A House United: Manifest Destiny (Map Game)/Draft

WIP

'''A Map Game built to last. Teamwork game of complex problems with simple answers.'''

Welcome to a House United, a new kind of map game introduced to provide a different experience for players. Rather than focusing on individual domination, players would have to participate in a system where they need to guide the country throughout history to become a successful superpower or a failure and break apart. The game is built so that players will require critical thinking with only a small response rather than taking their time to write paragraphs of turns. This will allow players to just look at it, take time to weigh their options, and later comeback with a final decision.

Despite the stalemate of 1812, the war had given the US a new status in the world as not some sort of runaway colony, but a sovereign all powerful nation fully capable of waging warfare along with a functioning society. An opportunity for the US had opened up and players must take up the torch of the Congress of the United States and march west into lands filled with fortune. How will you approach this task? How will you shape the future of the United States? How will you deal with its problems early in its life?

Rules and How to Play
The Map game's main theme will be centered around the Butterfly effect, the game will be based on historical events, but the actions of the players combined will have a build up and split off from original history. Players will start as a senator in the post-1812 (1815) 14th Congress with each turn being based on historical decisions for each Congressional session, with each turn revolving around a new congress and a 2 year timeskip each.

The main goal for all players to win the game is to keep the US alive. Players are allowed to propose new solutions to help the United States economically, politically, etc.For example, players can make the decision to help Texas and expand into Mexico. However, this would be led to a debate on which state will be free or a slave state, threatening the US to break apart into a Civil War.

(If this is too complicated for you, don't worry, you don't have to write a complicated response and you can just put "yes or no" depending on your party's general stance on the issue.)

Rules

 * Standard map game rules apply:
 * Use common sense and be rational
 * Please respect other players' decisions. You can debate with them to change their mind, but do not actually insult them.
 * more may be added overtime

How to Play

 * You need to create a character: No roleplay (technically map games are roleplay) game is complete without characters. You need to create a senator that lists his name, his Party (Democrat-Republican or the Federalists, independents didn't exist yet but you can create another party later on), his birthdate, and his home state (max two senators per state). You can create a new character at any time but wouldn't apply until next turn.
 * Your (only) decision can be Yes or No: The game is made so you can debat with other players provide a basic response to each proposal. However, if you feel you can make a better solution, you could make your own proposal. Abstaining would default to no. You can always change your mind between turns.
 * The Game is based off the American system of voting: The US has a distaste for the standard majority voting. Instead they employ the now known two Thirds vote required to pass a law. This way, most people can be happy and not a powerful few of like a single party of 30% and every other party is 1%.
 * You can form your own party ambitions: Players are allowed to form their own parties under their own stances for each issue (ex: Immigration, Budget cuts, etc). They must know what they are doing, however, there is a reason the US ended up with a 2 party system rather than like an 8 party system like Britain. They would require a huge amount of support to survive, and a ton more to actually get their way.

Staff

 * Admins
 * Batran99 (host)
 * TheMapperIL?
 * MapMakers
 * Needed (Aen?)

Players (Senators)
The minimum age requirement for one to run for Senator in the US is 30 years old. The average lifespan of an American is roughly 60 years old at this time, it's recommended to switch characters every several turns. Despite election results, players are immune to be voted out during Presidential Elections if their party loses seats in the Senate.

Key: (Player Name) - (Char. Name), Birth-date, Homestate (2 players for each state), Party
 * Chris Mapping - Richard Anderson, June-16th-1776, Pennsylvania, Democrat-Republican
 * XenobladeShulk - Henry P. Mattis, 1765, New Jersey, Federalist
 * EthanConquistador - Drake Oaksworth, Jan-13-1768, Ohio, Democrat-Republican
 * Dick Harrison - Melchiade Bellotti ,1768, Rhode Island, Federalist
 * SixLeggedBehemoth - Laurence Edwards, Jan-16-1774, South Carolina, Federalist
 * Singaporean Mapping - John Hudson, Jan-1770, New York, Democrat-Republican
 * Yankee Mapper -  Clement Walker , Mar-27-1781, New Hampshire, Democrat-Republican
 * Aen -  Samuel W. Dana, Feb-13-1760, Connecticut, Federalist
 * GreaterVenezuela - Adrian Catherfew , Apr. 12, 1780, Tennessee, Democrat-Republican
 * HappynHungry - Matthew Parks, Jul. 14th, 1777, Maryland, Democrat-Republican
 * ChuzzyBunny - J ohn D. Whitney, Oct. 4th, 1780, Virginia, Federalist
 * Priceless08 - Henry S. Reed, Sep. 2nd, 1778, Kentucky, Federalist

