WFP - Goverment
Militaristic Democracy
The original government of the WFP reflected the clan roots of the league, taking the form of a representative democracy in which each of the clans had a voice. Petty factional politics effectively crippled the senate's decision making powers, and after failing to manage a succession of crises, the Protectorate military took charge of the government. They could have instituted a military dictatorship but the architect of the coup, Field Marshal Cristobal Rob, sought to retain the government's accountability to the people. He divided the league into a series of military regions to oversee the rural community, several of which would be overseen by each city-state and its elected military council. Each military council would, in turn, provide a representative to the Protectorate High Council, the governing body of the WFP. To ensure the league would always be well protected, Cristobal made citizenship - and thus the right to vote - conditional on senke in the WFPA, later expanded to include service in the Northern Guard or other CNCS forces. The remaining population. called residents, would be protected and supported by the league but would have little say in selecting its government.
The system has proved surprisingly robust, giving a sense of representation and accountability without the unwieldy structure of the old senate, and at the same time allowing local authorities considerable flexibility to deal with regional problems. This latter provision proved particularly important to the clans, allowing them the illusion of independence within the league framework while maintaining the authority of the military. Though loose when compared to others in the CNCS, the government of the WFP has proved surprisingly effective.
The High Council (Concilio Mayor)
The High Council serves as the decision making body of the WFP and is comprised of the three Proconsuls as determined by elections to the military councils. At present, these are Fort William Proconsul Zucco Adamo, Fort Henry Proconsul Lang Regina and Fort James Proconsul Hasegawa Ichiro. Other individuals may put proposals before the council, provide expert testimony or otherwise aid its operation, but decision making is left in the hands of the Proconsuls. It should be noted that though the High Council is the supreme authority in the WFP, it rarely formulates legislature. Such matters are left to the government's capable administrative arm or to the regional authorities.
Matters are decided by a majority vote though some decisions - such as the imposition of martial law or declarations of war - require a unanimous and unqualified vote. The recent declaration of war against the AST was a notable exception to this rule, carried out under special powers relating to the CNCS and ratified, under protest from Proconsul Lang, three days after the CNCS declaration.
Though all members of the High Council are serving officers in the WFPA, they stand outside the regular chain of command and hold the honorary rank of lieutenant general, irrespective of their actual rank. Furthermore, the orders of the High Council (though not individual members) supersede those of the WFPA Field Marshal, though as in the case of Zucco Adamo, the Field Marshal is often a member of the High Council Council
As the most senior members of the military councils become Proconsuls and represent their city on the High Council, so does the most senior representative of the High Council represent the Protectorate in the CNCS matters. Unlike the city councils where a vote of the members resolves tied ranks, tied votes for the post of Protectorate representative to the CNCS, known as the Consul, are resolved by seniority. The Consul has no powers within the WFP but has plenipotentiary powers to act on behalf of the Protectorate in foreign affairs, though the Rassmussen Protocol of TN 1693 limits this to matters in the CNCS Council. To limit any abuse of power, the Consul's actions are subject to review by the High Council and censure is possible though very rarely used. As Field Marshal of the WFPA and Proconsul for Fort William, Zucco Adamo currently holds the post of Consul.
For detailed membership see: High Council article.
The Military Councils (Concilios Militares)
Each of the three Protectorate city-states is governed by a seven-person military council. Elections for the council posts are held roughly every five cycles, though the exact date of elections i s determined by the high council and thus terms may be anywhere from four and half to five and a half cycles. Only serving WFPA officers are eligible for council seats, and only citizens are permitted to vote in the elections. One seat on each council (two in the case of Fort William) is determined by the people of the city-state itself. The remaining seats are determined by the population of each military region under the city-state's jurisdiction. With the exception of the Mulhacen district near Fort William, each region has two councilors who represent the interests of their constituents. This policy concentrates decision making in a collection of efficient, streamlined bodies while retaining considerable regional representation at all levels.
