[DoE] A Look at the Legislative Branch

Day 1,819, 09:44 • Published in USA USA • by Department of Citizen Affairs
DoE - Congress



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Welcome!

Fellow readers and eRepublik newbs, today is the day upon which you will fully learn what Congress does, why Congressman/women are considered rogue, and how you can get involved/elected into Congress!

I hope you enjoy!

-DoE



What exactly is Congress in real life? Why is it in this game?



Congress, in real life, is an institution that pretty much makes up the legislative branch of the United States of America. As decreed by the US Constitution, Congress passes laws, discusses existing policies, sets taxes at their rates, and amends the Constitution if they see fit. In addition, Congress also manages the budget, and chooses whether the President has the right to declare war while also ratifying alliances. Congress consists of two “houses”, the Senate, and the House of Representatives. Senators are elected every 6 years, and Representatives every 2. An important check to Congress is the President ability to veto acts.



In eRepublik, the Admins decided to include a Congressional institution. While said institution excludes real life aspects of Congress, such as a Presidential check and two officials of it, the ingame Congress of eRepublik still has a very large influence on governmental affairs, which will be touched on later in this article.



So...what exactly does a Congressman DO?

Okay, Let’s just say you got elected to Congress. What exactly would you do?

Option 1 - Gaze In Amazement At The Shiny Buttons!



Option 2 - Click A Shiny Button!



Option 3 - Approve Citizenship!



If you answered any of the above, you are WRONG.

In Congress, Congressmen/women have certain duties...none of which include being stupid!



Let’s see what they do....

Stay active and post whenever possible in the forums.



- Once elected to Congress, you will be given access to a special section on the eUSA forums. Here, you will be able to discuss issues with other Congressmen/women and vote on proposals. You will be asked to sign-in weekly, and it is very important that you do.

Discuss, vote to propose a new policy/law, vote on the law.



-In the forum section described above, other Congressmen/women will propose ideas, and discussion will commence. It is your duty to get involved in this, and perhaps propose something of your own. If a discussion reaches a common ground, the idea will move to a proposal vote. If 10 people vote yes on a proposal,, it will move to an official vote. If that passes, the idea will be enacted by Congress and a decree of Congress.

Discuss and approve a American budget.



-Every month, Congressmen discuss and vote on a monthly budget. Discussion is usually heated, and usually involves compromise. If enough of a quorum is reached, this budget will move to proposal. 10 votes will make it an official proposal, and another 10 and it will become the official budget for that Congressional month.

Transfer funds as allocated by the Economics Council in accordance with the Budget.



-Once the budget is approved by Congress, daily transfers will occur. If none are up at that time, proposing one is a very good idea. Make sure the proposal goes to “Congressional Budget Office”, and send it by clicking “Propose Donation.”

Declare war if NECESSARY and APPROVED.



-If a county is unusually aggressive, and the President and SoD agree, a Natural Enemy proposal goes up. If this proposal is approved, vote YES.

Approve citizenship in accordance with the IES (Immigration Enforcement Services)



-If you are a Congressman, viewing the citizenship requests for the day/week, you will have a special option to APPROVE requests. DO NOT approve unless the IES list says that the person is marked for approval. If the person is on the APPROVE list, it is okay to approve their CS request. If not, DO NOT approve.

Vote on Alliances



-Every month, the current PotUS will make an “Alliance List.” If you see a proposal to ally with a certain country, and the country is on the YES list of the PotUS, vote yes.



Now that you’ve learned how a Congressman/woman should act, let’s have a look at some ROGUE Congressman.

A rogue Congressman is, in the most simple terms, a idiotic Congressman.

Let’s see some examples of such:

EXHIBIT A.



-This Congressman clearly did not follow the proper procedure. Not only is he transfering the money to the wrong organization, but the amount is also incorrect.

Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Obviously a rogue.

EXHIBIT B.



-This Congressman’s NE proposal was not approved, and therefore reprsents the actions of a rogue Congressman, acting without discussion or vote.

Rouge Congressman #2.

EXHIBIT C.



-This Congressman’s decision to propose an impeachment was neither discussed nor proposed, so it is clearly the actions of another rogue Congressman.

So, as you may have noticed, it is very easy to spot a rogue Congressman in action. They blatantly disregard the rest of Congress, the rest of the eUS, and the eUS’s safety as a political entity, all through their actions. These Congressman are easy to spot, and their proposals must NOT pass.

As a Congressman, it will be your duty to vote NO on these proposals, and notify the citizens of their villainous acts.



Now, I know what most of you are thinking.

“I’m not even in Congress, and I probably will not even get there. EVER.”

If you think this way, you surely will never get into Congress. However, an optimistic mindset and a willingness to succeed WILL.

What can you do to get into Congress?

A LOT.

For example...

Sign up to work for the DoE

The DoE is currently hiring anyone! They need mentors, people willing to work in the DoE! The DoE is a great place to start any political career and a great place to get your name known. If you are trying to win a seat in Congress, having experience within the DoE is a very nice perk.

Applying could not be easier also!

Simply fill out this app: http://www.miniurl.com/sa/DoEStaffApp

WRITE Articles



With an article in the media, your voice is much more likely to be heard. If you write well enough, you will be noticed and people will begin to recognize you. Once recognized, it is very easy to contact your party leader and request a space in Congress.

Additionally, you can...

Work as an Intern

And, most importantly...

ACTIVITY IS EVERYTHING



Well, Thanks for reading!

Hope you enjoyed! If you did, please vote, comment, and subscribe!

Until next time...

Best Regards,

Duncan Crowe
-DoE Staff