United States of Mars

The United States of Mars, also refered to as the USM, the States of Mars and the Martian United States, is a nation in the Mars region. The United States of Mars is a democracy with values based on it's constitution. The United States of Mars is a MEDC¹ and one of the founding members of the new Mars Treaty Organisation and a Regional Delegate for the UN. The United States of mars is only one of several nations with warp capable space vessels.

Situation

The United States of Mars is situation in the North East of the Martian continent Mare Sirenum and has a land border with Rouge Angelica. The country has a coastline with the North Sea.

The USM is comprised of three states, Bottes, Cropwell and Fosse, which were originally Earth colony nations. The largest state is Bottes in the South West. There are USM territories throughout Mars.

"The United States of Mars"

The United States of Mars refers to the three States which make up the country, Bottes, Cropwell and Fosse. Bottes, the biggest of the states, is the location of the capital city, Kantar.

The United States of Mars was originally named "The United States of Bottes, Cropwell and Fosse" upon the unification of the three states in 2045 however it was decided by the government in 2047 that the country be named "The Democracy United States of Mars" after a campaign by the public. The name of the nation was again changed in 2053 to the nation's current name of "The Extraterrestrial Democracy of the United States of Mars".

Bottes

The United States of Mars' largest State, Bottes is the home of the capital city, Kantar, as well as Lake Lucin, the Martian Museum Space Exploration and one of Mars' two land based space vessel drydocks. Bottes is split into 9 regions, 37 counties and 412 constituancies.

Bottes has it's administration buildings and council in the city of Jonesp which is in the South East Bottes county of Niresthorpe. The Governer of the State is Ms. Melinda Bond and the Secretary of State for Bottes is Ms. Tanya Bailey CR².

Cropwell

The smallest State in the Union, Cropwell is in the North of the United States of Mars and borders the North Sea. Cropwell is a popular tourist destination famed for it's sandy beaches and it's cool fall and it's comfortably warm summer but is also popular for it's large wildlife reserve which takes up 3% of the state.

Cropwell has 5 Regions, 16 Counties and 201 Constituancies. The State has it's council and administration buildings in the seaside town of Northbrook. The Governer is Mr. Camron Corkett r and the Secretary of State for Cropwell is Ms. Maddie Jones CR.

Fosse

Fosse takes up the entire east of the United States of Mars and is famed for its massive beach which streches all along the East Coast. The State has many large industrial cities and provides 63% of the country's Information Technology products.

The state has 6 Regions, 29 Counties and 300 Constituancies and is governed in Krinklesberg. The Governer is Mr. Harry Shelton and the Secretary of State for Fosse is Mr. Tom Gray CR.

History

Due to the fact that the United States of Mars has only been around for forty years, there is unfortunatly not as much history as many Earth nations however because of this fact, all events have been well recorded.

Terraforming Mars and the Original Colonies

It was first proposed that Mars be terraformed by the International Space Agency in 2021, eight years after Humans first set foot on Mars and several months after The Aluet Corporation founded it's domed city (Mars City) on the planet. The idea was originally dismissed but was brought back to the International stage when several groups showed an interest in colonising parts of the planet and the project was approved in 2027.

Terraforming began on Mars in 2030 when drilling began to start releasing Carbon Dioxide into the air to help melt the ice caps on Mars' North Pole. The project took ten years and invovled man-made volcanic eruptions, several nuclear explosions in the atmosphere and the redirecting of comets and metiorites to hit the planet. The project was completed in 2040 when the environment on Mars began to mirror Earth's with many forests and plants started sprouting and the pressure, gravity, oxygen levels and temperature became similar to earth levels.

Earth groups and nations started terraforming Mars and in 2041, the future USM state, Fosse was created as a colony of the United Kingdom. The following year the United Kingdom created another colony, Bottes, next to Mars. The Aluet Corporation became The Corporate Empire of Alutia in 2043 becoming Mars' first official nation. The Republic of Ireland created the third future state, Cropwell next to Fosse and Bottes in 2044.

The United States of Mars

On the 3rd of February 2045, the United States of Mars (at the time called the United Staets of Bottes, Cropwell and Fosse) was formed when the leaders of Bottes, Cropwell and Fosse signed the Unification Act, dissolved their own governments and turned each country into a State.