The military councils oversee every aspect of life in their area. Though not official policy, many councilors are assigned specific areas of responsibility and work closely with the civil administration responsible for these areas. Any councilor can suggest a topic of discussion or propose new legislation, though many such initiatives are triggered by outside agencies, either the administration or civilian groups. As the councils wield immense power - they can enact local legislation and recommend national legislation to the high councils - there are strict rules governing the propriety of contact with outside groups. Personal integrity and honor is perhaps the greatest defense against corruption; no Westerner wishes to see their honor or that of their clan besmirched. Westerners acknowledge that sometimes temptation can be too great and the Protectorate Charter states "no councilor may receive goods, information or services, in actuality or in trust, in excess of 1000 marks in any season or 100 marks on any occasion." This allows them to accept hospitality but limits the potential for bribery. Each councilor must submit detailed annual reports on their income which are scrutinized by the administration. Failure to comply or any irregularities can result in sanctions against the councilor, up to and including loss of rank and position and the resultant dishonor
The most senior officer in the military council is designated the Proconsul. This individual represents the city-state and its regions on the high council. If there are several officers available of equally high rank the matter is settled by a vote, or by seniority if the voting is tied. Councilors are granted the honorary rank of major general and are considered outside the normal chain of command, preventing them from being ordered to pass bills and so forth by superior officers in the WFPA. The decisions of a military council may only be countermanded by the high council or, in a state of war, by the Field Marshal of the WFPA.
Military Regions (Regiones Militares)
Though the city-states are the center of power, eighty percent of the population lives in smaller townships or rural settlements. To give these people a say in the governance of their home, the Protectorate's rural territories are divided into nine regions, three associated with each city-state. Each region elects two representatives (save for the Mulhadn district near Fort William, which elects only one) to serve on the military councils. Each region contains roughly the same population, a result of constant border revisions, and consequently their physical area varies considerably. This guarantees that every councilor represents approximately the same number of people (roughly 660,000 people in TN 1938).
These councilors are expected to serve as advocates for the interest of their region in addition to any tasks they are assigned as part of the military council. It is expected that councilors spend at least fifteen days per season in their home region attending 'surgeries,' local meetings at which their constituents can raise issues that need to be brought before the administration or the military councils. In practice councilors rarely spend this much time on local affiirs (between five and ten days is the norm) and rely instead on local staff to keep them in touch with popular sentiment and alert them to any important issues. The regions are: Mulhacen, Jaen and Guadiana associated with Fort William: Badajoz, Ciceres and Lerida associated with Fort Henry: and Navarra, Monte Perdido and Rioja associated with Fort James.
The Administration
Several tiers of bureaucracy exist to support the government, providing administrative support to the executive branch while also being responsible for routine tasks like taxation, food inspections and education. Unlike the councilors, members of the administration are not serving officers in the WFPA, nor need they even be citizens. More than a third are residents who see the Western civil service as a means of gaining citizenship: personnel must serve for ten cycles before qualifying for citizenship. Their contribution to society is vital but often unsung, and many feel embittered by the perceived dismissal of their work. This bitterness is at the heart of the Enfranchisement Movement.
Though not widely known, the civil administration wields considerable power. Civil servants are very circumspect in flexing their political muscles as they know to do so openly would bring down the wrath of the military. Indeed, the administration is often seen as a backdoor means of gaining authority. As a result, the administration features heavily in the power politics of the clans, particularly at the regional level where the establishment and maintenance of influence is relatively simple. Officially, legislation exists to stop a single clan from gaining excessive influence but this can be circumvented easily by determined groups, usually through a local federation of clans.
Citizens and Residents
They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. The Citizen Act, passed in TN 1552, fits the bill perfectly, making citizenship provisional on completion of at least one five-cycle term in the WFPA. With the very real threat of invasion by the UMF, and the WFPA struggling with the two-fold problem of a lack of manpower and integrating disparate clan and city militias, Field Marshal Cristobal enacted the law to provide a clear incentive to join the armed forces. The move was controversial as it disenfranchised large swathes of the population, placing governance of the league in the hands of a minority. The members of this disenfranchised group - those physically or mentally unsuited to military service or else objecting on moral grounds - were called residents and as they were still guaranteed many rights most accepted the new status quo. Clans also played a major role in damping down criticism of the act, membership in one being regarded by many as more important than voting rights in the league; clan status was unaffected and residents could always make their views known through citizens in their clan.
