In Haven, political roleplay is a major part of how the setting operates. The Haven Senate is composed of players that administrate most of Haven, writing laws and performing other functions. The Grand Protector of Haven is also a player. Both the Senate and the Grand Protector are elected by the citizens of Haven every three months. The total votes in every election are divided into two equal halves: the half that makes up votes made by players, and the half that are made by NPCs, determined by how each district of the Federation feels about the candidate in question. Because the votes are divided 50/50 between players and the NPC population of Haven, candidates must appeal to both the player characters that are Haven citizens, and the greater population of Haven.
Every senator, candidate, and the Grand Protector have a certain reputation score in every district. This reputation score is handled by a bot in the Haven Discord. Each public figure's page can be found in #state-of-the-federation in the discord. The reputation score in each district can change based on the person's actions, statements, and promises made both while campaigning and while not. IC actions and hoots will affect your reputation postively or negatively in one or more districts.
Tip
Be careful when making political promises. If you do not work towards campaign promises you made before the next election cycle arrives, you may receive negative repuation. This also applies to being inactive in general.
Every candidate should have what's called a platform, which is basically a paragraph explaining their political ideaology, stances, and viewpoints on certain issues. A candidate's platform serves as a base template for who will support them at first glance, only to be shaped by the candidate's further actions.
Example Platform: Mona de Guanciale
Traditional candidate hoping to maintain Havenite values while open to change. Platform centers around prison reform, education, rehabilitation and the mentally ill. Prefers to keep Haven first in foreign policy and maintaining distance from Atlas. Believes that military growth is important to the manufacturing economy. Hopes to work in the Federation to find sources of Erchius, believing in erchius independence as a nation. Wants to preserve and establish national parks for Corrav and Yggdrasil.
| District | % of total Population |
|---|---|
| Capital | 41% |
| Corrav | 17% |
| Rendera | 23% |
| Yggdrasil | 14% |
| Bastion | 5% |
Each district allocates votes to candidates depending on the percentage of the total reputation a candidate has in the district. Every candidate's reputation is added up, and a single candidate receives a number of votes equal to the number of votes the district has times the percentage of reputation that candidate has. So if every candidate's reputation in a district adds up to 100, and you have a numeric reputation of 25 in that district, you will receive 25% of that district's votes. Because of this, you will also have to consider how many votes other candidates get; if more candidates have a higher reputation, you will get less votes. Because of this, it can be beneficial to try and lower the reputation of another candidate through IC action 😉.
Because some districts such as the Capital District have a higher percentage of the population than other districts, it may seem enticing to appeal to these districts more because they have more votes. In many cases this is true, however these districts also tend to be fairly competitive, as they may spread their votes across multiple candidates that also try to appeal to them.
Tip
If you are significantly popular in a district, your word may carry great sway. This could be levied against other candidates trying to get some votes in a district, potentially lowering their reputation.
It's all about playing your cards right.
So you got elected. What now?
As a Senator, you now have access to a significant amount of legislative power that you can use to accomplish your goals and ambitions. As described in the constitution, the Senate has the power to create, change, and remove laws, appoint other individuals to perform tasks for the Federation (except for positions that the Grand Protector appoints, such as federal judges). The Senate also regulates trade, taxes, declares war, and 'perform other duties' for the management of the Federation. The powers of the Senate are fairly broad, but are limited by the Constitution, the courts, and the Grand Protector, who must sign bills for them to have effect (unless overridden as described in the Constitution). The Senate also can create departments of the government, and handle diplomacy with other nations.
A bill is a political document with legislative power. As described by Wikipedia, a bill is proposed legislation under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act of the legislature, or a statute. Bills are introduced in the legislature and are discussed, debated and voted upon.
To write a bill, view the source of and copy the template here, and make a new page on this wiki in the legislation folder. This folder is viewable ICly, acting as a collection of all acts of the Senate. Once you finish drafting a bill, it can be discussed and debated while the senate is in assembly. The Senate can be called into assembly either by the Grand Protector or from an informal majority vote of the Senate. Major legislation and decision can only be made while the Senate is in assembly, and often takes place in person or over video. After the bill is debated, a vote is called. If a majority of the Senate votes in favor, it must either be signed or vetoed by the Grand Protector. If the bill does not receive a majority or is vetoed, however, it is not always the end; the Senate can always be called back into assembly to look at it, usually after changes are made.
Tip
Assembly is where much of the 'official' business of the Senate is performed. It is always viewable to the public, and hearings are often held to consider the viewpoints of citizens on certain issues.
A resolution is a minor piece of legislation that has no binding power, but rather serves to express the collective sentiment and views of the Senate on a particular issue, person, or event, often to inform the public. Resolutions can also be used to form committees, groups of senators (and sometimes other people) that oversee particular duties, holding issues and performing research to solve something. Because the ARCHANGEL Network handles most of the paperwork and bureaucracy of being a Senator, committees are typically temporary measures formed to handle certain issues over a period of time.
The template for a resolution can be found in the templates folder in the legislation folder.
Every Senator, and the Grand Protector, is given a device called an 'Icon'. An Icon is a tennis-ball sized device shaped into a golden triangle that has a quantum pair with the ARCHANGEL network, allowing it to interface with a device to act as a link to important Haven communication networks no matter where the senator is. It also acts as a tracker so that the senator's position can be tracked for safety reasons, and comes with a biometric scanner that monitors the senator's vital signs. The icon also acts as a badge, allowing the senator access to restricted areas in the Citadel and other places.
Oh boy. You're the head honcho now. The Grand Protector is essentially the president of the Haven Federation, though with some differences. The Grand Protector must sign a bill for it to become law, and has the power to veto bills. The Grand Protector can also appoint people to fill vacancies in Federal judge seats. The Grand Protector also can perform the same functions as a Senator, though traditionally only acts to mediate debate. The Grand Protector can also call the Senate into assembly.
The Grand Protector's true power however comes with the passing of executive orders, which are used to enact orders to administrate the Federation. Because the constitution gives no specific definition on an excutive order, they grant the Grand Protector a considerable amount of power, though the Senate may undo executive action with a majority vote. The template for an executive order can be found in the templates folder in the legislation folder.
The Grand Protector also acts as a symbol of the people, representing the collective ideals of Haven and its Federation. The Grand Protector often represents the Federation in foreign affairs; they are essentially the face of Haven.