New Government Idea: Corporate Republic

[The Templar]

My idea for a new government is for a modern age government that addresses the fact that distance from capitol has an effect on corruption. Think about it lobbyists in D.C. and the NYSE are damn close to the seat of government compared to San Francisco yet the recent corporate scandals seem to be tied to the seats of power, not going on beyond the sight of the elected leaders.

My idea was to create a Democracy/Republic like government but with communal corruption like communism. The idea being that corruption happens about the same everywhere Enron in Houston, dot-com speculation in San Francisco, lobbyists in D.C., lack of environmental protections in Baton Rouge, and so on. That is, regulators are everywhere (hence communal corruption), but the regulations are weak and regulators underfunded (hence the higher degree of corruption than under Democracy close to the capital). My new government: the Corporate Republic (working name stolen from CTP series).

One good thing under the corporate republic is that citizens cannot be drafted - it would be too unpopular for politicians to enact. Moreover, the most of the citizenry will not be willing to leave the lucrative private sector for military service. Unfortunately, CR does not inspire industriousness or patriotism to the extent of democracy. Individual rights are paramount, unless they conflict with monied business interests. Thus the labor movements that would be strong under democracy are evicerated. And as goes the right to collective bargaining, so goes the peoples industriousness - workers just don't work as efficiently as in a democracy. Moreover, the culture of consumerism makes everything for sale, so CRs, unlike democracies are not immune to propoganda attacks.

My playtests of this government don't show it to be unbalancing (so far). But it does make corruption more realistic IMHO.

Here are the important stats (please let me know what you think):

Corporate Republic
Corruption: Communal
Worker Rate: Standard (2)
Draft Rate: 0 (draft not possible)
Standard Tile Bonus (like Dem and Rep)
Hurried Production: Gold Payment
Espionage Immunities: None
Spys and Diplomats: Standard

One further change I've been considering is giving Democracy vet diplomats since they would be more attractive than either the ideological communist diplomats or the trade-obscessed diplomats of a corporate republic.

[Ijuin]

Interesting, but what advantages does your version of Corporate Republic have over Democracy? In other words, what incentive is there for a player to choose CR over Democracy when given the choice?

[The Templar]

Glad you asked. The sole advantage of Corporate Republic (and it is a big one) is that it prevents the rampant, paralysing corruption of cities on another continent from the capital or Forbidden Palace. Like communism, it allows an expansive nation with the core cities absorbing much of the corruption of the fringe cities.

In the game I'm currently playing (Americans, Monarch) I have established a foothold on the other continent on the map (with dyes and gems as part of the package) and am able to build there because I am not limited to one shield per turn and can conduct reasearch there as well. The trade-off is that my core area (D.C., NY, Boston, Philly, Atlanta) has lost a significant portion of production that it would have under democracy.

In real world terms, think of the U.S. as a democracy early on, with the frontier corruption of the old west. As opposed to today where under our corporate republic, San Francisco is no more corrupt than New York, but corruption is spread fairly equally.

My only concern is that the combination of standard tile bonus, gold-based rushed production, and the standard tile bonus are game unbalancing when taken together. I don't think it is all that unballancing, but then again, I do find it preferable to democracy. Have I created a dreaded super-government?

[Sheik]

It has been done:

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=57678

[Ijuin]

Originally posted by The Templar


My only concern is that the combination of standard tile bonus, gold-based rushed production, and the standard tile bonus

I presume you mean Communal corruption, gold rushing, and standard tile bonus.

are game unbalancing when taken together. I don't think it is all that unballancing, but then again, I do find it preferable to democracy. Have I created a dreaded super-government?

No, I think that the loss of the Draft ability, the propaganda immunity, and the worker bonus are a sufficient handicap, presuming that Corporate Republic also has "high" War Weariness, no military police, and no free units, the same as Democracy.