Introduction Pt 1: Author's Notes, Political Parties
I never got too far with this the first time around, and after being here a while I thought of some ways I could improve upon what I had already posted, so I'm starting over from the beginning with some changes along the way.
America as Parliamentary Democracy, 2002-Present
Introduction / Background Notes
The emphasis in this series will probably be more on how the major political figures of the United States fit into this system than on major changes in actual historical events (though the exact role played by the U.S. in some events may change). Also, while some real-life media figures appear in news broadcasts and talk shows, the print and online journalists whose work is “excerpted” in places are mostly fictional.
The scenario imagines an alternate history in which the United States achieved independence from the United Kingdom in a more gradual fashion akin to what occurred in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. No Revolutionary War was ever fought, slavery was abolished in accordance with the UK’s Slavery Abolition Act 1833, and there was no Civil War in the 19th century. (However, Southern lawmakers did enact considerable institutionalized discrimination after 1833, similar to what happened after the Civil War in real life, with racism and oppression of African-Americans being a major factor in American politics just as in real life.) The United States was granted full functional independence as the Dominion of United States of America in 1856, an example soon followed by Canada in 1867, and has been referred to only as the United States of America ever since 1904. Also, the nation’s capital is referred to as “Columbia,” as George Washington does not occupy quite as prominent a role in this version of history.
The United States has followed the mother country’s example of Westminster-style parliamentary democracy, with a Governor-General serving as nominal head of state but exercising no real powers. Though the Senate exists, most powers rest in the House of Commons (meaning that many real-life Senators are instead incumbents in, or challengers for, seats in the House instead). Seats are informally referred to as “ridings,” and members of the House are referred to as MPs (members of parliament). A nonpartisan electoral commission controls most of the mechanics of elections, with the result that partisan gerrymandering and deliberate creation of majority-minority seats largely do not occur, while federal elections are held on national holidays. There is also less expectation that an MP will necessarily live in his or her own riding. Certain social issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage, and capital punishment are typically treated as “conscience votes” in Parliament.
THE POLITICAL PARTIES
The CONSERVATIVE PARTY has been in power more often than any other party, having emerged from the Tory tradition in the mid-1800s and establishing itself over time as a pro-business, socially traditionalist party that tends to be hawkish on foreign policy, though a more isolationist faction still exists. Economic libertarians have also made the Conservative Party their home, viewing it as an acceptable vehicle for their ideas if sometimes too cautious. A small group of Conservative MPs, however, tend to be more moderate on economic issues and are sometimes referred to as “Red Tories,” though the size and influence of this faction has been shrinking.
The LIBERAL PARTY similarly grew out of the Whig tradition, later becoming home to the Progressive movement of the early 20th century under leaders such as Woodrow Wilson and Robert LaFollette. They are supportive of the welfare state but cautious about government intervention in the economy, while taking left-of-centre positions on social issues most of the time. They lost ground to Labour in the 1930s, receding to third-party status, but rebounded somewhat amidst the anti-government politics of the late ‘70s and ‘80s, during which some moderate voters opposed to the Conservatives turned to them as a more realistic alternative than Labour.
The LABOUR PARTY emerged around the beginning of the 20th century, with roots in the trade union activism of industrial America as well as the populist farmers’ movements in certain rural areas. They take a broadly social democratic approach to the economy and social services, and while a majority of Labour MPs tend to be socially liberal, there is also a sizeable faction of MPs, mostly from the South and Midwest, that take conservative stances on issues such as abortion or same-sex marriage. Labour also have strong historic ties to the African-American community due to their role in getting civil rights legislation passed.
The GREEN PARTY reflects the concerns of the environmental movement and take left-wing stands on most issues, but have thus far been unsuccessful in electing MPs to the House of Commons.
The relationship between Labour and the Liberals is more cooperative than that of, for example, the Liberal-NDP relationship in Canada or the Labour-Liberal Democrat relationship in the United Kingdom. Because the two parties usually need each other’s support to surpass the Conservatives, they encourage local riding associations to negotiate non-competition agreements for certain seats where a split vote would likely lead to a Conservative victory. However, they are not a permanent coalition along the lines of the Australian Liberal-National Coalition. Neither is content simply to be the “junior partner,” both form their own front benches when in opposition, and there are certain ridings where the main competition is between Labour and Liberal candidates with the Conservatives in a distant third place. A number of state parliaments are governed by Labour majorities or Liberal majorities alone, and Liberal-Conservative alliances have even been formed from time to time in certain states.