A small minority of the population steadfastly refused to accept their disenfranchisement, campaigning vigorously for the restoration of the rights guaranteed them by the original constitution of the WFP. Known as the Enfranchisement Movement (though in fact they are a federation of smaller organizations), membership of this group has waxed and waned over the centuries but they have remained a vocal minority. They have frequently been associated with the Protectorate's vigorous counterculture, attracting considerable support among the young and clanless. The rise of shock music culture has helped advance the enfranchisement agenda though shock's emphasis on individuality is, in some regards, contrary to the Movement's ideals.
The Movement believes that it is thanks to their pressure that the criteria for citizenship have been amended on several occasions since the Citizen Act became law. The most notable change, made in TN 1692, allows those who have served in foreign militaries to claim citizenship. Unfortunately, the conditions are less favorable that for the WFPA -ten cycles in the Northern Guard or twenty in the NAF or the UMFA. This reform also allowed members of the Protectorate administration, nominally a branch of the WFPA, to claim citizenship after ten cycles. Another change, the Doughty Amendment (named for former Fort William administrator Doughty Celene) allowed the four league councils to grant full citizenship to residents deemed to have made a valuable contribution to Protectorate society. After a test case in TN 1921, when a squad of CEF troops attempted to claim WFP citizenship on the grounds of twenty cycles service, the GREL Amendment redefined eligibility to allied (rather than foreign) troops. The authorities recognize, however, that there may be 'just cause' for some non-standard applications for citizenship and the councils retain the right to view each case on its merits.
Citizen's Rights
In addition to the right to vote for council representatives, citizens of the league have the right to appeal judicial decisions to the military councils and to put forward motions for discussion. Neither option is done lightly as inappropriate use of government time (as determined by magistrates) can be subject to a fine of up to 10.000 marks. Officially, only citizens are entitled to bear arms outside of the military though this provision is rarely enforced, particularly on the Badlands fringe where firearms are a necessity for protection against Badlands raiders.
Both citizens and residents are guaranteed equal status in legal proceedings and the right to trial by jury, freedom from persecution or discrimination, the right to free speech and the right of assembly. Furthermore, every member of the WFP, resident or citizen, is entitled to health care, education and protection by the military.
The Clanless: Neglected and Forsaken
Though most members of Western society are associated with a clan, a sizable number are not. These 'clanless' fall into two groups. The first consists of both those expelled from a clan and newcomers to the Protectorate who have not been adopted into an existing clan or presented with the opportunity to form their own. These groups are particularly common in Fort William and Fort James, both of which have high immigrant populations. These people form a third tier of society, forced to survive without the support and resources of a clan. Job opportunities are rare and despite official legislation to the contrary, discrimination is rife. Consequently, they are locked into a cycle of poverty and dependence on the state that leads to the formation of ghettos. The mining towns of the northwest also contain a high proportion of clanless, lured by the prospect of wealth and exploited mercilessly by the corporations and criminal syndicates.
The second group is known as the forsaken. Unlike other clanless, they deliberately eschew Protectorate culture, living away from major urban centers. Most live a subsistence lifestyle, gathering in groups ranging from half a dozen to several hundred members. The forsaken are most common in the hills and woods of the Crescent, though several bands live on the Great Western Plain. Some are dropouts from modern society, those seeking a simpler lifestyle. but the vast majority are born, live and die in the small nomadic communities. These groups shun contact with outsiders, though a number of groups trade with the various plains settlements. I n some areas, their lifestyle is threatened by encroaching commercial exploitation. In most cases, the forsaken simply move on, though bands that are more aggressive will fight to protect their territory, despite the major technological differences. Ironically the bands are akin in many way to clans and several of the more sedentary groups, notably the Roban, have been accepted as new clans.
A more detailed article regarding the various clans and associations is available here: The Clans.
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