THE CITIZEN'S FEDERATION OF WESTERN ALD
Formerly, The Imperium of Greater Ald
Ad Honorem!
The Citizen's Federation of Western Ald
Flag: Red White Black Triangular Tricolor
Highest Government Authority:
The Office of the Aldenian Federal President
Legislative Body:
The Citizen's Politate - Congress of the Citizenry
Highest Court:
Aldenian Federal Supreme Court
Political Parties:
Alden Unification Party
Ad Astra
Traditionalists
Old World Imperial Party
Alden Government Type:
Federal Constitutional Representative Republic
Constitution:
The Alden Compact of Union
National Anthem:
A Free Land from Brave Men (Carry the Torch)
Motto(s):
"Ad Honorem."
Additional mottos:
"Better Dead Than Red"
"Better to die on my feet than live on my knees."
"From the many, one indivisible Spirit."
Population: 1.1 Billion
National Languages: Common - Aldenite - Kithium Aldenian
Various other dialects of Aldenite - Tannaxian
National Religion: The Alden Gods
(Non-enforced faith)
Races:
Festria: 49%
Human: 10%
Kithium: 10%
Yun'het: 9%
Sharkfolk: 4%
Elves: 2%
Orcs: 2.5%
Kitsunes: 4.5%
Others: 2%
Economy: Regulated Free Market - Capitalist
GDP: 21.3 Trillion
Armed Forces:
The West Alden Army
The West Alden Navy
The West Alden Marines
The West Alden Aerospace Force
The West Alden Air Force
More in the Alden Armed Forces article spoiler.
Alliance Membership:
NATO - Northern Pact Alliance(NPA)
Talamh (Apart of Union with)
Neo-Novogradlen Republics of the East (Sister Republic)
Laws on Firearms:
Firearms and Military Equipment are available for retail sale.
This includes fully militarized variants and weaponry. Does not
include anything in the realm of long-range ballistic missiles.
More in the LoF article spoiler.
Laws on Drugs:
Few Drugs are Illegal in Ald, however, Krokodil and Bathsalts are
considered illegal substances and rehab will be recommended
or potentially forced for addicts.
Capital and Corporal Punishment:
Allowed - Allowed
Corporal Punishment is only granted for 'high crimes'
of which are typically crimes that have directly or indirectly
harmed large groups or livelihoods.
Capital Punishment is reserved for rapists, murderers
and pedophiles.
Embassy Program(not linked yet) - Neo-Novogradlen Republics of Eastern Ald(sister republic)(not linked yet) - Questions and Answers Thread - Aldenian News Network
Table of Contents
1. Political Overview
2. Historical Overview
3. Economic Overview
4. Military Overview
5. Laws
6. Species Overview
7. Presence in Space Overview
8. Alliance Affiliations and Diplomatic Relations Overview
1. General Overview
The Nation of West Ald, Formally known as the Citizen's Federation of West Ald, or sometimes shorthanded as West Ald Federatsi, is a northern realm nation of which sits behind a barrier of large mountains on its southern and western sides, with its east having a smaller thinner barrier of mountains with passage valleys leading into its sister nation of Eastern Ald, of which both were apart of the same state at one point. Both countries descended from the Imperium of Ald, with West Ald being the direct successor state to the Imperium of Ald, having survived the First World War while their former subject territories that would become East Ald would be trapped behind the Iron Curtain. West Ald is one of the worlds of Evermore's most technologically advanced, economically and militarily powerful, and freest nation, often called 'Talamh's Crown Jewel' and 'Founder of the Free North' by Talamhites and other nation-states across the planet.
West Ald is constantly being blanketed in snow, and its mountains are called the 'Rust Mountains' as they have a massive amount of Iron, more than any nation on Evermore save for the territory of what was once a United Novogradlen, and the Western Federation of which has access to rather big reserves of Iron as well. Ald also has access to and regularly both internally consumes and exports massive quantities of fossil fuels and as well, has produced the first oil-producing single-cell organisms, of which has allowed for Ald to become one of the dominant players on the Oil market and make massive amounts of money. As well, Ald and its pioneering spirit have managed to find new ways to form, and build the world's smallest "micro-arcologies" thanks to their access to and the continued manufacture of Graphene, developed in the Western Federation decades before it reached Ald, but adopted as a 'material of the future' and soon produced in large quantities by the current era to help drive the construction of naval vessels, buildings, and to further reinforce the Space elevator. So much is made that it is also exported at a premium to other nations like the Argo Pact and the Turanic Kingdoms.
