[Politics]Politicians Only Say What You Want to Hear

Day 730, 19:34 • Published in Germany United Kingdom • by Dishmcds

In the next week, you'll all hear about Congress "Manifestos" and things people plan on doing to represent their "regions" [you could also substitute constituents/voters/public here]. There are five basic promises, regardless of aim of almost every single Manifesto produced in Erepublik, and very rarely do their differ from Country to Country.



I will say, to dispel any doubt, I am highly disheartened at the ability and processes (or lack thereof) within the Erepublik Political System. Basically, I think beyond the power to vote "Yes" or "No", Congress is a joke. You can make just as much of an impact in almost every Theatre regardless of your political alignment or title.

Promise #1 - "I will represent you, the voter."

This is the more basic promise in Erepublik. "Fighting for the Little Guy!" or perhaps "The Government for the People, by the People!" can be popular campaign slogans for this type of promise.

Truthfully, it means very little, however, and there are two reasons for it.



See, problem number one with most regions is that within the gameplay mechanics, regions that do not contain high RM or high economic value are merely pawns on the World Scale. They have been used by almost every Alliance or group of countries trying to stimulate or produce war, and can be swapped, taken, given, or lent on a moments notice. Regional representation, in short, means nothing since most regions are worthless.

Problem number 2 lies in the sheer activity/population rate of Erepublik. As a Congressman or woman, you could represent anywhere from 10-7000 people. Odds are if you are managing 10, most if not all are two clickers or inactive because the region is dead or carries no value. If you are in a region of 7000, such as Florida, you have so many to represent that basically you can't represent them all equally.

What the politician should do: Produce your manifesto, and lay out your own ideas. If people support your thoughts, then you can represent those thoughts in Congress, but please, don't pretend to do something that you do not.

Promise #2: I will get us a Q5 Hospital!



You can basically substitute any "Infrastructure debate here", but most Congressmen or women will debate the need/placement of hospitals.

In short, let your military place your hospitals. They'll more than likely know better which regions to make your fortress or main regions, and it sure as hell shouldn't be any medium resources, which is basically pointless.

What the Politician Should Say: I'll allow those who know better to do their jobs without getting in the way.

Promise #3: Look at my Sig for all the titles I've held!"

This is basically a promise of "see how much crap I've done, so you should trust me". While it's nice to know people are experienced in perhaps a Presidential run, or looking at a brief resume, remove the Newspaper, Book Club, Library Card Number, and any other useless information from your title. If you have a newspaper, we can see that because, duh, we're reading it. We don't need to know you're the editor, I'd say that's fairly obvious.

What the Politician Should Say: I've worked hard to improve __________, and would love to be your representation in Congress.

Simple, straightforward.

Promise #4: I will improve the Military

Reality check, in Congress, no you won't. In almost every country that has existed for more than two months, only a select few actually make suggestions or changes to a military. This is for a reason. Yes, there might be a 10 person committee, but it sure as hell doesn't contain any politicians.

It's the Politicians job to negotiate and politic, and Military should always be distanced from those kinds of people.

What the Politician Should Say: I'll work hard to maintain a strong bond between our Military Leaders and keeping our Congress informed.

Promise #5: I r teh Bomb, vote for me.



Half of a manifesto talks about why you think you're the best. As I've said in the beginning, I believe Congress to be a huge waste of time outside of some minor adjustments such as monitoring slight tax changes (when needed), perhaps a little money printing and MPP/Wars. Otherwise you get to vote yes or no.

Sounds like the job of a Level 1 employee who hasn't passed his 90 day trial period, personally. There's no originality, no flair, and the possibility of being in Congress is limited. Enjoy.

What a Politician Should Say: I will work hard within the job to ensure it's done properly.

As you can tell, the politics module needs more options (much like the Economy Module and War Module, but hey). It's just too simple to enjoy beyond three months.

Just Another Guy