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The Kingdom of New England (The Many Nations of North America)
The Kingdom of New England is a quasi-constitutional monarchy led during the war by King Edward I Kennedy-Rockefeller. The capital of the Kingdom of New England is Boston, Massachusetts.
History
Following the collapse of the United States of America, the New England states and New York seceded to form the New England Confederation. However, disputes arose very quickly, especially over the capital's location, and New York was expelled after only two years. Since then, Massachusetts has dominated the politics of the nation.
In 1948, New England purchased the Danish West Indies, which had reverted to ownership by Denmark after the fall of the United States of America. This raised tensions with New York, who were also interested in obtaining the islands. During the dispute, New England formed an alliance with Germany, in order to better press their claim to the islands. Throughout the 1950s, New England moved closer politically to the German Empire, culminating in the signing of the Imperial Treaty of 1955, signifying their long-standing alliance.
The New England Confederation was massively changed during the relatively short reign of King John I from 1954 to 1963. In response to external pressures and internal riots over economic upheaval, he created the New England monarchy in order to provide stability to the state, amidst massive public acclaim. He later had the New England Constitution completely rewritten to centralize the state, heavily restricting the powers of the states, now provinces. In 1965, after the abortive separatist Winter Uprising in Vermont, direct gubernatorial elections were cancelled.
War broke out between New York and New England in 1961 after an abortive New York invasion of the Connecticut. The war ended in a New England victory, although relations between the states have been tense since. This was graphically illustrated in 1963, when King John was killed by an assassin with reputed links to New York. He was succeeded by his brother Robert Kennedy-Rockefeller, whose reign was cut short by a deranged pro-Vermont militant in 1968. He was succeeded by Nelson Kennedy-Rockefeller, who died of natural causes in 1979 after a relatively peaceful reign. King Nelson I was succeeded by Edward Kennedy-Rockefeller, who has ruled to this day as King Edward I.
During the War
During the war, the Kingdom of New England, in alliance with Germany, invaded the Republic of New York in 1997, in response to alleged border violations. It quickly seized New York City and much of the southern half of the state, forcing many New York troops into a guerrilla war against the occupying troops. During the war, Lyndon LaRouche served as Chancellor from 1992 to 2000, and was succeeded by John Kerry in 2000.
In January 1998, the Vermont War of Independence began, a socialist-inspired insurgency aiming to secede from New England and create a Second Vermont Republic. Although the insurgency enjoyed some early success (at one point controlling 60% of the state), New England managed to crush the revolt by August 1999.
New England's early successes in the war rapidly turned in 1999, when Premier Breton of Quebec, following the fall of the Republic of Quebec, set up the People's Republic of Quebec and allied with New York against New England, hoping to secure New York support in his ongoing war against the Commonwealth. Quebecois and New Yorker troops invaded Connecticut into Massachusetts, killing thousands. The tide turned in the pivotal Battle of Boston, however, as New England and German troops managed to repel the Quebec-New York force. After the fall of the People's Republic of Quebec in 2000, New York was rapidly forced out of New England by the resurgent New England Defence Force. An armistice was signed in 2000, but a final peace treaty was not achieved until the Treaty of San Francisco in 2005. King Edward I was a signatory to the treaty, in which New England retained control of Long Island.
Government
The Kingdom of New England has a Parliament, whose powers are limited by the monarchy. The dominant party is the New England Whig Party, which generally supports the Monarch. Since its foundation from the merger of the New England Democratic and Republican parties in the 1950s, the New England Whig Party has never held less than 60% of the seats in the New England Parliament.
The monarch's powers are somewhat unclear; the constitution specifies the monarch as being head of the executive, with the ability to veto bills and appoint Lords. Most day-to-day administrative duties lie in the hands of the Chancellor, who functions as head of the legislature and prime minister. In practice, however, the monarch wields a large amount of influence over government policies and national opinion, due to their general widespread popularity. No major conflict has ever arisen between Parliament and the King, due to the dominance of the New England Whig Party. As a result, the King effectively controls government policies.
The monarch is elected by a system of tanistry; the King is elected for life by the New England Parliament. There are no constitutional limits on who can become King; however, in practice, only members of the Kennedy-Rockefeller family have yet become King, due to the common practice of kings recommending successors prior to their deaths.
The New England Parliament is a bicameral legislature. The 150-member lower house (the House of Representatives) is directly elected; the upper house (the Senate) is comprised of those who have received peerages (lordships) from the king. This system bears resemblance to the Roman republican system. Despite the somewhat undemocratic nature of the upper house and monarchy, the Kingdom of New England is considered one of the more democratic American states; most local government matters are voted on by town meetings, and citizen-sponsored referendums are common. The local and provincial governments have relatively little power in relation to the federal government, however.
The New England Republican Movement has existed since the early 1960s, and is generally associated with the Libertarian Party of New England, the largest opposition party. However, it has gained little electoral traction, due to the monarchy's widespread popularity and the stability many New Englanders feel it gives the country. Three citizen-sponsored referendums on the issue have been held, in 1963, 1977 and 1991; all failed, although the republican vote in 1991 exceeded 35%. After the immense cost of the North American War, the New England republican movement has begun growing in popularity, and King Edward I has promised a new referendum within 3 years.
Divisions
The Kingdom consists of the provinces of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and the Kennedy Islands (the former Danish West Indies). Although these states at first enjoyed a greater degree of autonomy, the centralisation of power in the federal executive branch to a large degree usurped their powers. Direct gubernatorial elections were abolished in 1965, after the Vermont Winter Rising, and the appointment of governors became the responsibility of the New England Parliament. The provincial parliaments now enjoy a largely advisory role. This weakening of powers has provoked calls for the abolition of the provinces, although King Edward I has not yet made any proclamations on this issue.
Culture
New England's culture would be best described as 'socially liberal'; despite the somewhat oligarchic nature of the New England constitution and its continuing one-party dominance, New England has a reputation as one of the most free-thinking and independent states in North America. Medicinal marijuana is legal, as are most forms of free speech (with the exception of racial vilification). Universal health care and tertiary education are provided by the state, and New England's hospitals and schools are considered some of the best in the world.
However, this comes at a price; New England has the highest taxes in North America. Additionally, the continuing dominance of the Kennedy-Rockefeller dynasty and the Whig Party ensures that contrary economic and social viewpoints are marginalised and given little public attention, through their dominance of the state's media.
The state has a number of newspapers, with the Boston Globe being considered the paper of record within New England and one of the best in the world. There are two state-run television channels, which are reputed for their documentary content, but have been criticised for left-wing bias.
A peerage system of knighthoods and lordships exists; lords, who have generally performed important services for the Kingdom of New England in political or military endeavours, are automatically members of the upper house of the New England Parliament. Lordships are generally for life, although the Constitution retains the power of dismissal by the King, and are non-hereditary.