Akkilles

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Akkilles
akkilles.jpg
Flag of Akkilles
Motto: Out of many, one.
Map of Akkilles
Region The Ghetto Revival
Capital Granville
Official Language(s) English
Leader President Warren Schmidt
Population 377 million
Currency Dollar ($) 
NS Sunset XML

The Republic of Akkilles is a Constitutional Republic which occupies the Region The Ghetto Revival, and is currently under the governmental leadership of the Republican Party, led by Warren Schmidt, the current President.

Akkilles is divided into 15 States, each of which is led by an elected Governor.


History

Colonial History

Akkilles was initially a string European colonies, established in 1754 by the Kingdom of Britannia, the Greatest World Power at the time. Settlers were sent overseas to colonize the New World and landed on the East Coast where the colonies were situated. By the mid 1880's a feeling of alienation was beginning to spread amongst the settlers as Britanian nobility were being appointed and sent to reside in the colonies as Governors and were given supreme authority over all local matters. The residents were given absolutely no say in the decision making process and the Governors had the best interest of the Motherland in mind, not the colonies themselves. The settlers were expected to pay steep taxes to the homeland, and their entire economy was directed towards the betterment of Britannia, not Akkilles. Due to these and other reasons a feeling of unrest was spreading throughout the colonies and would eventually lead to a Revolution.

The Revolutionary War

Each town contained a militia, consisting of the men of the town who would arm and train together several times a week, and each colony had control over all of the militias within it, though their original purpose was self defense. As unrest began to spread throughout the 5 colonies the militias began to train more frequently, and ultimately a Continental Army was formed in 1885. Enlistment was voluntary but many men felt it was their duty to defend their families from any threat, so recruitment was very successful. The settlers were stretched very thin due to high taxes and outside control of their economy, and many families were starving. When Britannia further raised taxes to help fund a war they were waging back in Europe, the Akkilleans decided they'd had enough.

The Continental Army staged a coup in 1799, executing all of the Colony's Governors and seizing control of the Colonies. The Military replaced Britannia as the government and redirected the economy to benefit the people of Akkilles, gaining people's support by helping put food on their tables. Britannia sent a portion of it's military to recapture the Colonies and the Revolutionary War began.
Grant Richardson was appointed General of the Continental Army and he led the fight against the Britannian armies. The War lasted for 4 years, until in 1802 Britannia decided that they could no longer afford to put so many resources into the colonies while they were still fighting a war at home in Europe. They pulled out and brought their troops home to fight in Europe, so Akkilles was left to run it's own affairs unmolested for the first time in it's history.

Independence

As soon as the Akkillean mainland was free of all hostile troops, the military leaders set about gaining a level of stability so a permanent government could be put in place. By late 1802 the colonies were united and renamed States, and elections were held for State Leadership, and they elected their own Governors. At this point in time each State was largely autonomous, the only uniting factor being the martial law still in place by the military leadership. In November of 1804 the first ever Federal election was held, which consisted of three main parties, the Republicans, The Tories, and the Confederates.
The Republicans supported a Republic style government with strong central leadership and a strong emphasis on democratic process; The Tories preferred a Monarchy, though the Party was torn on whether to instate a new Akkillean Royal bloodline or simply go back to loyalty to the Britannian Royalty; The Confederates were similar to the Republicans, but rather than a strong central government they desired a weak federal government and many state rights, forming a loose coalition of semi-autonomous states.
Grant Richardson, the general of the Continental Army who had led to victory over their Colonial overlords was the founder and first elected leader of the Republican Party. In Akkilles' first election he became it's first President in a majority government. Within his first year of office, Richardson's administration pushed to write a formal Declaration of Independence, leading to Akkilles' formal international recognition as an independent nation. They also created an Akkillean currency so they no longer had to use the Britannian money and could truly have their own distinct economy. In 1805 the Constitution of Akkilles was published, outlining the structure, powers, and limits of the government as well as the mandatory civil rights and democratic freedoms of Akkilles' citizens.

Expansion

It was not until Akkilles' fourth President, David Allison, elected in 1820, that the nation began expanding Westward. The Allison Administration maintained a racist policy against all indigenous peoples, supporting the theory of Manifest Destiny and maintaining that if they're not Akkillean, they need to get off of Akkillean land. Citizens were considered legally justified in shooting the Natives on sight.
The original 5 States increased their size by expanding westward, and past that new States were being created and accepted into the Union as more land was discovered and settled. The last State joined the Union in 1912, bringing the total State count to 15. Akkilles now spreads all the way across North America from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. Akkilles was unable to expand to the north as the land there was already claimed by Panther Paintball. Akkilles attempted an invasion in November of 1857, but they proved to be unprepared for the cold and the troops were pulled out within three weeks.
In modern times, the Democratic Republic of Brown Shelf is a Protectorate of Akkilles, maintaining complete control of it's own domestic affairs, but submitting to Akkillean control of it's foreign policy in exchange for military protection.

