Winston Democracy
The Winston Democracy is an expanding polity lying to rimward of the Solomani Confederation.
- It covers parts of Aldebaran Sector, Hadji Sector, and Neworld Sector.
- It lies within Balkanized Space.
[edit]
| Polity | Survey | Code | Type | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winston Democracy | Pre-Imperial | None | No standard code | Not extant |
| Winston Democracy | 1st Survey (300) | Wd | 2-ltr code | Founded after 900 |
| Winston Democracy | 2nd Survey (1065) | WiDe | 4-ltr code | Extant |
Description (Specifications)[edit]
The Winston Democracy is an interstellar, multi-system government lying across parts of Aldebaran Sector, Hadji Sector, and Neworld Sector. Its original membership included only the worlds of the Freeman Seven, but it took over administration of the worlds of the Martinique Cluster in Hadji Sector in the wake of political turmoil and economic collapse within that region.
- It has 16 member systems.
- It is named for the Terran political thinker Georgina Avery Winston.
A basic overview of the Democracy, right:
Clusters[edit]
The Winston Democracy is made up of two separate clusters:
Freeman Seven[edit]
The Freeman Seven is a small cluster and trade route that lies across the border between Aldebaran Sector and Neworld Sector.
- It has seven member systems.
- It is named for Freeman, an agricultural world and major military base that serves as the unofficial capital of the Democracy.
- It contains the Freeman Five, a small political union that forms part of the Democracy.
Martinique Cluster[edit]
The Martinique Cluster is a small cluster and trade route that lies within the spinward-coreward quadrant of Aldebaran Sector.
- It has nine member systems.
- It is named for Martinique, a technologically backward, high population desert world.
Government & Politics[edit]
The government of the Winston Democracy is characterized as having a high degree of centralization, which sets uniform policies that direct the entire multi-system state and disregards local/planetary differences. The Winston Democracy government is usually classified as a Democracy, a form of a Unitary State.
- Citizens are occasionally presented with referendums to vote on.
Head of State[edit]
The head of state is the First Elector, the Chief Minister of the Winstonian Congress.
Goals[edit]
The state's primary goal is preserving trade and increasing economic prosperity for its member worlds.
Interstellar Relations[edit]
The Winston Democracy is generally considered neutral. In the past it has had good relations with the Solomani Confederation -- the majority of the population are of Solomani descent, and most of the navy are Solomani-constructed vessels. With the Democracy turning its attention to the backwater expanses of Hadji Sector, involvement with the Confederation is waning. The Confederation would like to bring the Democracy back "on-side".
Freeman Five[edit]
The Freeman Five is a voting bloc within the Democracy whose primary purpose is to provide a voice for the lower population worlds of the Freeman Seven, a cluster forming the heartland of the Democracy. Member worlds of the cluster vote on local matters, but the massive population of Cathedral, a high population industrial world, overwhelmingly carries any vote in favor of their own world's interests. The Freeman Five exists as a means for these lower population worlds to make independent decisions.
- Cordial relations are maintained with Cathedral and the other worlds of the Democracy.
With the admission of the Martinique Cluster into the Democracy, voting blocs have changed and the balance of power has shifted. Issues affecting an entire cluster rather than a region within a single cluster have become prominent, and as a result the Freeman Five is rapidly losing its relevance.
Military & Intelligence[edit]
The military of the Winston Democracy is known as The Democratic People's Defense Forces. They have equipment from TL–8 to TL–13, though equipment above TL–11 is not widely dispersed.
- Military branches include the People's Democratic Navy (the PDN), the Star Marines, the Army of the Democracy, and Exploration Command.
- Each member world provides personnel to serve in the branches of the military.
The Democracy has an active intelligence service with multiple field agents.
History & Background (Dossier)[edit]
The Winston Democracy was founded in the 900s by Solomani dissatisfied with the political situation in the Confederation. Having secured patronage and financial backing, they effectively took control of the Freeman Seven cluster, a group of neutral worlds that already had local populations, and established the polity. By 1100 the Democracy was a full-fledged interstellar state composed of seven systems.
