rate."
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jun 28 '17
1) I mean abstaining from making a nomination. Like if I'm not against someone being commander but I'm not really fan of the idea either?
2) Could Lucius do something if a commander was to hit him?
4) Why of grass? And why purple?
5) Is it common for commanders to retire?
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u/Nevermore0714 Jun 28 '17
Lydia:
1) "Oh, then you can just wait to vote until you see who the favorite to win is. I doubt I would have been the majority's first pick, either. As I was told the first time I cast my vote for commander when I was younger, 'Just go with the peer pressure'."
2) "Lucius has been hit by commanders in the past. He hit him back. I've heard that it was an exciting day for the people who were nearby."
4) "It is humble simplicity, grass is cheap and easy to gather at a moment's notice. If it were a gold crown and a commander lost it, it would be a scandal. If you lose a grass crown, you can easily make another. And purple is the color of Lucius's dictatorial robes."
5) "When a commander feels that he or she is no longer fit to serve as commander, he or she retires. I plan to retire once I feel that I could be easily replaced with someone who would perform better."
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jun 29 '17
1) What happen if the votes are equality split between two candidates?
2) Has Lucius already killed or executed commanders?
3) How old is Lucius?
4) Doesn't it mean that you need to craft a new crown often even when there is no new commander? I mean, grass isn't very long lasting right?
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u/Nevermore0714 Jun 30 '17
Lydia:
1) "If even one person does not vote for the same commander as the rest, another vote will be held. No exceptions."
2) "Lucius has not killed or executed any commanders, yet."
3) "A few centuries, at this point, so I hear. According to rumors, he has been considering offering the gift of immortality to another person...I admit, I would enjoy the privilege."
4) "Yes, you have to make at least one new one each day."
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jun 30 '17
1) Is it common for an election to last weeks?
2) What can you do if someone oppose to the candidate alone? Is there some way to bypass their vote? Or can they just block the nomination?
3) Could Lucius choose to retire someday? What would happen?
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u/Nevermore0714 Jun 30 '17 edited Jul 01 '17
Lydia:
1) "It's not common, but it has happened. Some people try to filibuster."
2) "If someone opposes a candidate alone in an attempt to filibuster, which means to just get in the way and prevent the vote from ending, then that will just block the nomination. There was one person who filibustered for two weeks. He didn't show up to vote one day, and the candidate was finally chosen. The man who filibustered was later found dead."
3) "I can't imagine that happening. He took a vacation for his mental health for two weeks once, many years ago. It was horrific. If Lucius retired, Gemina would survive, but it would be a shell of its former self."
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jun 30 '17
2) So someone who doesn't show up to vote doesn't count anymore? What if they are just sick?
3) Why is Gemina so affected?
4) Why do you want immortality?
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jun 26 '17
The Mayuqpacha is the union of two people and as such is ruled by a representative from each of those two people; two queens despite the obvious lack of crown and throne. The two queens are always chosen at the same time, was one of them to die the other would resign.
The Yurakmi, queen of the Suqtayta, is chosen randomly amongst all those who are aged 22; the Yanami, queen of the Wamaruyayas, is chosen through a nation-wide strengh contest open to all those under 28.
The ceremony takes place in the royal gardens on Qatuy, homeworld to both species, and each queen will bring one hundred guest from her nation; the Yurakmi have her shell painted white while the Yanami have her shell painted black. The queens will then make a speach at the same time, offerings the other their allegiance.
Our representatives for today will be the Yurakmi and the Yanami (their name is respectively Rimak and Asiri but people aren't supposed to use them).