Statistics and Data (WIP)
This section is to help present the SIMPLIFIED data of the current economy of the United States. It could change each turn, and how it changes will be depending on the players' actions. Systems such as the "GDP Per Capita" may not be used. You can read more about the history of the US economy here. Revenue and Spending

Current Period: 1815-1817

Population: 8.4 - 8.8 Million

Note: Revenues and Expense start at the beginning of the period. Ex: Turn 1 would be 1815, Turn 2 would be 1817.

Revenue and Expense

 * Total Debt: $99,800,000
 * Revenue: $16,800,000
 * Expenses: $33,500,000 (See Federal Budget)
 * Total: $-16,700,000 per year

Federal Budget
Public Opinion is basically the public's confidence in the government, it can be useful to determine areas of unrest to focus on as well. dependent on each state, public opinion will be based on the national average and opinion for each state. Having Public Opinion too low for each individual state would threaten succession, which we as players are trying to avoid. Honor is very important. Note: This section is based off of light research may not be 100% historically accurate. (We know, Approval ratings weren't introduced until 1930s.)
 * Pensions: None
 * Healthcare: None
 * Education: None
 * Defense: $23,500,000
 * Welfare: None
 * Protection: None
 * Transportation: None
 * Other: $4,200,000
 * Interest: $5,800,000
 * Total Spending: 33,500,000

Public Opinion (Based from Congressional Approval Ratings)
Total States: 18
 * Connecticut: 60%
 * Delaware: 76%
 * Georgia: 66%
 * Kentucky: 65%
 * Louisiana: 80%
 * Maryland: 77%
 * Massachusetts: 67%
 * New Hampshire: 63%
 * New Jersey: 81%
 * New York: 83%
 * North Carolina: 79%
 * Ohio: 53%
 * Pennsylvania: 94%
 * Rhode Island: 61%
 * South Carolina: 76%
 * Tennessee: 73%
 * Vermont: 68%
 * Virginia: 89%
 * Average:

Current Major Political Parties
Political Parties are usually those who consist of a large group of people who are united to a general common cause and to push their agendas or influence upon the country to steer it in a direction the party in power wants to go. In the US, political parties having any influence are pretty scarce and about 4 or less parties will have any chance of getting at least 5% of the vote throughout American History.

Players are allowed to create their own political party with their own stances on each issue, but here's the thing: the American system is made to be a large obstacle for those of ambition to prevent any dangerous figures from rising into power in the congressional sense. So ambitious should not only have a certain desire, but they should also have to be able to influence.

Parties in Power:
 * Executive branch: Democrat-Republican controlled
 * Legislative branch: (Senate) Democrat-Republican Majority, (House) Democrat-Republican Majority
 * Judicial branch: Federalist controlled

Federalist Party

 * Ideology: Federalism, Hamiltonian-ism, Centralization, Classical Conservatism, Modernization, Monetarism


 * Stances:
 * Authority: Centralize the government to avoid break-up and instability.
 * Treasury: Establish a national bank/treasury directly monitored by the government so they could easily manage the economy.
 * Foreign Affairs: Maintain a friendly stance but convert as many nations to Democracy as possible, through diplomacy and example.
 * Expansionism: Expand westward through "diplomacy", economic opportunities lie there!
 * other issues later
 * Description: The Federalist Party, bolstered by the elite classes and support of the writers of the constitution, were created in response to the lack of co-operation between states and several rebellions. They wish to create a strong government with central authority and for states to be able to co-operate and to ensure and avoid the country falling apart from states thinking that they are better off without the government. They also wished to create a strong economy and to seek better relations with Great Britain as they think that they need to get along with other countries in order to survive. Most of the founding fathers supported this party. Unfortunately they were met with a large scandal after the war of 1812, being frustrated with the Democrat-Republican controlled government, they attempted to gather the New England states to secede before the war of 1812 ended in America's favor (having achieved their objective for Britain to give up bullying them, despite heavy losses). This scandal caused them to make a slow decline and being called traitors. Players in this party must find a way to preserve it or to found their own party to survive.