The Unification occured a year after a terrible winter which was reported to plummit temperatures to -34 degrees celsius due to a failure in the terraforming process. As each colony struggled to survive the leaders of each colony decided that the only way to survive the winter was to form a Coalition and share all supplies, technologies and materials. After the winter ended, the colonies continued the Coalition and, in June of 2044, talks started on a new alliance which would bring the colonies even closer together. The talks eventually led to the unification and creation of the country now known as the United States of Mars.

The following year, the election was held in mars under the terms of the "Provisional Constitution" which was made to set up a system of government before a constitution was made. At the time, there were 312 constituancies and the New Martian Democracy party won the election with 64% of the votes making Lisa Howard the first President of the United States of Mars.

In the following year, a government scandel forced President Howard to resign and caused her replacment, President Henry Game to call an election which he lost. The new President, Tom Jackson came into office with the possibility of Civil War and the three states becoming independant again and so he made several policy changes including the creation of the "Chamber of the People" and changng the name of the country from "The United States of Bottes, Cropwell and Fosse" to "The Democracy of the United States of Mars".

During his two terms, President Game comissioned the construction of the Presidential Home, Kantar House and massive extensions and refurbishment to be made on the parliament building in Kantar City.

During the "Trench Coat Invasion" in 2054, President Carlson made an unpopular decision not to assist Alutia in the war and this led to both bad relations with Alutia but also the President Carlson's loss of the election campaign.

When the Mars Treaty Organisation was formed in 2075, it was the decision of outgoing President Paddock not to join the Organisation which was criticised by many government officials however the Organisation later disbanded. Later that year, President Jay Daniels became the current president and the first President to have been born on Mars and not Earth. Daniels made some radical reforms which were popular with the public and, when it was re-formed several years later, Daniels made the USM become one of the founding members of the new Mars Treaty Organisation.

In 2080, the terrorist attacks on the USM Parliament building, as well as several other attacks across Mars, led the Mars Treay Organisation, including the USM, to declare war on Mirror Mars after they admitted to the atatcks. Later in the year, Mirror Mars set off an explosion at peace talks and began an invasion of many countries including the on going invasion of the United States of Mars. Currently, it appears that Mirror Mars will surrender soon.

Government and Politics

The United States of Mars is a democracy, with executive power held by the government which is headed by the President. The President is head of his or her political party and is head of both State and Government. The president is also Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces and the National Space Fleet. The system of government and parliament is based on both the British System and the system of the United Staets of America.

The heart of government and politics in the United States of Mars is in the "Parliamentary City" in Kantar, so named because of its size of almost a square kilometre. The Parliamentary City conatins each Government Department (such as the Home Office, the Foreign Office etc.) as well as the President's office and the Chamber of the People and the Chamber of Representatives.

The President selects a Vice President and a Cabinet once he is elected and can create as many roles as he or she deems necessary. The cabinet meets once a week to discuss different matters. Each meeting should be documented however the President has the right to stop the documentation from being relaeased, a right most presidents have used on all meetings.

The Chamber of Representatives is filled by 913 Constituancy Representatives who are elected once every five years in a general election with the candidate in each constituancy with the most votes being elected. The leaders of political parties cannot be Constituancy Representatives but if their political party recieved above 1000 votes in the previous general election they can enter sit in the Chamber of Representatives.

The Chamber of the People is filled by 913 members of the public who are randomly selected for a two week period. One citizen from each constituancy will sit in the chamber and will discuss and vote on bills which have come through from the Chamber of Representatives.

Local Politics

Each State has a Governer who oversees inter-state politics and is chief executive in each State. Each region has it's own council with two councillors from each county who are elected every two years. The council decides on local issues and policies.

The local council system was started in 2051 after regional policies and issues were clogging up the Chamber of Representatives. The Governer in each region is elected by the councillors from the state the governer is running in for a ten year term.

Constituancy councils are set up on demand in constituancies which require more in depth governing. These are generally set up in inner cities however there are many rural constituancy councils.

Constitution

ARTICLE I – THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

SECTION 1 – THE LEGISLATIVE

All legislative Powers granted shall be vested in a Parliament of the United States of Mars, which shall consist of a Chamber of Representatives and Chamber of the People.

SECTION 2 – THE CHAMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES

The Chamber of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen at a maximum of every five years by the People of each constituency, and the Electors in each constituency shall have the qualifications need to elect in a general election.

