Republic of Superior (1983: Doomsday)

From Alternative History

The Republic of Superior
Timeline: 1983: Doomsday

Flag of Superior Coat of Arms of Superior The Light Green represents the Republic of Superior proper, while all other lands colored Olive are territories, under the control of the Republic, but not yet fully within the Union itself. The land borders of the Republic are also undefined. Purple areas are populated territories seeking admission into the Republic of Superior, and Red areas are unpopulated lands claimed by the current states in the Republic. Motto: Ex Cineris Nos Orior (Out of the Ashes We Rise)
Capital:	Stowe
Largest city:	Mackinaw
Other cities:	Marquette, Sault Ste. Marie, Escanaba, Menominee, Houghton, Iron Mountain
Language:   official:	English
Other languages:	Finnish, German, French, Swedish, Italian
President:	Terrance Newman
Vice President:	Horatio Weston
Area:	Est. 200,000 Sqr. Mi. km²
Population:	1,400,000 est. inh.
Independence:	1984
Currency:	American Dollar

The Republic of Superior is an American survivor nation in what used to be the upper peninsula of the former American state of Michigan.

[edit] History

Main article: History of Superior

[edit] Goverment

The government of the Republic of Superior is a virtual copy of that of the former United States of America. A President is elected by the people every four years, with the Electoral College casting their votes as well, whereas the candidate must have a majority of the electoral vote to win. Plans to do away with this system were removed, as an amendment was added where the winner of the Presidential election was also required to win a plurality of the popular vote in order to be elected. If none of the candidates have both, then the election moves to Congress, where the Vice President is chosen by the state delegations in the House of Representatives, while the President is chosen by the Senate.

Architects tried to make Congress as identical to the orginial as possible, the blueprints having been lost in Doomsday. In reality, they had to reconstruct the building almost entirely out of surviving photographs and memories.

Congress is divided between a House, reflecting the population of the states, and a Senate, slower to change and also to prevent radical change in government policy. Though the original number of Representatives was kept the same, the Senate was downsized, due to there only being sixteen states, rather than the fifty in the former United States. The House is reelected every two years. Senators serve terms of six years each; the terms are staggered so that approximately one-third of the seats are up for election every two years. This was achieved by dividing the senators of the 1st Congress into thirds (called classes), where the terms of one third expired after two years, the terms of another third expired after four, and the terms of the last third expired after six years. This arrangement is also implemented following the admission of new states into the union. The staggering of the terms is arranged to ensure that both seats from a given state are never contested in the same general election except when a mid-term vacancy is being filled. In cases that the seat of either a House Seat or a Senate Seat is vacated for any reason, a special election is held on the next election cycle.

Calls for an replica of the White House were shouted down. To President O'Hara this was a new nation, born from the seeds of the old. The Lake House was constructed on the shores of Lake Michigan, shortly after being given the name, the "Lake House", by one of the Republican Guard detailed to patrol the premises. The name stuck.

Before and even After Doomsday, two major political parties dominate the political landscape; the Democrat Party, and the Republican Party. Due to the moderation of the Democrat Party’s policies, the Socialist Party has developed among the far-left wing citizens and immigrants. At the same time, the National Republican Party has formed, and has only recently met success in the 2008 House elections, where three of its candidates managed to defeat incumbent Democrats.

The Democrat Party has existed since the fight between Andrew Jackson and John Q. Adams over the results of the 1828 American Presidential Election, born from the Jacksonian Democrats. Following a ideaology of American Liberalism, the party has since fallen on hard times, being largely blamed for the bungling of the War in Madison, which was thought to have been simple operation. Despite being an Independent in the Republic’s politics, Robert Stowe is a staunch supporter of the Democrat Party.

The Republican Party has existed since Anti-Slavery and Abolitionist groups in the north, alienated by the Whig party’s failure to take a position on slavery, created it in 1854. Its ideology is heavily conservative, though not to the extent of the National Republicans. The Republican Party has since largely become the dominant political party in the Republic, maintaining super-majorities in both the House and the Senate.

The Socialist Party is not a relatively new creation, being based off of earlier Socialist parties of the last century. Many former Democrats, upset with the moderate positions in the Democrat Party’s platform, developed the Socialist Party, which was popular among many refugees who had since become citizens. Following American Socialism as its ideology, the Socialist Party is often decried as being no different in its proposed policies than the former Soviet Union, though this has no prevented their rise. Their major bastion is in the state of Mackinaw, though they also have some support in the West of the Republic as well.

The National Republican Party was formed by a group of recently naturalized citizens from Thunder Bay, who did not feel that the Republican Party was truly following a path of Conservatism. Though controversial in its views on race and its proposals for a strengthened central government, the Conservative Revolution from 1998-2000 was all that was needed to propel them upon the national stage. Steady growth in membership has allowed them to pick up a three seats in the last House election in 2008.

[edit] Politics

Main article: Elections in Superior

Immigration remains somewhat of an issue today, even following the major expansion on the Lower Peninsula. The issue has died down in recent times, while the growing issue is what the future of the Republic will be. The Republican and Democrat Parties have survived largely intact, and still dominate the Republic's politics. There is a major Third Party movement, the Socialist party, that is gaining steam, but has largely been stemmed by the existence of the left-leaning Democratic Party, and charges of it carrying "extremist" ideas similar to the former Soviet Union. As a result, they still remain upon the fringe of national politics, despite having several congressmen in office.

At the same time, there is a major dispute over territory control along the shores of the Great Lakes. Though the Republic of Superior has organized territorial government along the coast of the former Canadian state of Ontario, the land is still claimed by the Canadian Remnant Provinces. However, it is not in much of a position to reclaim the land, nor is Superior willing to give it up, being populated mainly by its own citizens.

[edit] States within the Republic of Superior

This is a list of states within the Republic of Superior, and the years in which they entered the Union.

[edit] Territories within the Republic

This is a list of territories that are awaiting entrance into tht Union as states.

[edit] Former Territories

Some territorial goverments have been disbanded over the years as well.

[edit] Other Proposed States

Thunder Bay – There are some calls for the annexation of the Republic of Thunder Bay from both sides, though it is unlikely ever to occur. Colonel Giraud Leppe continues to maintain a staunch position of independence from foreign governments, while all expansion by the Republic into former Ontario is looked down upon by the Canadian government.

[edit] Demographics

Despite being largely American, both in its nominal population and from refugees, the culture and therefore the demographic map has been largely unchanged. A small minority of French-Canadians moved from the former Canadian state of Ontario into the Republic, but this was equally offset by the many Anglo-Canadian refugees. The Republic is almost entirely white, but some minorities managed to escape the nuclear destruction of the urban areas.

An interesting development is the resurgence in ethnic languages, specifically Finnish in the western part of the state. Though English was still the dominant and most used language, what psychologists now call “Post-Nationalism”, in which members of ethnic groups, fearing that their cultural heritage was to disappear, quickly began regressing back into their old ethical habits. Therefore, along with the rapid increase in ethnic languages, ethnic customs have made a swift come-back as well.

The establishment of religion has flucuated within Superior, though there is no good reasoning as to why. Immediately following Doomsday, agnostics quickly came to dominate the national scene, eventually making up a high of 34% in the 1995 national census. However, in what is considered the "Chrisitan Revolution", this trend reversed at equal speed. As a result, these agnostics would eventually make up only 6% of the population by the time of the 2005 census. Also of note is the return of some paganistic religions, but these have failed to achieve any significant level of growth.

Race classification within the Republic.

Ethnic background classification, as identified by the individuals questioned through the census.

[edit] Education

After the passage of the “Right to an Education Act” in 1987, the federal government has sought to extensively increase its power over the educational system. Prior to this, all schools were private institutions run by good-natured individuals, religious schools, or state schools outside of government control. This mix still generally exists, but on a much smaller scale, with most, if not all, of the state schools having been nationalized.

Attendance in school is mandatory between the ages of six to eighteen, and from there can obtain a higher education paid for in full by the government. Still, a significant number are homeschooled (7%) due to the secular policies within the schools themselves. Despite this policy, the government openly funds private institutions, in the hope that increased competition for funds between public and private schools might, as a result, have both perform better in their education process.

[edit] Health

The “Healthcare Bill of 1986” instituted a system of universal healthcare that was accessible to everyone, even non-citizens, as long as you went onto a system that logged your entire medical history. This is accessible only to the government, but leaks have lead to criticism of this system in regards to issues of privacy.

Those who qualify do not have to pay for any of their medical services, with all payment being taken care of by the federal government. Indirectly, payment comes from all forms of taxes that were adjusted for small increases, adding up for the final total required for the system to operate properly.

As a result of the Conservative Revolution, abortion became a major issue when it became clear that limits were going to be drawn. Some wanted a total ban, but opinion polls showed that would not be in the public’s favor. As a result, Congress passes the “Davies Abortion Regulation Bill”, which limited the right to abortion to the cases of rape, incest, and death, which in turn could be determined by the various states. Attempts to get the bill overturned in either courts of law or through Congress itself have proven fruitless.

[edit] Crime and Law Enforcement

Federal Police searching a household believed to hold a fugitive from justice.

Though Law Enforcement was originally left to the states, by 1988 it was decided it would be best to federalize the system, following disputes between rival state departments over jurisdiction over key points and certain cases.

The Federal Police Force has been painted as a tool used to do the government’s dirty work, rather than units used to protect the people. This largely has to do with the fact that many previous court cases that specified the rights of the individual, such as Mapp v. Ohio, Mrianda v. Arizona, and others were ignored and left out of the state constitution. This massive expansion of police power was not expected, nor desired, by many citizens, and there have been many attempts to put the verdicts passed in the cases back into law.

However, despite its flaws, such a system has apparently proven effective. Crime is at the present at an all time low, while the prisons are being closed for the first time since the birth of the Republic. Critics say this is just a fluke that will last about a decade, and crime will begin to rise again with a couple years.

Federal Courts were also established, though there was the notable exception of leaving out a Supreme Court, which actually failed in the attempt to create it. The Courts function much the same way they did in the former United States of America.

[edit] Foreign Relations

Since establishing communication with the outside world, the Republic has tried to maintain friendly relations with as many nations as possible. Despite this it has been denied membership in the League of Nations by Canada. This is due to territorial disputes between the two regarding land claims along the Great Lakes, though it is largely only vocal on the part of Canada.

Along with Canada, relations with Thunder Bay have become strained due to the continued tyrannical rule of Captain Giraud Leppe, despite attempts to democratize the nation through both aid and economic connections. Human Rights remains a major problem, and there are increased calls for intervention among Democrats and Socialists. However, President Newman has called for restraint explaining that he did not wish for another Madison to occur in Thunder Bay, a position supported by his Democrat Secretary of State, Russ Feingold.

There are plans to establish a guarded road to Aroostook by way of Riker, but the costs are enormous, and the road would not be finished until sometime in 2011. Even then, there would have to be a large guard to prevent raids by rogue elements.

The Republic is also the only nation to recognize the independence of Saguenay, a break-away Republic from the Canadian Remainder Provinces.

In the current war between Saguenay and Canada, both President Newman and the Republic of Superior Congress have voiced support for Saguenay. Currently, it is being debated on whether or not the Republic should take a more active role in the conflict, though it is suspected that the President has already deployed the Republican Guard. The major fear is that if the nation were to actively pursue the war, it might lose any chance it has in gaining entrance to the League of Nations. However, in any peace treaty that might come out of the conflict, they could ensure their entrance as well, while forcing Canada to drop its claims to the Great Lakes region. Currently, Representative Harold Duke of Marquette, leader of the National Republican Caucus, is the most prominent advocate for an alliance with Saguenay. The House of Representatives will vote on the 15th on wether or not they should enter in an alliance with Saguenay.

The Republic of Superior also has opened a dialog with the North American Union.

[edit] Military

Even though raids against settlements have gone down over the years, the RSA is on high alert at all times. This company based in the Weston Territory is on it's way to destroy a bandit camp identified by the RSAA (Republic of Superior Army Airforce).

The Republic of Superior Army relies heavily upon conscription, though there are also volunteer programs offered with large incentives and benefits. This was enacted in order to eventually remove the National Service, though current numbers show that it is unlikely that such a move will be made until the 2020’s at the earliest. Those who are subjected to conscription are required to serve six years in the armed forces, after which they are always on call in the case that an emergency reserve must be formed. Women, however, are given exception from the draft, but are still allowed to voluntarily join at their behest.

News Crews had orginally meant to interview individual men in this company, but orders came in early for them to move out. As a result, simple, yet powerful messages were recorded and then aired on NBS (National Broadcasting Service).

The Armed Forces are all under the complete control of the Chief of the Army, being split into smaller branches. These are the Republic of Superior Army, the Republic of Superior Navy, the Republic of Superior Marines, and the Republic of Superior Air Force. There is also a break-off branch from the Republic of Superior Army, known as the Republican Guard, formed from the best of the best from all four other branches.

The Armed Forces are tasked with protecting the Republic from all dangers, though in their earlier history they were tasked almost exclusively with regulating immigration into the Republic. However, there have been calls for an expansion into a peacekeeping role. This is opposed by the majority of citizens due to the experience the Republic had in trying to pacify Madison.

[edit] Space Program

While not one of the highest, or for that matter notable policy within the Republic of Superior, the military automatically realized that it might be best that communications through satellites would aid in their military efforts, allowing for direct communication between forces around the Great Lakes region and Stowe. As a result, at the request of General Lewis Poulat Congress passed in 1994 a meager budget to be used for a military space program. However, this was largely made moot by the fact that no suitable facility at the time was within reach, requiring one to be built from the ground up. Keweenaw was eventually chosen as the location for the future base.

When contact was made in the summer of 2001 with the existing world, it came to the military’s attention that the former French spaceport in French Guinea survived Doomsday, and requested access to the facility. However, the French government would not allow for the deployment of personnel to the area until late 2002, and even then lost control of the facility when control was given to the LoN, due to animosity between it and Canada.

Using the Delta 1800 (in part aided by a member of the team that had designed these rockets), the military has since 2006 been launching communications satellites for both military and civilian purposes (8 missions in total). Two of these missions have been denounced as launching of spy equipment, however, since there was no release of the contents in those rockets.