Politics

Electoral System

Akkilles is divided into 400 Counties, each of which is represented by a seat in the Akkillean Senate, which is the governing body of the nation. Elections must be held every four years, traditionally in the month of November, though this is not a codified rule and therefore need not be strictly adhered to. Akkilles' elections use the first past the post system, in which the party with the most votes in any given County is granted the seat for that particular County in the Senate. Laws going through the Senate must be put to a vote and approved by a majority of the Senate (at least 51%, or 201 seats. In the case of a 50/50 split, the legislation does not pass.) In this way in a Majority Government, or a government in which one party controls more than half of the seats, one party can maintain a Monopoly of the government and pass or deny any proposed legislation as they see fit.

State elections are performed very similarly, the main differences being that only residents of the particular state can vote, and rather than all 400 Counties, only the ones located within the State are eligible to be voted in and to be used to determine seats in the State Legislature.

Municipal governments also exist, but their power is extremely limited. Municipal elections are limited to the city or township in which they are taking place. They are similar to Federal and State elections, except Independent candidates are seen more often at this level due to the fact that it's substantially cheaper to do so.

Party Solidarity

Senators are expected to support their Parties decisions and vote the way their Party has decided to vote on any issue presented to the Senate. A Senator can legally vote against any issue that his/her Party has decided to support, or vice versa, but would typically be subject to much ridicule from their colleagues, so this is not a frequent occurrence. If a Senator greatly disagrees with their Party's stance on any particular issue, they can cross the floor and join another Party. This is also a fairly rare occurrence due to the stigma that would be placed on a Senator that does this by their former Party. However it can have a great affect on a government's policies if it were to take place in a closely contested minority government.

Presidential Nomination and Presidency

The leader of the Political Party that wins in a federal election becomes the President of the Republic of Akkilles. Party leaders are initially elected in Party elections, in which only the officially sanctioned members of that party are allowed to vote. Once a Party leader is elected he or she becomes the official representative of the Party. After a federal election takes place the leader of the Party with the most seats in the Senate is considered to have been elected President and becomes the leader of the country. The President is considered head of state and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. It is the President's duty to sign bills passed by the Senate, which is officially the ceremonial transformation of a bill into a law. It is not within the President's authority to refuse to sign a bill once it has been passed by the Senate, regardless of whether he personally agrees with it or not.

Requirements for Presidency: In order to be eligible for Presidency, the potential nominee must have been born in Akkilles, and spent at least 10 years prior to running for office in residence in Akkilles. They must be at least the minimum voting age (19) to run for office. Therefore Political Parties tend to make sure that their leader meets these requirements, otherwise if they win the election but their leader is deemed unfit for leadership, they must elect a new one.

Political Parties

The following is a table of the 5 main political parties of Akkilles:

Party
Party Leader
Party Description
Percentage of Senate
Senate Seats (out of 400)
Republican Party
Warren Schmidt
The Republican Party is the most right wing of all of the mainstream Akkillean parties, avidly supporting a free market and staunchly opposing most forms of governmental control of the economy.
52%
207
Liberal Party
Herman Lightbright
The Liberal Party is very centrist, taking what they see as the best parts of either political extreme and integrating them into their own ideology. They support a free market to a degree, but also strongly support some level of social programs.
25%
101
Social Democratic Party
Graham Esplen
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) sit about mid-left on the political spectrum. They are great believers in many civil rights, but this is more limited when put into an economic context.
10%
42
Labour Party
Mark Ashcroft
The Labour Party is a left wing party who's primary focus is on the nation's workers. Their platform is decidedly pro-union, with notable emphasis on a high minimum wage and "reasonable" hours in a work week.
7%
26
Green Party
Bryan Priest
An inherently environmentalist ideology, the Green Party takes the well being of the natural environment as a priority above all else. Political and economic ideals vary from member to member, they will generally not hesitate to limit freedoms if it means the preservation of the environment.
6%
24

Immigration and Citizenship

The main qualities that are looked for in potential immigrants are education, wealth and refugee status. If a prospective Akkillean is well educated, wealthy, or unwelcome anywhere else, there is a good chance that they will be accepted into Akkilles' borders. Akkilles' method of integrating their immigrants into society is assimilation. Newcomers to Akkilles are expected to learn the local customs and conform to some degree. This is of course not legally enforced, as it is a free country and people have the right to practice any culture and religion they see fit (assuming that it doesn't go against Akkillean law, such as a religion that promotes human sacrifice, for example). Although Assimilation can not be legally enforced, it is encouraged.

