Living Freedom Land Factbook

[Living Freedom Land]

The Free Freedom Loving Land of Living Freedom Land

“Land of the brave and free!”

National Capital: Sylvania
Language: English, Klingon, Esperanto
Currency: Freemark
National Sport: Basketball
National Animal: Snake
National Flower: Chrysanthemum
National Tree: Chestnut

National Anthem

TO BE ANNOUNCED

[Living Freedom Land]

History of Living Freedom Land

[Living Freedom Land]

Military of Living Freedom Land

[Living Freedom Land]

Government and Politics

Government of Living Freedom Land

We the representatives of the People of Living Freedom Land, in Order to secure the grand blessings of Life, Liberty, and Property, do ratify these Articles of Union to be the supreme Law and constitution of the Free Freedom Loving Land of Living Freedom Land.

Government type: Federal constitutional presidential republic

Chief Executive: Rufus Firestone
-Secretary of Foreign Affairs: Edward Williams
-Secretary of the Military: Jerry Tzeng
-Secretary of Justice: Harry Beard
-Secretary of Commerce: Molly Luca
-Secretary of Education: Ping Suen
-Secretary of Transportation: Boudica Walker

Free Land Congress:
-President: Anita McCoy
-Sovereign Council:
80 Members
-Popular Assembly:
-565 Members

High Court:
-Chief Judge Andrew George
-High Judge Gerald Cameron
-High Judge Sarah Thompson
-High Judge Elbert McCoy
-High Judge Blake Smith
-High Judge Benjamin Todd
-High Judge Hannah Blake

The government is separated into three branches:
-Legislative: The bicameral Free Land Congress, made up of the Sovereign Council and the Popular Assembly, makes federal law, declares war, approves treaties, has the power of the purse, and has the power of impeachment, by which it can remove sitting members of the government. The Free Land Congress is presided over by the President, who can veto bills passed by the Congress.
-Executive: The Chief Executive is the commander-in-chief of the military and appoints the members of the Cabinet (subject to Sovereign Council approval) and other officers, who enforce federal laws and policies.
-Judicial: The High Court and lower federal courts, whose judges are appointed by the President with Sovereign Council approval, interpret laws and overturn those they find unconstitutional.

The Popular Assembly has 565 voting members, each elected for a two-year term and may be elected to the office no more than three times. Popular Assembly seats are apportioned to each State based on population every ten years and are then elected based on proportional representation. The Sovereign Council has 80 members with each state being apportioned seats every ten years, elected from a Congressional district to six-year terms; one third of Council seats are up for election every other year and may be elected to the office no more than once. The Chief Executive serves a five-year term and may be elected to the office no more than once. The President serves a three year term and may be elected to the office no more than once. The Chief Executive and President are elected by direct vote. The High Court, led by the Chief Judge of Living Freedom Land, has seven members, who serve for ten year terms and may be appointed to the office no more than once.

All laws and governmental procedures are subject to judicial review, and any law ruled in violation of the Articles of Union is voided. The original text of the constitution establishes the structure and responsibilities of the federal government, its relationship with the individual states, and the rights of the citizens.

Government Budget:
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Political Divisions

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Major Political Parties

GOVERNING PARTIES
The Democratic-Republican Party
The Democratic-Republican Party advocates a libertarian "night watchman state" and is currently the largest political party in Living Freedom Land.
Sovereign Council (34/80)
Popular Assembly (231/565)

The Liberal Moderate Party
The Liberal Moderate Party is libertarian in most aspects, although it advocates the implementation of public schools and a social security system.
Sovereign Council (22/80)
Popular Assembly (162/565)

OFFICIAL OPPOSITION PARTIES
The Traditionalist Party
The Traditionalist Party prides itself in being the persecuted "moral minority" and advocates the criminalization of recreational drugs, the banning of abortion, and the criminalization of homosexuality. On the economic end, the Traditionalist Party supports a mostly free market, but advocates protective tariffs and subsidies to favored industries.
Sovereign Council (15/80)
Popular Assembly (62/565)

The Objectivist Party
The Objectivist Party is exactly what it sounds like: A party composed totally of Objectivists. Notable positions of the party are its willingness to declare unprovoked war on Third World nations and its opposition to gay marriage.
Sovereign Council (0/80)
Popular Assembly (34/565)

OTHER OPPOSITION
The Social Justice Party
The Social Justice Party advocates the implementation of an extensive welfare system, a social security system, and environmental regulations on top of other left-wing goals. On social issues it is very permissive and libertarian.
Sovereign Council (9/80)
Popular Assembly (51/565)