West Ald maintains access to space via its Space elevator the Tiarra, of which is the second most advanced space elevator on the planet and allows Talamh and Ald to access low orbit and geosynchronous orbit, and as well outer space itself, with a large Aerospace force currently ranked third most powerful(including Talamh, without Talamh it would be 4th). West Ald has a thriving space mining industry and one of the biggest economies on the planet as well, and has been pioneering space colonization for several decades since the end of the Second Global War, and continues to even in the current era. Colonies established by Ald exist on the surface of Mars, Luna and even above Jove.
Ald is one of the world's most prosperous multispecies nations, and its population is rather diverse but dominated for the most part by the Festria, the original founders of Ald. Ald as well is one of the founding nations for the world's now most powerful Federation, the Confederacy of Talamh, and helped to save the Arterian region from total annexation by foreign powers in the Second Global War. Ald played a pivotal role in the battle of Callisto, and as well liberated most nations that would join the Confederacy, as well as liberated Talamh/Ald's closest allies of Adanzia East and Adanzia West.
Ald has a Civil Rights Rating of 8.4 out of 10, often called the freest nation in the world, with few restrictions on firearms, vehicles, personal luxury items and regulation of banks, as well as minimal regulations in general, helping it as well to have a Economic Rights Score of 9.5 out of 10, about as free economically as the Western Federation and Argo Pact and with minimal regulations that primarily concern large corporations and render some environmental and consumer protections. The national income tax rate is 2% and most money for the government is made from Asteroid mining, military surplus sales, Import tariffs and exporting Oil and other 'strategic' materials at a premium. The nation as well has many high profile Internet firms, is the headquarters of the Global Trade Commission and World Trade Organizations respectively, and is the summit place for many high profile international meetings and organizations. Hyperia, it's Capitol, is the largest city in the country and most productive, and is called the Shining Jewel of the North.
Ald has a Political Rights rating of 6 out of 10, due to the nations rather strict policy on Voting Rights, Citizenship granting and Immigration, only having a 'open borders' policy with citizens of Talamh, East Novogradlen and Arnninstra, the protectorate nation Ald uses as a buffer to regulate traffic before it reaches its border, and as well as a trade partner. Citizen's must serve in the civil service or the armed forces, or be a police officer/have been a police officer to Vote. This does not affect standard economic and civil rights and generally, the common citizen can open and operate businesses, participate in debate and interact with the government without needing to actually have served, though political say is reserved for Voters.
2. Political Overview
To start, Politically, Ald is a Citizen's Federation with a Constitutional Federal Republic, with a symbolic Emperor and ruling advisors council, though these are not branches of government with actual power and rather serve as a moral and ethical role alongside debate and advisory role.
Citizenship With Voting Rights and Standard Citizenship are separated politically. Citizens with Voting Rights, or Voters as they'll be called to shorten it, are men and women (or whatever else) of which have done tours of duty in the military, joined the police force, or done work with Civil Service or any of the eligible agencies/organizations of which perform important tasks to national cohesion and stability, such as infrastructure repair or ceremonial duties. These people do their tours or terms of service, of which for Safe Services, I.E. not the military or police force, can be about 3 years. Service in the armed forces requires only 1 year to obtain voters rights. Voters are given a special ID, access to some government benefits such as a discount at government-owned stores and fee-wavers, but are expected (even if it's not required) to be politically informed and to vote in every election that concerns them, be it local, regional or national. They will as well be a reservist for a set period of time until they are too old to serve, or until they develop conditions that physically make it impossible for them to serve should such be necessary.
Standard Citizens, or just Civilians as they'll be called, in general, don't receive the government benefits nor do they have voting rights for national and regional elections, however, they are allowed a say in local elections. They are not however really restricted and generally are allowed to do all the same things that a voter would save for wider political enfranchisement. Normal Civilians are not expected to join the armed forces, aren't made into reservists, so on, and can own businesses and generally practice free speech, so on. They aren't inhibited in any real capacity in living their normal lives.
Voters pay a slightly reduced tax rate if they become career soldiers. Police Officers, charged with upholding the law, as well receive a slightly reduced tax rate. This tax rate carries over into retirement, early and standard.
Ald's Constitution is called the Alden Compact of Union, of which is a historical document of which has been repeatedly revised, though its core portions are the same as per a non-alteration without legitimate need and court approval clause that governs the change of the constitution and any part of. The national tax rate is set where it is and has always been, 2% for citizens and 3% for businesses, with no self-employment tax. As well the constitution forbids the regulation of all arms and military vehicles/equipment that is not long-range ballistic missiles, strategic bombers, and chemical/biological weaponry. More Complex regulations do exist but will be expanded on further in Laws. The constitution sets the laws and rules of governance into place and prevents overstep of government authority, and severely punishes as well the government for the act, and encourages citizen punishment of such, and as well encourages a system of Patronage for the government as a form of reward for good service.
