It's baaaack!
So the last poll was a bit too long, and kind of died out before the week was out. As such, the next ones will be reduced to 4 days each.
For those who don't know, this is the second of a series of threads wherein we essentially vote on different aspects of what will eventually be a hypothetical country.
Here's the link to last week's thread, for those who are curious about the result: https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=338320
The winner was Federation.
For this thread, the vote is in regards to the general political ideology. Basically, how the country is run. Now, keep in mind that this is about the political ideology in general. The next thread will be about the political ideology in specificity. So, for example, if Communism got the most votes by the end of this poll, the subsequent poll would be about specific versions of Communism. Just like if Democracy got the most votes, it would be about specific versions of Democracy.
So, without further delay, here's the options, in no particular order:
Anarchism
Like Anarchy, but not quite. While the notion of anarchy has existed since time immemorial, Anarchism as an ideology has only been around for the past couple hundred of years. While anarchists vary greatly in their beliefs, they all want the same thing at the end of the day: the abolition of the State and near-total reduction of governmental functions. Although very similar to Communism, Anarchism differentiates itself in the notion that participation in a government/fragmented series of institutions should be entirely voluntary. One is, essentially, not a citizen unless one want to be.
Communism
Like Anarchism, Communism calls for the abolition of the State. That said, it differentiates itself in the fact that few Communists actually demand for the immediate institution of a communist country, recognizing this as an impossibility. Instead, they call for the creation of a semi-socialist, semi-communist State, with the end goal of ultimately abolishing the State and creating an egalitarian country of sorts.
Socialism
Although similar to, and often considered the same thing as Communism, Socialism remains more or less unique. Unlike Communism, Socialism does not call for the eventual creation of a stateless and ultra-egalitarian society. Instead, most socialist doctrines simply focus on the economic side of things. They ultimately seek to lower the rich-poor wealth disparity, but not necessarily eliminate it.
Democracy
While most political ideologies, be they fascist or communist, can include a voting system, Democracy is the only ideology that ultimately focuses on it. Basically, a Democracy is a country that has as its basis the concept that each individual should have the right to political representation. What this representation is and how inclusive it may be vary with the country, but they all have this fundamental idea at their core.
Liberalism
Inherently, the fine line between Liberalism and Democracy becomes vague and obscure. In fact, some might argue that there isn't one. Either way, although most countries that follow the ideological tenets of Liberalism are democratic, this doesn't necessarily have to be the case. Liberalism calls for, essentially, fairness. Unlike Communism and Socialism, it doesn't call for egalitarianism, or "equal results". Instead, it calls for fairness, or "equal chances". Basically, liberal countries inherently try to equalize the chances of each of their citizens to succeed, but not necessarily force success upon them.
Fascism
The ultimate form of authoritarianism. Essentially, a dictatorship. Fascism typically goes hand in hand with nationalism, the ultimate concern being the nation, its citizens being but a means to an end. There is but one ruler in a fascist State, one which is rarely elected into office by its people.
Oligarchy
A State run by a select group of individuals. Essentially, it is a country wherein power resides in the hands of a few. While Oligarchies vary widely in their beliefs, they all share in common the notions of aristocracy, hierarchy and the fundamental value of the State.
Monarchy
Although very similar to an Oligarchy, a Monarchy is different in the sense that whereas the oligarch gains his/her position from merit or favor, the monarch gains their position from rank or lineage. Although usually hereditary, the position of monarch as ruler of the State is not necessarily one without some form of fairness. In times past, the kings of Poland were elected, interestingly enough. That said, Monarchies share the notions of aristocracy (in the form of nobility) and hierarchy with Oligarchies.
Edit: For those who can't seem to understand much of anything unless they're given a 200-page long dissertation on the intricacies of underwater basket weaving, this particular thread is about political ideologies IN GENERAL. What does that mean? Lets say that hypothetically Democracy were to get the most votes. The next thread would be, as I already said, about the specific versions of the chosen ideology. So it would be things like Representative Democracy, Republicanism, Direct Democracy, etc. Do these ideologies share similar aspects? Yes, but that doesn't make them the same thing.
And yes, these are all ideologies. And no, you don't get to vote for more than one. If you want something like "Anarcho-Capitalism" then vote Anarchism and wait for the next thread.
