What Congress Can Do

Day 669, 10:00 • Published in Australia USA • by Chris Stanwick

Today, I will discuss the six different proposals that Congress members can propose in-game. So many candidates, both first time campaigners and longterm Senators, often forget the game mechanics of the Congressional position when writing their campaign articles or making proposals on the forum. Personally, I try to focus on the game mechanics aspect, as those proposals are the only ones that have a lasting effect on players in-game. So, what can Congress members do that affects your gaming experience?

1) Change the New Citizen Fee

Despite its name, this is not a fee charged to new citizens. It is actually a sum of the local currency that new players are automatically given from the national treasury when they start the game. They receive the local currency of the nation they start the game in. If they decide to move to another nation later in the game, they do not receive another new citizen fee - it is a one-time bonus to help out new players. The minimum amount that the New Citizen Fee can be set is 5 currency units.

2) Donate from the National Treasury

This is arguably the most important power of Congress. Collected taxes are accumulated in the national treasury and build up over time. Occasionally, these funds should be removed from the treasury and transferred to a government organization. There are two main reasons for this action. The first is that if a country is at war and one of their regions is conquered, the conquering nation receives a percentage of the national treasury funds based on the number of total regions owned by the original country. The second is so that the nation's government can use that gold and currency to fund the nation's military and public works.

3) Issue Local Currency for Gold

Most countries attempt to regulate their monetary market by always maintaining a standard offer of local currency for gold. This helps regulate the economy as a whole and standardize prices in the marketplace. However, in order to do this, a nation must have plenty of local currency to offer on the market. Congress can propose to issue local currency in exchange for gold in the national treasury at a cheaper exchange rate than the normal monetary market rate.

4) Change the Various Tax Rates

There are three types of taxes: income (taxes the wages of employees and the profits of companies), import (taxes goods from foreign companies), and value added (taxes manufactured goods no matter their origin). Taxes are the government's method of raising money to fund the military, public works, infrastructure purchases, and regulate the monetary market. However, a government must closely look at all three types to find a perfect balance for their economy. Congress proposes the changes in tax rates for every good individually, making this one of their most important powers.

5) Change the Minimum Wage

The minimum wage is the lowest wage general managers can set for their employees. The standard is one currency unit, and many countries maintain this, however it can be set at any rate. Most Congress members are unwilling to change the minimum wage even though they have the power to do so. Thus, it is one of the least used proposals granted to Congress.

6) Impeach the Current President

Impeaching the current president in favor of the candidate who received the second highest number of votes is another little used power of Congress. However, at times it is used to remove an inactive or damaging president from power in hopes that his successor will better be able to fulfill the functions of the presidency. Unlike the other proposals which require a simple majority to pass, impeachment requires the favorable vote of two-thirds of Congress.

Every Congress member is allowed two proposals per term, meaning that a country may have as few as twenty or as many as hundreds. Small nations must be especially watchful of their proposals so that they do not run out before the Congressional term expires on the 25th of each month.

These are the only functions that Congress can fulfill in-game, and should be the primary focus of any player seeking election to that position. A good candidate should have an excellent grasp of the economic module employed in eRepublik to make the best decisions on the various proposals allowable to Congress members, as most are of an economic nature. Establishing a well-balanced economy is especially important, and should be the primary goal of every Congress member.

As well as the six proposals that they can make themselves, Congress members also vote on proposals made by the President. These are:

1) Changing the New Citizen Message
2) Purchasing and Placing Infrastructure
3) Accepting a MPP with another Nation
4) Declaration of War against another Nation
5) Declaration of Peace with a former Belligerent
6) Establishment of a Trading Embargo against another Nation

Therefore, Congress is granted primarily economic powers while the President is granted primarily diplomatic powers.

I have been a company owner and the Professor of Economics at the North American University, and have a strong grasp of the eRepublik economic module. I also ran the US Office of Developing Regions and currently head the International Institute for Political and Economic Research, both of which focused heavily on studying the economic situation of every nation in the New World. I have diplomatic experience through my time as UnderSecretary of State, then Deputy Secretary of State for the United States. I understand the game mechanics and understand their importance as a Congress member. Consider this when you go to the polls this upcoming Friday. Vote for Chris Stanwick in Tasmania on 25th September!