Own creation
September 21, 1787
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
George Washington was utterly, violently, unmistakably bored.
When he’d been asked to head the Constitutional Convention, he’d known he was in for a series of hotly contested, fiercely eloquent debates about the future of the nation he’d fought to help forge. He’d been ready for such debates to drag on for days, to the point where anything short of a delegate getting up onto a table and firing off a pistol made it a chore not to fall asleep in the midst of it all. And, while several of them had, all of them had been mercifully resolved, save one:
There was still little agreement on the matter of the Executive Branch.
George turned to a man who’d become a close friend during the tumultuous debate, a fellow Virginian, albeit twenty years his junior and ten inches his shorter. He was also fairly drab and unemotional, but that made him excellent for going about unnoticed amidst the gargantuan personalities overwhelming the room, and for reasoning with them once he’d managed to grab their attention.
“Jemmy, I’m really tempted to tell these a**holes to crown me and have done with it.”
James Madison started. “You’ve never suggested as much before, sir.”
“No, and I still don’t want to
be king, but I think it might be the only way any of us get home before winter…of next year.”
Madison chewed on that, and, by his expression, found it like castor oil: he despised the taste of it, but he knew the only way to get around it would involve blood.
“I’ll see what I can do about it.” And he was off.
Madison and Alexander Hamilton didn’t usually see eye to eye, but then, Madison wasn’t here on his own business.
“You mean it? He really wants to go that far?” James didn’t like the look in Alexander’s eyes even a little.
Too much greed. Yes, Alexander had wanted lifetime rule for a President, but now…
Now he could taste more, and he wanted it. Badly.
“Well, if that’s so, I’ll do what I can. You know I can’t do anything about Lansing and Yates, but I’ll see if I can push anywhere else.”
“George thanks you, then.”
Hamilton laughed at that. “1776 was the last time I thought I might ever get the thanks of a king.”
With both Madison’s and Hamilton’s urging, the Constitutional Convention would latch onto the idea of King George Washington like a drowning rat to a piece of driftwood (in Madison’s own words). Many had wanted to crown Washington since 1783, and the idea that he would take it up now delighted them to no end. For those who found the idea of a monarchy distasteful, additional provisions were quickly added:
First, all subsequent kings would be elected by a majority vote in both chambers of Congress. Some delegates, more inclined toward the states than the federal government, would call for the state legislatures to vote for king, but this would be rejected as infeasible, as well as due to the fact that no compromise on the way in which a winner would be determined was deemed to be better than the existing system. The delegations from Delaware and Pennsylvania argued in favor of a popular vote, but this was voted down by the other states present. However, the idea of a popularly elected King would remain an issue in the years to come.
Second, a Prime Minister would be elected by a system known as the “electoral college,” in which the state legislatures would select a delegation equal in size to the number of members of Congress the state possessed, who would then vote for Prime Minister. If no one received a majority, the House of Representatives would decide by state delegations. This Prime Minister would appoint a Deputy to assume his office upon his death, resignation, or incapacitation.
Third, all legislation would need to pass through the Prime Minister to reach the King. This would require either the Prime Minister’s assent to the legislation, or the vote of two thirds of both chambers of Congress to override the Prime Minister’s veto. The king would possess an absolute veto.
Fourth, while the Prime Minister could be impeached by a majority vote in the House and convicted and removed by a two-thirds vote in the Senate, it would take a bit more to invoke the royal equivalent, the doctrine of sic semper tyrannis. In this case, three quarters of both chambers of Congress must vote that the king has “committed treason, bribery, high crimes and misdemeanors, tyranny, or is found to be incapable of continuing in his duties either physically or mentally.” Also viable, in order to prevent a small cadre of royal supporters from keeping an openly detrimental king in office, would be a two thirds majority of both chambers and a simple majority of Supreme Court justices.
Welcome all to Rex Populi, my first attempt at a Keys to the White House style game!The year is 1788 and King George has just been officially crowned at Federal Hall in New York City. The first prime ministerial elections are only months away, and already there is some buzz over who will run, and what factions will develop, either around them or independent of them. The King, for his part, is loathe to see them popping up “like so many toadstools,” but even he is powerless to stop them. We will begin in April of 1788, before any major candidates have announced. You will be able to draft candidates for Local, State, and Federal offices and we will also sim the elections using the Keys. An example of a candidate draft would be:
I would like John Jay to run for Governor of New York in 1788 for 2 points
This would make John Jay run for the Governorship of New York in 1788 and would set you back 2 points. This game, like others of its kind, is mainly about world-building and having fun.
Also an option is using points to have a historical figure (or, if you have prime ministerial or royal ambitions for them, their ancestors) immigrate to the United States (you will not be allowed to keep people out of America in this way). Immigration will work as follows:
Made up/extremely minor: 1 point (i.e. literally some random guy off the street)
Fairly minor; effectively unknown to most people: 2 points (i.e. some long-forgotten MP of the day)
Some fame; commonly known to most people in their field: 4 points (i.e. Stanislaw Ulam)
Sizable fame; name is virtually household: 8 points (i.e. Vyacheslav Molotov)
Actual non-American nonpolitical juggernaut: 10-12 points (i.e. Albert Einstein, Erwin Rommel)
Actual non-American political juggernaut: 15-20 points (i.e. William Ewart Gladstone)
As well, people who are monarchs or nobles in their pre-existing homelands are not viable for immigration, as it would generally be absurd for them to do so.