Citizens must be at least eighteen years of age, be a citizen of the United States of Mars and must not have been convicted of any Degree A Crimes.

When vacancies happen in the Representation from any constituency, the President shall call an election in that constituency to fill such Vacancies.

SECTION 3 - ELECTIONS

Elections for Members of the House of Representatives shall be held at a maximum of every five years and shall be called by the President. Elections shall take place thirty days after an election has been called and Parliament shall be dissolved ten days after an election has been called. Once Parliament has been called, no legislation can be brought forward until all Members of Parliament have been sworn in.

Elections shall take place over one day from the hours of 7am until 9pm. Voters have the right to privacy while they vote and can vote for any political party, which has applied.

Voters must be at least eighteen years of age and must be citizens of the United States of Mars.

SECTION 4 – THE CHAMBER OF THE PEOPLE

The Chamber of the People shall be composed of Citizens of the United States of Mars who shall be chosen at random with one citizen from every constituency. Citizens chosen for the House of the People shall spend two weeks serving the chamber.

To be eligible for selection into the Chamber of the People, citizens must be at least eighteen years of age, a citizen of the United States of Mars and must not have been convicted of any Degree A Crimes.

The Leader of the Chamber shall be chosen by the President.

SECTION 5 – LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, PRESIDENTIAL APPEAL

Every Bill which is created by Members of Parliament in the Chamber of Representatives shall be brought forward in order of which it was registered and shall be presented to the Chamber of Representatives by the Member of Parliament who created it. After the first reading and a discussion in the Chamber, the Bill will go to vote and if a majority of the Chamber of Representatives vote in favour of the Bill it shall go forward to the Chamber of the People. If a Bill does not receive the support of a majority of the Chamber of Representatives it shall be amended by a committee while another Bill is brought forward. After re-writing, the Bill will have a second reading with amendments followed by discussion. Another vote will take place and if the Bill is accepted with by a majority of the Chamber of the People it shall go to the Chamber of the People and if it is rejected; the Bill shall be scrapped

A Bill sent to the Chamber of the People shall be read, discussed and will be voted on by members of the Chamber of the People. If the majority of the Chamber of the People is in favour of the Bill it shall be passed and sent to the Office of President. If the Chamber of the People rejects the Bill, the Bill shall be sent back to the Chamber of Representatives and shall be amended. It will then be read in the Chamber of the People, discussed and voted on. If the majority of the Chamber of the People is in favour of the Bill it shall be passed and sent to the Office of President and if the Chamber of the People rejects the Bill it shall be scrapped.

A Bill sent to the Office of President shall be signed by the President and made law. The President can, however appeal the Bill to the House of Representatives. The House of Representatives can then accept the President’s appeal and scrap or amend the Bill or, it can reject the President’s appeal and the President shall be obliged to sign the Bill. If the appeal is rejected, the President can put the Bill to a Cabinet vote and the Bill shall be scrapped if two thirds of the Cabinet vote against the Bill.

Once signed by the President, a Bill becomes Law. If the President refuses to sign a Bill, after being rejected by Appeal and the Cabinet, they give ground to impeachment.

SECTION 6 – MEMBERSHIP, RULES, JOURNALS, ADJOURNMENT

Each Chamber shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members and each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly behaviour, and, with the Concurrence of two-thirds, expel a Member.

Each Chamber shall keep a Journal of its Proceedings and, which will be free for any person to view. Each Chamber shall all record Proceedings and transmit them as they wish. Recordings shall be free for any person to view.

Neither Chamber, while Parliament is running, shall, without the Consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other Place than that in which the two Chambers shall be sitting.

Parliament shall sit everyday apart from a one-month break each year, which shall be chosen at the beginning of each year of Parliament by the leader of each Chamber, and all national holidays. Parliament can be re-opened during any break at the order of the President.

ARTICLE II – THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH

SECTION 1 – THE PRESIDENT

The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of Mars. He shall hold his Office during the Term of a maximum of five Years, and, together with the Vice-President chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows:

No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States of Mars shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the age of eighteen years, and have been convicted of a Degree A crime.

The President shall be the leader of their political party. Members of Parliament or Prospective Parliamentary Candidates for each constituency shall elect the leader of a political party through a majority vote. Leaders of Political Parties shall not be Members of the Chamber of however they may enter the House of Representatives if their political party receives a minimum five hundred votes in a General Election.