Democrat-Republican party

 * Ideology: Jeffersonianism, American republicanism, Agrarianism, Independent Treasury, Decentralization
 * Stances:
 * Authority: Decentralize the government to avoid tyranny.
 * Treasury: Establish an Independent Treasury (or branch) separate from the government to lessen the impact of possible corruption.
 * Foreign Affairs: Maintain a hostile stance and convert as many nations to Democracy as possible if they cross America.
 * Expansionism: Expand westward through imperialism, economic opportunities lie there!
 * other issues later
 * Description: The Democrat-Republican party, mainly bolstered by agrarians (basically farmers) and former supporters of the now defunct articles of confederation, their origins were a response toward the writing of the constitution and the Federalist party. After winning independence, many Democrat-Republican supporters feared that a central authority would take away states' rights and would eventually fall into the same "tyrannical" state as British Empire. They believed that establishing most things separate from the government They usually popular amongst the lower classes. While this party enjoys rising popularity due to 1812, the decline of the Federalist party may also be a danger to this party due to no real opponents or competition (and could cause a split as well).

Player Turns (14th Congress, Mar. 4, 1815 - Mar. 4 1817)

 * Indiana Statehood, 1816: Earliest attempts at statehood dated back in sometime before the war of 1812, Jonathan Jennings defeated Harrison's chosen candidate and became the territory's representative to Congress. Despite being 23,000 people, under the statehood requirement of at least 60,000, Jennings still pushed for statehood. However, the war of 1812 broke out and many had forget Indiana becoming a state. In 1816, attempts to push Indiana to statehood was brought to the attention of congress once again to make a final decision, having a population that grew to 63,000 roughly tripling it's population several years ago. Pushing Indiana into statehood would allow us to acquire more funds and maintain control. Having more supporters for the abolition of slavery would lower southern opinion of the United States by 10%. Would you agree that Indiana should become a state?
 * Player Responses:
 * Dallas Tariff: The bill was conceived as part of a solution to the purely domestic matter of avoiding a projected federal deficit reported by Secretary of the Treasury Alexander J. Dallas. International developments added key facts to the debate; in 1816 there was widespread concern among Americans that war with Great Britain might be rekindled over economic and territorial issues. A tariff on manufactured goods, including war industry products, was deemed essential in the interests of national defense. Voting this bill into power would allow us to decrease our expenses by a million but would Lower Southern opinion of the United States by 5%. Would you agree with putting tariffs on foreign goods?
 * Player Responses:
 * Bonus Bill of 1817: The bonus bill was proposed by Calhoun in 1817 in order to establish a federal system of internal improvements claiming for it to improve the nation's infastructure and establish interstate/national transportation systems. When pressed he did defended that  "whatever impedes the intercourse of the extremes with the center of the republic weakens the Union," and that it was the duty of congress to "bind the republic together with a perfect system of roads and canals." Older eastern states feared such bill as it would provide their population greater mobility to emigrate out of state westward and possibly establishing competing states against the current existing powerful ones. Voting this bill into power would Increase our expenses in Transpotation by a million and increase population growth in the Louisiana territory but would Lower Atlantic states' opinion of the United States by 5%. Would you agree with this?
 * Player Responses:
 * Establish Alabama as a separate territory: Not much can be said. Alabama territory was proposed to be establish from the Mississippi Territory in the early 1817s. The reason is that this is due to the fact of population growth. It would lower Georgia opinion of the United States by 5% whom desired to have the territory themselves if this passes.
 * Player Responses: