A New Series-The Elections of Vonrittnerland, 1785

Hello, folks. I'll be starting a new series of election threads on here based on my NationStates country of Vonrittnerland. Obviously at first there will be lots of parallels to American politics, but as time goes on I will be incorporate the politics of other nations.

The History of Vonrittnerland up to 1785: The continent of Vonrittnerland was named after the explorer Heinrich von Rittner sailing in the service of Charles V in 1522. This vast expanse became claimed by various European powers including Spain, Portugal, England, and France who all established colonies. On the northern half of the landmass, England established settler colonies starting in 1601 on the eastern coast and on the western coast starting in 1634 attempting to use these colonies to eventually control the entire continent. The Western colonies eventually became more populous thanks to its warmer Mediterranean and oceanic climates which proved advantageous to agriculture. Gradually after various colonial wars, these 17 English colonies (7 in the East and 10 in the West) became heavily populated with some five million European settlers and African slaves by the mid-18th Century. Constitutional disputes with England over taxation in the 1760s led to the beginning of an independence struggle by 1772 and with aid from Prussia and France achieved it by 1779, establishing the Republic of Vonrittnerland. A new Constitution was written to replace the ineffective wartime laws in 1782 and its main provisions were as follows:
1) The country would be a parliamentary republic based on the Westminster system
2) There would be a ceremonial President elected by the upper chamber
3) There would be two chambers: 1) the House of Delegates to consist of two representatives from each member state of the Republic (17 currently) and to be elected by each colonial legislature and 2) the House of Commons which would be based upon population and would start out having 80 members.
4) The House of Commons would vote to elect a Chancellor who would serve as Head of Government and form a Cabinet
5) Governments will last in terms of up to five years but elections may be called earlier if the government loses the confidence of the majority of the Commons
6) There would be a Supreme Court to review the constitutionality of decisions
7) Basic rights including (freedoms of speech, worship, press, along with habeas corpas and protection from cruel punishments etc.) would be guaranteed

The first elections have been scheduled for 1785 to take place over the months of September through November and with two loosely defined factions contesting the elections. The states have varying degrees of suffrage-some granting universal white male suffrage and others with stiff property requirements.

The factions are:
The Pro-Government Party (also known as the Federals) led by Edward Arthur Smith, a major architect of the current Constitution and who was vital in the struggle for independence by heading the delegation to Prussia and securing their aid. The party generally supports the new Constitution along with standing for a stronger central government, a pro-British foreign policy, a central Bank, the assumption of the debt of the member states of the Republic, mercantilist economic policies, and the "rule of excellent men" rather than pure democracy. The party's strength lies in urban professionals and merchants in the Western and Northeastern states along with some wealthy farmers throughout the country.

The Anti-Government Party (also known as the Whigs) is led by George Robert Johnson who during the struggle for independence helped form the Continental Congress that united the colonies of the opposite coasts (kept in communication through St. David's Isthmus) and was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence. The Anti-Government Party is more sceptical of the new Constitution (although all but its most radical members accept it), a more pro-French foreign policy, opposed to a national bank, support agarian economic policies, and celebrates the "common man". The party's main support is derived from small yeoman farmers in the Western and Southeastern states.

As of yet, the parties are fairly loosely organized and seem vulnerable to shifts in support and opposition.

One week.

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