The Voluntaryist Party
The Voluntaryist Party is the moderate faction of the anarcho-capitalist movement in Living Freedom Land, calling for the gradual and peaceful transition to a society where the functions of government are performed by private businesses.
Sovereign Council (0/80)
Popular Assembly (25/565)

MINOR POLITICAL GROUPS
The Agorist Front
The Agorist Front calls for the immediate demolition of the state and the execution of all "statist leaders."
Sovereign Council (0/80)
Popular Assembly (0/565)

The Communist Vanguard
The Communist Vanguard's goal is for the overthrow of the "bourgeoisie dictatorship" of Living Freedom Land and the replacement of it by a dictatorship of the proletariat.
Sovereign Council (0/80)
Popular Assembly (0/565)

Rights in Living Freedom Land

The Living Freedom Land Constitution specifically enumerates these rights to the people:

I. The right to freedom of religion shall not be abridged.
II. The right to the freedoms of expression, thought, and assembly shall not be abridged.
III. The right to secure private property shall not be abridged except in the use of eminent domain. The use of eminent domain shall be restricted to the taking of lands for direct operation by the government, and shall specifically exclude use for private the benefit of private persons. All victims of eminent domain shall be given just compensation, and the ability to reclaim their land at no cost to them if the government does not make use of it in a reasonable amount of time.
IV. The right of individuals to bear arms shall not be abridged.
V. The right of all citizens to due process, trial by jury, a speedy trial, a public trial, and counsel shall not be abridged. Protection against double jeopardy and self-incrimination shall not be denied.
VI. Protection from excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishment, including but not limited to torture of any kind, shall not be denied.
VII. The right to privacy shall not be abridged without a warrant obtained from a judge.
VIII. No rights or freedoms held by the people of Living Freedom Land shall be suspended, even in a time of war.
VIII. The protection of the people from income redistribution schemes, except in the case of aid for minors and the elderly, shall not be denied.
IX. All rights not specifically enumerated by the above clauses are still retained by the people.

[Living Freedom Land]

Economy of Living Freedom Land

A free market? Why, that sounds like a swell idea!

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Front of a gold backed 5 Freemark note:

Back of a gold backed 5 Freemark note:

Freemarks issued by other offices and backed by other commodities are similar in appearance, but with some minor changes. Paper currency is counterfeit protected by a wide variety of methods, such as the use of a secret paper formula and secret ink formula.

Taxation and Funding
Living Freedom Land's federal government gains revenue from three sources: User fees, fines, and a land value tax. The land value tax takes up the majority of Living Freedom Land's revenue, with fines coming second, and user fees coming last. The land value tax is seen as a libertarian alternative to many other forms of taxation like the income or value added tax.

[Living Freedom Land]

Culture of Living Freedom Land

I hate this place. Even their poodles have no class!

Living Freedom Land's culture has been variously described as freaking awesome, vomit inducing, clinically insane, and bourgeois dominated. To be honest, there's nothing wrong with any of those assessments except that they don't go far enough. Its culture is a melting pot of many attributes. Key to Living Freedom Land's culture is the influence of corporations that co-opt profitable cultural trends, making them mainstream. Also key is the Living Freedom Lander sense of individualism, and that it's okay to be different from everyone else.

Popular media
Ever since the introduction of cinema, and later television, into Living Freedom Land, popular media has been the dominant form of entertainment for many Living Freedom Landers. The movie industry is heavily based in Western Living Freedom Land, but the generally low tax burden of the nation has made movies prosper across the nation. Living Freedom Landers watch a high amount of television, although other countries have managed to watch more. The internet is also important to popular culture, introducing various memes like the Game, Lolcats, and the Numa Numa Guy into the public eye. The many genres of popular music, from heavy metal to rap, flourish in Living Freedom Land.

Literature and the arts
Living Freedom Land has a flourishing publishing industry, with many different genres of novels being popular among diverse subgroups in Living Freedom Land. The most historically popular novel written by a Freedom Lander is The Exceptional Escape, detailing the humorous adventures of a juvenile delinquent in 1950's Freedom Land.

Living Freedom Land also has a flourishing art scene, although somewhat isolated from the rest of the world. Realistic painting is considered the paradigm among the "artsy" citizens, and subject matter ranges from the mundane to the extravagant. Contrasting with this high society current is a popular art that emphasizes humor and caricature over a realistic rendition of the subject matter.

Food
Food in Living Freedom Land is generally similar to those in other culturally Western countries. However, a greater emphasis on consumerism has given rise to more processed foods than average in Living Freedom Land. Living Freedom Land's most famous dish, fried snake, is characteristic of the obsession Living Freedom Landers have with fried, unhealthy foods. Sodas and soft drinks are also are the number one type of consumed beverage in Living Freedom Land, contributing to the boom in dentistry as of late.

Sports
Sports in Living Freedom Land are various, but everyone can agree that soccer sucks. In fact, when a professional soccer league was established in Living Freedom Land, there was a huge public backlash. Most people hate it because the stupid Aussies and Brits still let the French play it. Popular sports in Living Freedom Land include animal fighting, football, basketball, and baseball. Basketball is the nation's most popular sport.

[Living Freedom Land]

Geography and Mappy Stuff

Living Freedom Land is illy defined as "a some big islands with a lot of people on it" and is roughly the size of Pangea, counting the water between the three main land masses. There are some mountains in the middle, a desert in the west, and some nice ocean views on the coast.

[Living Freedom Land]

Race and Religion

Ethnicity/Ancestry
42% European
--9% Irish
--8% English
--6%Spanish
--5% German
--4% Scottish
--3% Welsh
--7% Other
34% Asian
--7% Japanese
--6% Chinese
--6% Korean
--4% Vietnamese
--3% Thai
--5% Arab
--1% Kurdish
--5% Other
17% African
--7% Zulu
--5% Somali
--3% Yoruba
--2% Other
3% Aboriginal Australian
1% Pacific Islander
1% Amerindian
2% Other

Religion
39% are Christian
--16% are Protestant
--12% are Catholic
--6% are Orthodox
--4% are Mormon
--1% are Other Christian
15% are Objectivist
12% are Non-specified Atheist/Agnostic
11% are Jewish
10% are Deist
3% are Muslim
2% are Buddhist
8% are Other

Race
48% are Caucasoid race
28% are Mongoloid race
17% are Negroid race
4% are Australoid race
3% are Other

[Living Freedom Land]

Famous People

Historical Figures

Contemporary Figures

George Puddin

George Puddin always had a knack for eating, but nobody ever knew he would become the world famous defender of Living Freedom Land's title in the Slightly International Hot Dog Eating Contest. After honing his skills for many years, he entered an eating contest and won. After winning Living Freedom Pie Time in 1994, George was ready for the big leagues. George was ready for hot dogs, and by 2005 George won against that Japanese dude in a hard fought battle of bellies.

[Living Freedom Land]

Education

Living Freedom Land has a voluntary education system of privately owned and operated schools with government funded vouchers for all students. This ensures that all children who want to go to school are given education, and that their education is bettered by free market competition.

Vouchers
A voucher of 5,000 Freemarks is issued annually for each student to use for 1-12 education.

Curriculum and Accreditation
In order for a school in Living Freedom Land to be accredited and receive government vouchers, it must demonstrate that its curriculum reflects the national curriculum set by the government. This curriculum sets basic requirements for language and mathematics in grades 1-12.

Grading
Almost all grading scales in the Free Freedom Loving Land are based on percentages, with the standard A-F scale being most prominent. With all schools being private, however, schools set their own grading standards and graduation standards. So, some schools may use number scales (like 1-6) or may choose to eschew categorization types of grades in favor of just using raw percentage points in a pass/fail system.

Higher Education
Higher Education in Living Freedom Land is fully privatized, and no government monies go to the payment of higher education.

[Living Freedom Land]

Immigration and Etc.

How to Enter Living Freedom Land:
1. Go to an Office of Migration at a port.
2. Undergo a cursory security check. Now is the time a passport would be helpful, but any form of I.D. will do. If we are not able to perform the check, you will be turned away.
3. You will be issued a Beta Card, which allows stay in Living Freedom Land and is used as I.D. in the nation. A Beta Card is good for three years and allows a person to enter and leave Living Freedom Land for that time.

Steps to Citizenship:
1. Enter Living Freedom Land and obtain a Beta Card.
2. Hold a Beta Card for one year to obtain an Alpha Card which allows for permanent residency.
3. Hold an Alpha Card and exclusively reside in Living Freedom Land for five years and pass a basic English oral test to obtain citizenship.

Deportation:
A foreigner in Living Freedom Land may be deported for any violation of the law at the discretion of a judge, and must be deported for any infraction against the property of another person that constitutes a felony. Diplomats are afforded immunity. A person with an expired Beta Card may also be deported, but usually are just forced to renew.

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Mount Sedo Mons Estate and Plantation, the home of the President and his family.