Correspondence between these parties and their real-life counterparts:
Labour: Progressive Democrats, economically populist Democrats, other left-wing figures such as Bernie Sanders and Ralph Nader
Liberal: Fiscally centrist Democrats, liberal Republicans, some moderate Republicans
Conservative: Conservative Republicans, some moderate Republicans, libertarian conservatives, conservative Democrats
Green: Mostly overlaps with the real-life Green Party, minus Ralph Nader’s involvement
America as Parliamentary Democracy, 2002-Present
Introduction / Background Notes
The emphasis in this series will probably be more on how the major political figures of the United States fit into this system than on major changes in actual historical events (though the exact role played by the U.S. in some events may change). Also, while some real-life media figures appear in news broadcasts and talk shows, the print and online journalists whose work is “excerpted” in places are mostly fictional.
The scenario imagines an alternate history in which the United States achieved independence from the United Kingdom in a more gradual fashion akin to what occurred in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. No Revolutionary War was ever fought, slavery was abolished in accordance with the UK’s Slavery Abolition Act 1833, and there was no Civil War in the 19th century. (However, Southern lawmakers did enact considerable institutionalized discrimination after 1833, similar to what happened after the Civil War in real life, with racism and oppression of African-Americans being a major factor in American politics just as in real life.) The United States was granted full functional independence as the Dominion of United States of America in 1856, an example soon followed by Canada in 1867, and has been referred to only as the United States of America ever since 1904. Also, the nation’s capital is referred to as “Columbia,” as George Washington does not occupy quite as prominent a role in this version of history.
The United States has followed the mother country’s example of Westminster-style parliamentary democracy, with a Governor-General serving as nominal head of state but exercising no real powers. Though the Senate exists, most powers rest in the House of Commons (meaning that many real-life Senators are instead incumbents in, or challengers for, seats in the House instead). Seats are informally referred to as “ridings,” and members of the House are referred to as MPs (members of parliament). A nonpartisan electoral commission controls most of the mechanics of elections, with the result that partisan gerrymandering and deliberate creation of majority-minority seats largely do not occur, while federal elections are held on national holidays. There is also less expectation that an MP will necessarily live in his or her own riding. Certain social issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage, and capital punishment are typically treated as “conscience votes” in Parliament.
THE POLITICAL PARTIES
The CONSERVATIVE PARTY has been in power more often than any other party, having emerged from the Tory tradition in the mid-1800s and establishing itself over time as a pro-business, socially traditionalist party that tends to be hawkish on foreign policy, though a more isolationist faction still exists. Economic libertarians have also made the Conservative Party their home, viewing it as an acceptable vehicle for their ideas if sometimes too cautious. A small group of Conservative MPs, however, tend to be more moderate on economic issues and are sometimes referred to as “Red Tories,” though the size and influence of this faction has been shrinking.
The LIBERAL PARTY similarly grew out of the Whig tradition, later becoming home to the Progressive movement of the early 20th century under leaders such as Woodrow Wilson and Robert LaFollette. They are supportive of the welfare state but cautious about government intervention in the economy, while taking left-of-centre positions on social issues most of the time. They lost ground to Labour in the 1930s, receding to third-party status, but rebounded somewhat amidst the anti-government politics of the late ‘70s and ‘80s, during which some moderate voters opposed to the Conservatives turned to them as a more realistic alternative than Labour.
The LABOUR PARTY emerged around the beginning of the 20th century, with roots in the trade union activism of industrial America as well as the populist farmers’ movements in certain rural areas. They take a broadly social democratic approach to the economy and social services, and while a majority of Labour MPs tend to be socially liberal, there is also a sizeable faction of MPs, mostly from the South and Midwest, that take conservative stances on issues such as abortion or same-sex marriage. Labour also have strong historic ties to the African-American community due to their role in getting civil rights legislation passed.
The GREEN PARTY reflects the concerns of the environmental movement and take left-wing stands on most issues, but have thus far been unsuccessful in electing MPs to the House of Commons.
The relationship between Labour and the Liberals is more cooperative than that of, for example, the Liberal-NDP relationship in Canada or the Labour-Liberal Democrat relationship in the United Kingdom. Because the two parties usually need each other’s support to surpass the Conservatives, they encourage local riding associations to negotiate non-competition agreements for certain seats where a split vote would likely lead to a Conservative victory. However, they are not a permanent coalition along the lines of the Australian Liberal-National Coalition. Neither is content simply to be the “junior partner,” both form their own front benches when in opposition, and there are certain ridings where the main competition is between Labour and Liberal candidates with the Conservatives in a distant third place. A number of state parliaments are governed by Labour majorities or Liberal majorities alone, and Liberal-Conservative alliances have even been formed from time to time in certain states.
Correspondence between these parties and their real-life counterparts:
Labour: Progressive Democrats, economically populist Democrats, other left-wing figures such as Bernie Sanders and Ralph Nader
Liberal: Fiscally centrist Democrats, liberal Republicans, some moderate Republicans
Conservative: Conservative Republicans, some moderate Republicans, libertarian conservatives, conservative Democrats
Green: Mostly overlaps with the real-life Green Party, minus Ralph Nader’s involvement
