American Unity

A highly religious democracy, that was created because of influential preacher named William Russell, whose doctrine of moral democracy spread throughout a part of Sector 11, causing a resurgence of patriotism and political conservativism – not to mention an ancient ideas of American Dream – during the years of the collapsing grip of the Solar Commonwealth on the Frontier.
With the preacher himself ended up murdered by the Commonwealth sympathizers, he never managed to see his dream fulfilled. His followers raised in arms, launching the so-called Unity Rebellion against the Commonwealth and succeeded in carving a score of worlds from the Commonwealth. This led to the establishment of the American Unity, one of several states waging eternal warfare – the so-called American War – to defend themselves from other postamerican states, while eternally dreaming of spreading the unitism throughout the stars.

Structure

Head of American Unity is President, elected in indirect way similar to ancient United States. With population choosing electors, who then elect the President from candidates nominated by political parties (or sufficiently big number of common citizen, though this practically never happens). The political system of Unity gives him a number of rights, including being a supreme commander of both army and navy
Beneath him is the Unity Congress, parliament divided into three Houses. First is Senate, an upper chamber, with two representatives of every single state (provinces of Unity). Due to the sheer number of them (giving exactly 7112 senators), they are formed into internal, star system 'blocks' that internally decide which one of them (called Speaker) will be the one to speak for them all. A an Upper House, it is given a right to advice and consent, including the right to ratify all treaties and appointment of important government and administrative members.
The second chamber is the House of Representatives, which is elected popularly, with all states having a certain ammount of representatives set according to its population. Overally the House closes with nearly 19456 members, joined into system-wide 'blocks' that forms a inter-parliaments of sorts, with the balance of power between political parties deciding what their Speakers will opt for. House of Representative have a right to 'produce' laws – called bills - that are then voted for or against in Senate. After being voted yes, they are sent to the President for consideration. It can also impeach federal officers, and has the right to initiate all bills related to revenue.
Third and last chamber – and the most significant change from the ancient political system of United States of America – is the Council of Religious Unity. It is populated by pastors – chosen by local-churches of Church of Unity and few other faiths that remain in American Unity. They are elected for a five years long period. The Council has a right to suggest veto of certain bills (that are deemed incompatible with the basic principles of moral democracy/unitism of the founder), impeach President, Cabinet (government) or any high ranking members of administration on a basis of immorality or being in any way dangerous to the country. It can, on the other hand, be collectively impeached by both Senate and House of Representatives. It's members are also automatically impeached (and have to be replaced) any time they impeach President.
Below the level of central government lie states, governed by locally elected governors, that are elected together with planetary and star system governors in general elections.

Public Agenda

The chief political agenda of American Unity is surviving and upholding the sacred values of unitism. With expansion and liberation of other Americans from variety of extremist groups being a little, cherished dreams of nearly every president.
The biggest problem is the fact, that Unity remains a rather small country, at least compared to gargantuan United States of America, making its political interests focus much more on survival. That is achieved mainly due to military help from Res Publica Christiana (with Unity/USA border being one of the greatest source of diplomatic conflict between Alliance for the Preservation of Democracy and Res Publica Christiana

History

Beginnings

History of American Unity began during the days of the collapse of the Solar Commonwealth. Sector 11 was engulfed by the Frontier Rebellion, with forces loyal to the Commonwealth engaged in a perpetual guerilla warfare against a multitude of local rebel groups and Discord raiders. In the age of this crisis, William Rusell began to preach. He is believed by many to be a a former rebel, who grew disillusioned with low level of competence among those leaders he met and the same sins – of ambitions, pride and greed – he saw among the pro-Commonwealth forces.
He spoke of a doctrine of unitism – known also as moral democracy – he created, by fusing traditional democracy and ancient values of long dead United States with teachings of baptist churches, strong in his area of Sector 11. He preached of states without God not being able to stand the test of time, calling for ethics to be once again represented in politics and for general restoration of morality. Reminding people of their great heritage as Americans... not to mention organizing charity works for those most afflicted with ongoing crisis.
His teachings spread throughout a baptist churches throughout Sector 11, with more and more joining the Church of Unity – a sort of over-Church dedicated to cause of unitism. This made him one of the most influential people of whole Sector, which ultimately lead to him being in year 2324 at the orders of local Commonwealth commander, who was afraid of what he believed to be powerful secessionist movement.

Union Formed

William Rusell turned out to be a bigger threat to Commonwealth as a martyr than he was as a preacher. Soon the marmed rebellions (together with discordian raids) led to complete dissolution of all sorts of political unity of Sector 11, beginning the American War. American Unity was an earliest formed interplanetary state in the whole Sector, with Church of Unity becoming a medium of alliance talks between revolutionary leadership of a dozen planets on the verge of Sector.
American Unity actually managed to spread, conquering three more planets (that were actually liberated from hands of local extremists and converted to unitism) and had two more join them willingly, before the other powers grew strong enough to stop its expansion. The rest of Unification Wars Unity spent as a sort of a middle power between American Empire and United States of America, finally avoiding collapse and annexation until the end of Unification Wars frozen political situation.
The Church of Unity decided to participate in a Council that laid foundation of the Neocatholic Church, accepting all of its chief doctrine and soon becoming one of most influential member-churches. It also remained a part of it following the Xenoschism, which cemented its membership in Res Publica Christiana.