By 1116 the Democracy had expanded its influence to include nine additional worlds in subsector A of Hadji Sector, including the technologically struggling high population world of Martinique. Hadji Sector suffered widespread economic and financial collapse at the end of the 11th Century and the Martinique Cluster, already a backward area on the periphery of the region, was particularly hard hit. As the situation within the Cluster deteriorated the Democracy stepped in, offering immediate but conditional material assistance to the area -- the aid came at the requirement that those worlds receiving it become members of the Democracy and accept Democracy authority. The Cluster's spinward worlds were the first to accede to these demands: the worlds further to trailing saw the improvements to their interstellar neighbors and also chose to join.
In general the Democracy upholds and defends the interests of its worlds and its citizens, and most see membership as a boon.
Solomani Security keeps a close eye on things within the Democracy to ensure the security of the Solomani Confederation and the well-being of its loyal citizens. Almost anyone could be a SolSec informant, passing on all sorts of useful information: some gain a reward or benefit for their actions, others are coerced, but a few see it as an act of duty to help protect the Solomani state and its interests.
- Democracy agents closely monitor SolSec activity and counter its moves, if necessary.
Symbols[edit]
An upheld Human hand, representing The Vote, surrounded by a wreath, representing victory, achievement, and status.
- It has distinct similarities to the symbol of the Demos of Nobles.
Demographics[edit]
Significant populations of the following races (sophont species) reside within this polity:
Humaniti (Human races)[edit]
- Solomani (Major Race): Widely spread across the region.
- Mixed or other heritage: Occasionally encountered across the region.
Linguistic Topography[edit]
The most commonly heard languages are:
- Rim Anglic, a dialect of Anglic and the principal language of the Solomani Confederation.
General Historical Timeline[edit]
Major events that have affected this polity and the wider region that it lies within:
- -9235: Far to coreward, the Vilani discover jump drive technology. Over the centuries pioneers and settlers gradually spread across Charted Space.
- -4045 to -2204: The Ziru Sirka controls vast territories.
- -2431: Terrans discover jump drive technology.
- -2404 to -2215: The Interstellar Wars. The young Terran Confederation battles against the ancient Vilani Ziru Sirka.
- -2204 to -1776: The Rule of Man administers the former Ziru Sirka.
- -1999: The Aslan gain jump drive technology.
- -1862 to -1110: The Terran Mercantile Community is active within the region.
- -1776 to 0: The Long Night.
- -1118 to 380: The Aslan Border Wars.
- -1110 to 588: The Terran Mercantile Community gradually becomes the Old Earth Union, shrinking to control the region around Terra.
- The Year 0: To coreward, the Third Imperium is founded.
- 300-420: The Imperial First Survey charts the worlds of the region.
- 380: The Peace of Ftahalr ends the ongoing Aslan Border Wars and establishes understandings regarding Human and Aslan influence.
- 588: The Old Earth Union and the former territories of the Terran Mercantile Community are annexed by the Imperium, moving its border adjacent to the Aslan Hierate.
- 604-622: The Imperial Civil War.
- 624: The Imperial Express Boat Network is established.
- 704: The Solomani Autonomous Region is formed.
- 800-820: The Psionics Suppressions.
- 871: The Solomani Confederation is founded.
- 940: The Solomani Autonomous Region is dissolved.
- 990-1002: The Solomani Rim War.
- 995-1065: The Imperial Second Survey includes data for the Grand United States.
- 1065: The Second Survey is published. Information about the Grand United States becomes widely available.
Worlds & Sectors (Astrography)[edit]
This astrographic feature is primarily found in the following areas:
Charted Space – Balkanized Space:
Capital[edit]
The unofficial capital of the Winston Democracy is:
- Freeman, an agricultural world and major military base.
World Listing[edit]
Comprehensive Second Survey data for all worlds that are associated with the Freeman Seven is available.
- The primary source material for all data is Traveller Map.
- Other sources may differ: some elements of the data may be contradictory or incorrect.
- Data is occasionally updated as new information becomes available.
AAB library archives contain expanded data about the following systems:
| startbacknext(16 listed) |
Note that some Second Survey data, though only 40 years old, may already be out of date.
- Scouting missions gathering reliable, verified data can receive substantial payment.
References & Contributors (Sources)[edit]
|
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- Peter G. Celella, James Holden. Solomani & Aslan (Digest Group Publications, 1991), pages 8-11, various others. (dot map locating the worlds of the Democracy, background information)
- Author and Contributor: Jim Kundert
- Compiler: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science