[edit] Economy

The economy of the Republic has grown more diverse over the years. Fishing has become a major factor, both in terms of food and as a way of livelihood. An electronics industry has also developed, mainly centered in Marquette and Mackinaw City. Though still in the early stages, the result has so far been positive, especially in regard to computers. Mining has also returned, but not to the extent of the region's hay-day in the 1800’s. Many of the mineral resources had already been removed from the soil, but new techniques and technologies have uncovered previously unknown veins in the last two decades, thus rejuvinating the industry. Farming, specifically in corn and wheat, has been picked up in recent years, but mainly in the more arable land in the Lower Peninsula. The largest industry by far is the lumber business.

Though one would have expected lumber demand to go down, in the Republic it skyrocketed, specifically after 1994. At that point, when people began moving out along the coasts of the Great Lakes, carpentry and lumber were the two things that everybody desperately needed. Despite heavy logging, the forests have managed to recover nicely over the last twenty years.

[edit] Energy

Oil was originally difficult to obtain, and all supplies were given to the military. In recent years, deposits have been found both in former Michigan and in former Ontario. The government, however, has been following a path of trying to promote greener forms of energy, specifically biodiesel fuel and hydrogen fuel. As a result, those companies that are working towards green technologies have actually been removed from the tax rolls, and in some cases supplied with materials required to continue progress. There has been controversy over the use of the newly developed hydrogen-based cars by Mackinaw Motors, though, due to their tendency to explode.

[edit] Popular Media

[edit] News Media

Until 1997, the main media within the Republic was the radio. Relatively simple to produce even in dire times, the “Dispersion of Information Act” was passed in 1986 in order to ensure that every citizen of the Republic, including the refugees in Mackinaw City, had a means of getting the national news, while also some form of harmless entertainment. Channel 1 was given to the government run media company NBS, or the National Broadcasting Service, while all other forms of news media were suspended. Though some Democrats had considered it illegal, since the press was required by the constitution to have complete and total freedom, it passed without much opposition. It takes until 1994 when the suspension on other news outlet’s ability to broadcast was lifted, though many had by this point gotten used to the NBS network.

The move to a televised system was relatively simple, with an exact copy of the original act of 1986 being passed in 1997, with the minor exceptions of it being done with televisions, and that there was no suspension on non-state media. The government’s hold on funds, however, ensured that the best of the best remained on its network, and as a result it would not enter a period of decline until 2000, following the Conservative Revolution. As funding was cut, it finally had to compete with other networks to get an audience, no longer being able to afford the entertainment or programs that had kept them enthralled for the last decade. Still, the National Broadcasting Service remains ahead in viewership by a significant margin, compared to others like the Great Lakes News Corporation and the People’s News Network.

Newspapers did have their day. In the period from 1983-1987, newspapers were the only source of news many people could have or afford. Such papers as the Republican Herald dominated whole regions of the Republic. After the “Dispersion of Information Act” was passed, however, there was really no need any longer for them, and existing newspaper companies quickly folded.

[edit] Cinema

The movie industry did not pick up until the turn of the century, following the passing of the second “Dispersion of Information Act”, when television returned to the average home. Scattered screening throughout the cities and towns were made, but they were not especially profitable for the producers or the actors. Most film as a result was government run, paid in full, not expecting a profit, only wishing to boost the morale of those who were in depression.

Following the return of television in 1997, Reggy Rollins felt that there was finally going to be a market for the film industry they had so far largely failed. Purchasing wide tracts of land in Escanaba, he built the company known as Emerald Pictures. Though it failed to pay-off immediately, his prediction proved correct when many of the films he produced began to be distributed through the various networks that now existed.

Still, it has only proven to be a regional success. Though the film industry has made efforts to expand outside of the Republic of Superior, it has so far only found major appeal with American audiences.

[edit] Music

Country Music, Rhythm and Blues, and Rock and Roll have become dominant within the Republic’s music market, drawing inspirations from such deceased artists as Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, and Louis Armstrong. Though there have been occasional blips of a “Superiorian” form of music, to date no such fusion has emerged.

[edit] Sports

Even after Doomsday, Baseball was inherited from the mother nation of the United States to become the national pastime, along with other sports such as American Football and Ice Hockey. Golf has also become popular on the Upper Peninsula, though it is mainly relegated to the elderly, and no organized national tournament of any sort has yet been formed by the government.

In 1989, the “Tri-League Games Act” was passed through Congress, as a way to reinstitute old sports back into the population, both to support the economy and general morale. Three Leagues were established as a result:

• The RS-National Baseball League
• The RS-National Football League
• The RS-National Hockey League

All have proven to be largely successful, though Football has steadily gained more and more popularity as time has gone on.