Especially following Jackson’s game, I’m certain most of you are familiar with how the Keys to the White House work; effectively, if 5 or fewer of the statements are false, then the incumbent party will win reelection, but when 6 or more are false then the incumbent party will lose the election. If there are more than two major parties, however, this number rises to 7 keys needed to unseat the incumbent, due to the changes made to the keys therein. A quick note, though, is that the keys only serve to predict the popular vote not the electoral college.
The Keys (two-party)1. Party Mandate: After the midterm elections, the incumbent party holds more seats in the U.S. House of Representatives than after the previous midterm elections. This Key cannot be altered through player point expenditures
2. Contest: There is no serious contest for the incumbent party nomination. This Key cannot be altered through player point expenditures
3. Incumbency: The incumbent party candidate is the sitting prime minister. This Key cannot be altered through player point expenditures
4. Third party: There is no significant third party or independent campaign.
5. Short term economy: The economy is not in recession during the election campaign.
6. Long term economy: Real per capita economic growth during the term equals or exceeds mean growth during the previous two terms.
7. Policy change: The incumbent administration effects major changes in national policy.
8. Social unrest: There is no sustained social unrest during the term.
9. Scandal: The incumbent administration is untainted by major scandal.
10. Foreign/military failure: The incumbent administration suffers no major failure in foreign or military affairs.
11. Foreign/military success: The incumbent administration achieves a major success in foreign or military affairs.
12. Incumbent charisma: The incumbent party candidate is charismatic or a national hero. This Key cannot be altered through player point expenditures
13. Challenger charisma: The challenging party candidate is not charismatic or a national hero. This Key cannot be altered through player point expenditures
The Keys (multi-party)1. Party Mandate: After the midterm elections, the incumbent party holds more seats in the U.S. House of Representatives than after the previous midterm elections. This Key cannot be altered through player point expenditures
2. Contest: There is no serious contest for the incumbent party nomination. This Key cannot be altered through player point expenditures
3. Incumbency: The incumbent party candidate is the sitting prime minister. This Key cannot be altered through player point expenditures
4. Divided opposition: There are multiple opposition factions or parties with more than 15% support in the midterm elections, or the opposition is so divided that there are no such institutions.
5. United support: There are no similar factions or parties to the incumbent party with more than 15% support in the midterm elections.
6. Short term economy: The economy is not in recession during the election campaign.
7. Long term economy: Real per capita economic growth during the term equals or exceeds mean growth during the previous two terms.
8. Policy change: The incumbent administration effects major changes in national policy.
9. Social unrest: There is no sustained social unrest during the term.
10. Scandal: The incumbent administration is untainted by major scandal.
11. Foreign/military failure: The incumbent administration suffers no major failure in foreign or military affairs.
12. Foreign/military success: The incumbent administration achieves a major success in foreign or military affairs.
13. Incumbent charisma: The incumbent party candidate is charismatic or a national hero. This Key cannot be altered through player point expenditures
14. Challenger charisma: The challenging party candidate is not charismatic or a national hero. This Key cannot be altered through player point expenditures
Points:
Points can be earned through a lot of ways, the most common ways of which are wikiboxes and roleplay.
Cost of Offices:
Elected to State Legislature: Free
Elected to HoR: 1 for 4 years
Elected to Senate or Governorship: 2, and at least 4 years spent in either the state legislature or House of Representatives
Appointed to a low-level Prime Ministerial Cabinet position: 2
Considered for Prime Minister by a faction/party your current character created/helped to create: 2
Appointed to a high-level Prime Ministerial Cabinet position: 3
Considered for Deputy Prime Minister: 3
Appointed as Royal Advisor on Diplomacy, Economics, War, or Logistics: 4
Considered for monarchy by a faction/party your current character created/helped to create: 5, and at least 10 years spent in any other elected or appointed office
Considered for Prime Minister by a faction/party your current character didn’t create: 5, and at least 4 years spent in any other elected or appointed office
Considered for Prime Minister … with no prior experience: 7
Considered for monarchy by a faction/party your current character created/helped to create with <10 years prior experience: 7
Considered … with no experience: 9
Considered for monarchy by a faction/party your current character didn’t create: 10, and at least 10 years spent in any other elected or appointed office
Considered … with <10 years prior experience: 12
Considered … with no experience: 15
(…: as immediately above)
Other Point Expenditures:
Boost a major faction/party downballot: 3 points
Boost a minor faction/party downballot: 6 points
Change a Key (Player decides if value is true or negative, can be done once per player every 2 elections): 10
Character Sheet:
While characters are not required to play, it is recommendable that you create a character as it will make it easier to roleplay, but you can still earn/spend points if you don't have a created character.
Physical Description (I can probably find something to use as your picture so long as you aren’t extremely specific):
Name:
Age:
Political Party:
Occupational History:
Bio:
There is also a certain mechanic that will inevitably come up during the course of this game:
death. You can die either by your own desire (a visit from the "tuberculosis fairy," if you will), or by rolling poorly on any turn which is the first of an election cycle (i.e. first turn after the 1788 election, after the 1790 election, etc.). As time goes on and medicine advances (be it naturally or by the will of a player who's had quite enough of dying before the age of 40), the rolls will get easier to overcome and be pushed back to a certain age.
The game will be open at 7 pm EST, July 22, and this opening turn will end at 7 PM EST on the 26th (as, obviously, we’ll be starting with the literal foundation of the first American party system). Pre-existing factions will be stated when the gameplay thread goes up, and you will be free to either back one of these (each will have its preferred candidate for Prime Minister for this election already selected) or form your own around your own preferred Prime Minister (be they a historical figure or yourself), or, if you wish, without a candidate for the office. I hope to see some characters, and, of course, remember the most important rule: have fun!
Characters
