Apolytonian Democracy: A Political Analysis

[UnOrthOdOx]

I am pleased to see so much interest in the voting, turnout, and political system. Would some of you, however, go make a point over here:

http://apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=62450

On my proposal to actually get these views public, inspire controversy, and gain activity between the parties, or simply dissenting views.

[GePap]

I would argue that the disapearance of the political parties is not the cause, but symptom, of the forces that have lead to a decline in voting numbers and the number of candidates:

First, of course, is the important issue of time for the citizens, and that many of our citizens have new preoccupations that make thier involvement in the game less common. As a trend, this will continue to grow until the chrismas season: as school gets underway and tests and essasy eat up more student time. I would argue that come december, a spike in voters will occur.

I will agree with Arnelos, that the urgency of the times also boosts participation: ours was a very teneous beginning, with a terrible starting position, and how to advance from such a weak starting point did bring up many issues about how to play a civ3 game in general, this one in particular. The biggest elections came on the verge of our first major war- a war that made us, so to speak. the last set of elections came on the verge of new wars, wars that have also helped us grow. Th crisis has passed, and we have become pre-eminent in the world- we have settled down smewhat, so people loose some interest.

This second trend might be changing, which is in fact, why parties are making a slight comeback. In fact, from the time of MWIA election, party affiliaion actualy returned to the ballot for OPD's- a significant change from the strong anti-party backlash after Ninots election. Why then is this trend bac? Because we are reaching a point of 'crisis', not an immediate , civ threatening crisis, but a crisis of ideas, of paths. Now that war, the UFC platform, has taken us so far, what's left? Wat shall our path be after we conquer the Persian homeland (The change in policy from punishing Persia to conquering Persia happened with little debate)? how quickly will we capture America? And then what?

This last question is key: we have reached a point were peaceful growth is possible- so will the campiagning end? Will public works become more vital than SMC? And as we move forward, the grand issue- of what victory we want, looms. in fact, i think it is a valid issue now- since if we aim for dominion, we must continue to campaign vigorously- and if we aim for conquest, the same. As the issue of vctory becomes more pressing, look for parties to grow and particiapion to also grow. Again, by december.

[joncnunn]

Activity level can change rapidally as various people's Real Life activitys change.