Demography and Population

Demography

General Description

In year 2710, the American Unity's population is estimated to be slightly above 15 billion, making it only half as big as the American Empire, and a minuscule dot on the map when compared to the United States of America. it is known for its focus on more pastoral landscapes, preferring a great number of smaller cities or even independent arcologies to major population centers. Majority of the Unity's population lives in cities that are 100 to 500 thousands big, with many living in what de facto passes as villages.
The population is composed mostly of human, but there is a significant Variant component. One of the colonies seized during the Unity Rebellion was a Variant colony pf aquahumans (humans whose bodies were modified to allow them to live in water permanently). Together with a much later refugee population of cathuman Variant, they make up for approximately 15% of the Unity's population.

Humans and Variants

Humans are the baseline of the population, with little distinction being made according to their genetical or phenotypical differences. Caucasian race dominates, but one planet has population mostly of african-american descent. Two Variant subspecies population exists in the Unity: the aquahumans (11%, mostly throughout the seas and a single ocean moon), and cathumans (4%).

Transhumans and Aliens

American Unity is relatively welcoming to those slightly less genocidal aliens. There is a very small (but permanent) population of sidhe (about 50 thousand) and berserks (5000). No laws against any of them. Transhumans are much rarer, however it is not unheard of to see them on Unity's worlds (but no permanent habitation).

Population

Gender and Relationships

Relative equality of genders, making the Unity to be seen as a bit of exception among the worlds of the Res Publica Christiana. This doesn't stop the country from being stalwartly conservative when it comes to clothes and the issue of women expected to look and act femininely (and, on the other side of the spectrum, men acting and looking in a masculine way).

Gender Roles

Unity is rather progressive in its approach to gender roles. Progressive in the RPC sense of the word. This means that it's pretty ok with women being a part of the army (in no small part due to Unit being permanently outnumbered on the battlefield, so they need every soldier they can get) and other similar lines of work. There is still a certain degree of disparity though, however it isn't much different from one in western republics of Earth around year 2000.

Relationships

Unlike majority of the Res Publica Christiana, American Unity is only as conservative as the West was in the late 20th Century. Which means that a concept of secular marriages exists, however the prevalence of unitism throughout the society means that it is rarely used. The rest is just simple monogamous religious marriages, as the Catholic Church supports. It also got rid of homosexuality via Humanity 2.0 genengineering and some mentalsculpting.

Personal Liberties

Slavery

No. Simple as that. Unity, like the Catholic Church, went so far in their denial of slavery that it opposes even the exploitation of bioroids as a modern form of slavery. And it's pretty zealous on that issue, as it sees it as a scourge on modern Mankind that has to be annihilated as soon as possible.

Drugs

Forbidden save for alcohol and smoking (which, at this point, is harmless due to advances in the field of medicine. Actively suppressed. Alcohol abuse is also actively suppressed in a multitude of ways, including alcohol-dissolving implants in stomach that prevent humans from getting drunk for habitual offenders..

Weaponry

Small arms ownership accepted. Automatic and anti-tank weaponry on the community level (no private ownership, but the settlement might possess it and 'lend it' to its inhabitants, under its own responsibility).

Military

Navy

Unity Fleet is tough nut to crack. While relatively small in number, it has a very motivated crews, high level of technology and surprisingly expansive industrial potential allowing the Unity to replenish lossess quite quickly.
Due to being supported by other countries of RPC, it tends to sometimes include warships with hulls 'imported' from RPC member states. The choice of tactics is relatively ordinary, with all-rounded ships capable of dealing decent ammount of damage on every distance.

Ground Forces

Ground forces of American Unity can be divided into two main groups. First are Unity Army, general all-purpose forces formed from mechanized and armored divisions, supported by airborne and orbital forces. Its only non-ordinary forces are the so called Brotherhood, formed from most devoted soldiers, that also receive additional training that changes them into nearly fanatically loyal and zealously brave elite formations.
Second group are Minutemen, a local variant of United States of America National Guard. In other words, overwhelming majority of population that underwent basic military training and remains a reserves, capable to form a vast number of infantry division during planetary invasion on Unity planet, or to serve as a source of reinforcements for the Unity Army.

Agriculture & Industry

Market liberal economy, with government having just enough ability to intervene to ensure that law isn't broken. The important corporations have some degree of influence over elections – for example by granting financial help to candidates – but expansive media coverage of any scandals and the political division between corporations – disallows the Unity to fall into corporationism.

God, Family, Freedom

American Unity

Capital: Unity Spire, Montgomery-III.
Official Languages: English (American version)
Religion: Neocatholic Church, 1% others.
Government: Moral Republic
Faction: Res Publica Christiana
Membership: Standard/Independent
Current ruler: President John Wilson
Population: ~15 000 000 000
Currency: Unitarian Dolar

Type

Geopolitical, Republic

Demonym

American, Unitarian.

Parent Organization

Res Publica Christiana