Campaign:NHNE/General/Dynasties and Families

Both terms, Dynasties and Families, are used for the same phenomena: The gathering of political power into the hands of multi-generational elites.

Description

Within the New Earth System, a group of about 50 families have come to dominate interstellar trade - eclipsing even the Corporations and Governments in their scope and power. Members of these families have seats on the boards of Corporations; Ministries in Governments and manipulate these to their own ends.

That is not to say that the Dynasties and Families have everything their own way - individuals within these groups don't hold monopoly power - but they do have control of extra-ordinary resources.

Bases of Power

The Dynasties generally control the system through a number of "Traditional" routes: -

• Agencies and Bureaux

  These include Civil Service Departments, Police Forces and Charities

• Criminality

  Various syndicates including Drugs, Smuggling and Piracy

• Exploration and Colonisation

  Initially important but declining in recent years - Until the FTL boom started

• Financial Institutions

  Using Money to Make Money!

• Government

  Controlling the Executive, Legislative and Judicial proceses; the parties and the lobbyists

• Inheritance

  Just by ensuring that the wealth of one generation passes to the next

• Manufacturing, Mining & Farming Corporations

  Those corporations that grow, mine or make stuff

• Media & Entertainment

  Affecting the minds of the people directly

• Military and Paramilitary Forces

  Army, Maritime Navy and Space Marine elements

• Religion

  Affecting the souls of the people

• Research and Development

  Directing the discovery and deployment of new technologies - especially ecologies.

• Space Transport & Shipping

  Includes Customs and Naval elements as well as Goods and Passenger Shipping

Examples

List of Example Dynasties