Immigrants are expected to settle down and find work, and can apply for citizenship after five years of residence in the Republic. After five years, they can apply for citizenship, and must write a test on Akkillean history and system of government. If they pass, they must swear an oath of allegiance to the flag, after which they are granted full citizenship. Any child born in Akkilles is automatically granted citizenship, and children of Akkilleans born abroad need only apply for citizenship and will likely be granted it freely. If a non-citizen resident is convicted of a serious crime, or repeated minor ones, they will be deported and denied re-entry. Once a person is granted citizenship, they can never be forced to leave the country or stripped of their new nationality, except in extreme circumstances (such as a war criminal or enemy of the state that gained their citizenship under false pretences). All citizens are granted the right to vote in any national election and the right to run for public office (as long as they are age of majority, which is currently 19).

Military

Overview

The Akkillean Armed Forces consists of four main branches: The Army, the Marines, the Navy, and the Air Force. The President is considered Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, meaning that he is the highest ranking military official and can therefore give direct orders. In order for Akkilles to go to war, or send troops into a conflict of any description, it must first be passed by a majority of the Senate. Only Akkillean citizens are eligible to serve in the Armed Forces, though in times of war citizenship may be offered to non-citizens in exchange for the services for a set term.

Conscription, or "the Draft" has never been instituted in Akkilles, where the government has commonly held the opinion that it is a free country, and as such it is not their place to put the citizens in a situation where they may be seriously injured or killed against their will. Although it has never been instituted, the government does have the right to use Conscription if they were to deem it appropriate.

Army

The Army is the largest branch of the armed forces of Akkilles. Like all armies, it has primary responsibility for land-based military operations.

Marines

The Akkillean Marines are an organization that utilizes amphibious assault, combining major aspects of the regular Army and the Navy. The Marines are the most elite of the four major military branches, recieving the most gruelling, yet most effective methods of training. As a result of this they are widely percieved by civilians as the epitome of Akkilles' fighting forces. The Marine Corps operates as a part of the Akkillean Department of the Navy.

It has become a common phrase in the Akkillean vernacular, that when you are going to put your all into something or give it 100%, it has colloquially been referred to as "sending in the Marines."

Navy

The Akkillean navy is used to keep the coasts of Akkilles safe and sometimes is utilized by the police force in tracking criminals that have fled by boat. In times of war the Navy's main goal is to keep the surrounding water free of enemy crafts and maintain control of key trade routes.

Air Force

Akkilles' Air Force is it's most well funded military branch. It's main practical purposes are bombing runs, stealth and espionage, and transporting ground forces. The Air Force and Navy often work in conjunction, with the Navy's aircraft carriers taking the Air Force's planes as close to their target as possible, which reduces the unnecessary use of the plane's fuel. The Air Force is instrumental in the early stages of war, in which it is used to bomb strategic points of the enemies' infrastructure and military bases or units.

Reserve Force

The Reserves are essentially a part time military career, allowing it's soldiers to pursue a civilian life at the same time. There is an active Reserve Force for the Army, Navy and Air Force. Reservists can train anywhere from one to five times a week, and must train at least once in that space of time.

Training in the reserves is not as intense as it is for the regular army, particularly during peace time. In times of war the training is much more intense and Reservists can be sent to fight if necessary.

Culture

Sports

Ice Hockey, referred to simply as Hockey, is the national sport, as well as the most popular sport in the nation. The Akkillean National Hockey League (ANHL) is the main governing body of professional Hockey in Akkilles, and consists of 12 teams, split into Eastern and Western Conferences, each of which contains six teams.

Soccer (also known by some as football) is a popular sport in Akkilles in it's own right, but has never achieved the popularity of Hockey in either number of players or television ratings. The Akkillean Soccer Association (ASA) is the Premier Soccer league in Akkilles.

Boxing is popular amongst the lower class, though some middle and upper class teenagers and young adults can be seen competing in the Amateur levels, Professional Boxing in Akkilles consists predominantly of lower class citizens who see no alternative legal method of success. Although most boxers are originally from the lower class, those in the upper end of the sport typically make millions of dollars per fight, which is made possible by the support of the wealthy, which are in truth the only people that can afford to go to boxing events on a regular basis.

National holidays

Date Holiday
January 1 New Year's Day
May 1 Independence Day
First Monday in September Labour Day
November 11 Remembrance Day
December 25 Christmas Day
December 31 New Year's Eve

National Animal

<div" class="plainlinksneverexpand">platypus.jpg
A Platypus swimming down the Tygrus River.
</div>

Akkilles' national animal, the Platypus, once prospered in the Akkillean rivers and forests. However as Akkilles industrializes much of the Platypus' natural habitat has been and is being destroyed. Fortunately for these unusual creatures, the Akkillean government has chosen to make compromises in some cases, opting to preserve portions of the surrounding natural environment over strictly making moves in the direction of economic growth at all costs.

Platypus meat has become a delicacy in Akkilles, and economists suggest that it may overtake beef as the nation's most popular meat choice by 2013.

Though rare, in some cases wealthy families have adopted Platypuses as pets, usually as a gift to their children. This is not a common occurrence however, since a Platypus requires a large area to swim in and fairly high maintenance is required to take care of them, they are not an overly popular choice as pets.