Nordwalt

Politics

Political power resides in an elected Duma which consists of 100 officials, 5 of which are executive Ministers who are responsible for various areas of the government's actions. Every citizen has a vote and can vote for any candidate they wish. The 100 with the most votes are elected to the Duma where they sit as electees as part of a lower parliment for four year periods. Members of the Duma participate in the Executive Elections, in which they elect the Ministers.

These ministers are given executive powers in order to best govern, with the help of the Duma, their respective responsibilities. Ministers are elected every year in order to be accountable to the Duma. Ministers will choose teams of aides from within the Duma to help make decisions. This elected government is supported by a civil service consisting of career administrators and those undertaking national service. Ministers are generally appointed soley on their merits and abilities, but an individual's appointment may also reflect the political leanings of Duma electees. There are no political parties as such but most electees align themselves with others as part of loose coalitions based on similar political interests.

At the local level of government, Duma electees choose or are appointed by lottery an administrative region to govern. They are required to sit on local councils consisting of a number of locally elected officials and partake in local policy decisions. In practice, the local councils carry out most of the work and unless the electee specifically chose the region in question he will spend most of his time at the Duma working in one of its various departments.

Current Ministers

Foreign Minister (External Affairs, Diplomacy etc.)                   - Leonard Adler
Economic Minister (High level - Monetary and Fiscal Policy)           - Roland Branders
Trade and Industry Minister (Lower Level - Microeconomic scale)       - Meyer Shulz
Civil Minister (Legal issues, cultural issues, other internal issues) - Dieter Nauman
Securities Minister (Police and Military)                             - Horst Schlosser

Duma Electees of Note

• Leonard Adler - Foreign Minister - An elderly electee, he has served for well over 30 years in the Duma, serving two years as Economic Minister and then the last eleven as Foreign Minister. Respected by most, but some consider his views outdated.
• Johann Sandeck - A liberal, calling for international openness. Has served in the Duma only since the last election but has made his mark. Was recently used as a figurehead in a movement to force Adler to compromise on several issues.
• Antje Richter - Currently the only female electee to the Duma and the cenre of some controversy over public finances.

Geography

Capital City :

• Tormarkt

Other Large Cities:

• Rottburg
• Bauernsitz
• Waldreinung
• Gelseite

Economy

Tax Regime and Government Income

Practically all products except the more dangerous drugs and military grade hardware are publically available in Nordwalt, but some (such as guns, alcohol and other drugs) are taxed by the government. There is a small amount of income taxation - 10% - with an inital exemption of 10,000Pb and a break at 70,000Pb, thereafter adddition income is taxed at only 5%. Other government income comes from a flat 5% corporation tax on company profits for all firms with limited liability (those with unlimited liability count company profits as part of the owners income and are taxed on it as such).

Government Expenditure

The government is libertarian in its expenditure, the overriding principle in Nordwalte Government is a hands off approach. The main government expenditure is in heavy subsidies to firms providing healthcare and education, with other expenditures as benefits for jobseekers (expiring after 6 months of unemployment) and incapacity (a very basic level of income). Other public works such as roadbuilding receive some spending. The courts, police and the army make up the rest of the budget along with necessary administration expenditure.

National Service

At the age of 18 every citizen in Nordwelt is expected to either be in an extended course of full time education (e.g. a University degree), to join the army (though not on front line duty) for a year, or to perform other work for government departments (examples being administrative work or highway maintainance) for a period of 18 months.

Military

Nordwalten military capabilities are relatively small due to the lack of perceived external threats. The country maintains a small standing army mostly for ceremonial purposes, backed up by those performing National Service. The army are primarily used to help the police force when needed and to give aid to large logistical projects. The country has no real navy to speak of, with a pair of small aircraft carriers and a mix of ageing destroyers and frigates generally sitting in port when not on training exercises. The air force is slightly more prominent, and various air bases are scattered across the country, often attached to private sector airports. The country has a reasonably long record of high quality arms production, which are sold to other countries and the military by the three major arms manufacturers.