Patronage is in essence, a donation, one time or monthly, to the government by the citizen or a group for performing good actions. Such is separate from taxes, is not forced and is only encouraged to be rendered as a reward for continued prosperity and good work. Generally a notable, but not massive percentage of the government's funding comes from the patronage program.
As a political figurehead, the Emperor of Ald serves as a spiritual, moral and sometimes political advisor and guide. He does not have much political power, but if need be he can and will if need be, take the role of President should the President and Vice President either be incapacitated or killed. The Emperor serves as part of the Advisory Council, of which is a secondary political body of which debates decisions alongside the Citizen's Politate, before it's sent up to the Citizen's Congress.
The Citizen's Congress and Citizen's Politate are the two bodies of the government of which first create legislation, and then have to pass it, though the process to create legislation is an incredibly lengthy series of debates. The debate process hammers out the detail, supported by evidence and so on of which itself is debated, and thanks to the state of modern telecommunications and the global accessibility of the Internet, is able to be done accurately and within a more or less reasonable timespan, alongside verification of information that has to be done naturally. Conduct in either body of government is regulated by the Speakers of the House, and the Alden Politician's Code of Conduct. Swearing is kept to a minimum, and all unbecoming conduct, including illegal activities, will be counted to a 3 strikes system. Illegal conduct of any kind counts as 2 points, and will be an instant removal should the conduct be a felony.
The Citizen's Politate is the lower house, which creates and runs starting debates on legislation, with the Upper house in to watch. The Upper House, the Citizen's Congress, will then debate legislation when it is approved and sent up to hammer out the details further and address any and all problems that they can find with said legislation to try and ensure the legislation does what it is intended to do, and does so properly, efficiently, and with breathing room and such, tying it into other things if need be and then deciding with a final vote if the legislation meets requirements, or if it must be sent back down to be renegotiated or plain out rejected - rejections can happen twice over, and if not accepted a third time, there will not be another appeal. However, legislation that is rejected fully can be brought back up after a set period of time or can be taken up by the President and proposed by them, though if rejected again it will need to sit for up to about a year before it can be once again brought back up.
The President and Vice President serve as both head diplomats, national leaders, and policy setters, and as well have overall control of the government. They are limited by the constitution, and they cannot themselves declare war UNLESS under extreme circumstances with the provided reason given in an executive order. Congress is the only legislative entity able to declare a conventional war beyond extreme circumstances such as a credible and impending threat to national security or a direct attack on the nation itself.
The President may, if such is necessary, pass executive orders to override legislation or pass their own temporary resolutions, of which last a total of 50 days before they falter and have to be renewed, which requires a court hearing with the Supreme Court. No Executive Order can be sustained indefinitely, and no executive order can be used as a means to allow for such.
The Supreme Court Interprets things in relation to the constitution and decides if there is a violation or if something needs to be reinterpreted, as well as creates an interpretation depending on a situation if they can address it outside of a proper court case itself. The supreme court is an appointed position, and not a voted one, and its overall allowed judges at any given time is ten at the most. These judges sit for a period of about five years, and are then replaced by new judges, of which are nominated by the sitting president with the advisory of the Emperor and their Advisory Council, as well as other judges. Generally none of this is required and all that is required is the nomination of the President for the position, but having the good graces of the Emperor and their council, as well as the other judges and the judge they'll be replacing is generally very much recommended to ensure the best chances of getting the position. As well, one must have been a judge on each level of government, Local, Federal, and then try for the Supreme Court. Merit dictates above all if they do or do not become a judge.
Additional Information: Government
The presidential/executive head of the Federal Government is President Adrian Pavloc Potrinko, formerly an East Aldener and Naturalized West Aldener born in a border city, aged 73.
As he is considered a foreigner, it was initially widely contested, but after some time and further campaigning, as well as demonstrated merit in administrative duties, he managed to attain the position. He has continued several policies held by the Admin he replaced, but has opted to change Foreign Policy and as well Talamh's foreign policy to take a more pro-western stance, though they retain their anti-eastern sentiments(not directed to East Ald of course, naturally) and other formerly Eastern-ruled nations. Still the more pro-western sentiment has not resulted in much more than increased trade and ties to nations such as the Western Federation and the Argo Pact.
The Vice President of West Ald is Thanatos Forea, a Kithium, elected alongside Adrian Potrinko as they were running mates. Thanatos assisted in the drafting and implementation of the current Aldenian Foreign Policy changes, and helped to bring them to Talamh as well.
The Speaker of the Politate, serving as debate referees and little more than that really, are not allowed party alignments and generally keep track of the debates to ensure they don't break down or escalate into shouting matches, and that the overall code of conduct is not breached. The Speakers of the Politate are Avon Mox and Taloca Junst.
The Emperor of West Ald is Peremaor Staol.