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As we are currently in the middle of a congress election I thought I might put up a handy little ePolitics guide, so i hope it helps please enjoy.
Warning wall of text.



POLITICS


Voting

So do I have to vote?
Voting is not compulsory in erepublik, but you do get an experience points every time you vote. You can vote for who ever you choose, but be aware that these are the people you expect to be available for the following month.


Senate/ Congress are expected to be uptodate with and active on the forums, they are responsible for approving government spending. Although each senator represents their parties views they each bring their own experiences and focus. Sadly some people run for Congress / Senate just for the gold and medal. These are the people who spend your tax $ take the time to vote wisely.

Party Presidents are responsible for the manifesto of the party, it's day to day running and promotion, it's management on the forums and of course the selection of candidates in both the senate and Prime Minister elections. They need to be active in the forums and erepublik.

Prime Minister
This is the person who is responsible for eAustralia for the entire month. They have the power to declare war, sign treatys, retreat. They select a cabinet to assist them in running eAustralia and implementing their policies. The Prime Minister sets the direction of Industry, Military, Cultural, Social, Financial and Foreign Affairs policy. They and their proposed cabinet need to be active, accessible and reliable.




Spoonfeed me please Who do I vote for?
Party politics aside, you want some one who will actually be online, and do the work. There will be a lot of propaganda - sorry platforms, presented in the media in the lead up to the elections, of those people, who have you seen making regular contributions to the media, IRC and the forums? are they're comments constructive? Many people have ideas of what they think eAustralia should be like, but have they taken the time to explore eAustralia first? To ask why we are the way we are? See who is active on the forums, comments regularly in the news not just in election week. Are they on irc? when you search their name in the media search engine what can you find? If you have questions, feel free to message me.



Joining a Political Party
So do I have to join a political party? NO of course not. You will be unable to vote in the party president elections, or run for senate / congress without party membership, but there is no rush. Most People join a party to get more involved, also to get to know more people. Its a great way to meet new friends and future leaders. Don't be worried about the countless messages you will get from party members asking you to join there party. If your not really into real life politics you will most likely join the party with the name you like or the one with a pretty logo.

The eAustralian Political Parties are as followe😛
(In order of Member count)


KnightHawks Military Council
Party President:Schoft
Australian National Party
Party President: Sir_c0stant
Australian Communist Party "The Peoples Party"
Party President: Chris Carnage
Australian Parliamentary Party
Party President: argi the eliminator
Australian Revolutionary Party
Party President: Molly Jo
Green and Gold Party
Party President: Wingfield
Aussie Independents Party
Party President: Xavier Griffith

The rest of the parties either have 4 or less members or are a eChile/eHungary pto party.

All these parties vary from differen't sides of the Political Spectrum, enjoy choosing your first party.



Congress
so what does running for Congress (Senate) mean? (Aside from the experience points, 5 gold and shiny medal if you get elected)

What Senators do in erepublik
The duty of a senator in erepublik is to propose and vote on issues that affect the game mechanics of eAustralia. Proposals are limited to Donations of funds, Change tax rates, Impeach Prime Ministers , and approve citizenship requests. In addition to voting on those proposals, the Prime Minister can propose the following things that require a Senate vote: War or Peace, an Alliance, a New Citizen Message, NAP, NE and Trade Embargo.


What the senate does in eAustralia
Within the forums, policy regarding any of these issues is discussed and voted on. This includes the purchase or sale of government companies, and budgets for government departments. Most laws and policies must go through the senate before being approved.

What is expected of a senator? -A senator is more than anything, expected to be active on the forums.
The first thing every senator MUST do is sign the senate thread [I'll will add a link as soon as i can get access to this.]. This outlines their expected duties and responsibilities. A senator is expected to be an active and engaged citizen on the forums. They are expected to make contributions to discussions in the senate forums, and be aware and involved in the public politics. A senator should comment and vote on forum discussions and proposals.

What do I need to know to be a Senator?

Firstly? chat with current senators, get to know other long term senators from your party and party president. You represent both the people who vote for you and your party. If you have a particular issue that has inspired you to run, discuss it with the current Minister for that area. If there is an issue that doesn't appear to fit with any of the Ministers appointed for a term - well, might be a good way to introduce yourself to the Prime Minister - especially if it is a good idea!

Senators move Bills (proposals) that eventually become laws of the eAustralian Parliment - there are a lot of things that are not covered by the game mechanics - how eAustralia protects it's money, manages it's military and other things - which senators move separate proposals about on the forums. If you can imagine it - it is probably possible to make an policy which covers it! Even when there is an law, sometimes these are amended (also through congress proposals) to either improve or change them, depending on the direction our leaders and senators wish our Country to take - the possibilities are endless.


How do I run for congress and get elected?

To run for congress, you need to be a member of one of the "Top 5" political parties in eAustralia (for PM, you can be in any party). The top 5 parties are those parties with the five highest number of members. If you choose to nominate, the Party President then selects the top eleven they wish to make "official candidates" for election.

Currently in eAustralia, there are 30 congress positions available for election, this varies as sadly we don't always have regions.


Health Program


Don't forget about our Health Program, to sign up please fill out this short Google doc.


Requirements


- Proud eAustralian Citizen, meaning you must have eAustralian citizenship not just live in one of our regions.

- Level 28 and under.





NewsPapers to Watch



Department Of Defence NewsPaper

Prime Minister Ranger Bob's News Paper

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tim Holtz News Paper

16:33 Adam_Beck I did a radio show WHILE fighting INDOS BITCH!
16:33 Aussie_Bloke you so epic man
16:34 Adam_Beck Put that in your damn article
16:34 Aussie_Bloke will do
16:34 Adam_Beck GOOD!


Thanks for your time,
Aussie Bloke.