Before he enters on the Execution of his Office, the President shall sign the Constitution of the United States of Mars.

SECTION 3 – THE CABINET

The President shall elect a Vice President and a Cabinet of Ministers for each department. It shall be at the discretion of the President the number of Cabinet Members and the roles of Cabinet Members. The Cabinet shall meet once every seven days and each meeting should be documented however, it is the decision of the President whether the documentation shall be released. The Cabinet has the power to remove the President from Office if the Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet feel it is necessary to and vote to remove the President. The Vice President shall then be granted Presidency and an election must be called with 14 days.

SECTION 4 – PARDON POWER, APPOINTMENTS

The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Military Forces and National Space Exploration Forces of the United States of Mars. He may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Chamber of Representatives, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Chamber of Representatives present concur. He shall also nominate, with the Advice and Consent of the Chamber of Representatives, and shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States of Mars, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for.

SECTION 5 - DISQUALIFICATION

The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other Degree A Crimes and Misdemeanours.

ARTICLE III – THE BILL OF RIGHTS

1st GARAUNTEE All citizens shall have the right to choose to worship any faith, and to change their religious beliefs at any time without punishment on the part of the state.

2nd GARAUNTEE All citizens shall have the right to express themselves through speech, humour, communication and through the media without any interference.

3rd GARAUNTEE All citizens shall have the right to peacefully assemble.

4th GARAUNTEE All citizens have the right to be treated equally under the law.

5th GARAUNTEE No citizens shall be subjected to torture, to cruel or inhuman treatment or punishment by the police, military forces, the government or any state body. The President can overrule this decision on individual cases.

6th GARAUNTEE No citizens will be subjected to arrest or exile without an explicit list of their offences.

7th GARAUNTEE The police, military forces or government body shall only hold citizens in custody for forty-eight hours without charge or appeal to a court of law. During this time, citizens shall have the right to legal representation.

8th GARAUNTEE Any arrested person shall be assumed innocent until proven guilty.

9th GARAUNTEE All citizens shall have a speedy trial in front of an impartial jury with the opportunity to plead innocence or guilt, construct a defence and have legal representation.

10th GARAUNTEE A citizen’s family members cannot be held accountable for the crimes of their relative.

Geography

Physical Geography

One of the largest countries in Mars (by area), the United States of Mars is close to the Olympus Mont, the highest mountain on Mars, and has a large coastline along the north and east of the country. The highest point in the United States of Mars is Pegi Mont, a mountain in part of the largest mountain range in Mars.

There are three destinct climate zones in the United Staets of Mars which are the cool northern part of the country which is wet and cold in winter (10 degree celcius average) and warm in summer (20 degree celcius avergae). This area has many large forests which have been undisturbed due to large wildlife projects. Further south, in the middle of the USM, is an area which is generally warm all year round (15-20 degrees celcius average) apart from in winter when the temperature cools (10 degrees celcius average). The most southern parts of the USM are hot all year round (20-35 degrees celcius average) with no sea breeze to cool down the area. The only exception is in the southern mountains with temperatures at the mountain peaks generally reaching a maximum of 5 degrees celcius.

The largest lake in USM in Lake Howard, in Fosse, named in honour of the first President. The lake is 2 kilometres long but often, in summer, the water level decreases making the largest lake: Lake Game, in Cropwell at 1.8 kilometres long. The many forests in Cropwell support a large variety of wildlife, most of which has been shipped from Earth however some species, such as the Furby, have been created on Mars by scientists.

Political Geography

The only border which the United States of Mars has is the southern border with Rogue Angelica which spans the entire south of the country. The remaining country borders Undisputed Martian Territory which is free territory under the United Nations "Martian Territory Act."

The country itself is divided into 3 States which are then divided into regions, counties and constituancies. Unlike in many countries, constituancies are not just for political use; they are used as a way to further divide the country into managable areas with a similar number of people in each constituancy. See "Local Politics" for more information.

Footnotes

¹MEDC = More Economically Developed Country ²CR = Constituancy Representative.

Other Pages and External Sites

Mars Region Wiki Page

Mars Treaty Organisation

[States]

[Diplomatic Forum]

[States of Mars]