SIMH Tiered Citizenship

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Tiered Citizenship

Perhaps the most unique aspect of the Imperium's government is the tiered citizenship structure. As citizens become more effective and useful members of society, their citizenship tier can rise, granting them more rights and privileges. A popular punishment for minor crimes is the reduction of a citizenship tier, which can restrict their freedom of speech, freedom of movement, and countless other details of daily life that go as far down as the amount of water allotted to a citizen's showers each month. Frequently, such verdicts come paired with specific criteria for the reinstatement of a citizen's tier.
These Tier levels compare to contemporary economics/living standards as of current.

Despite the Haru penchant for authoritarian/autocracy of a sort, it’s still mostly a meritocracy. People will go up and down in tiers multiple times in their life. You’re not destined for poverty, but you’re not going to stay at a high level just because you’re born there.

Productivity earns your place in this system.

• 0: Dissident.
  
• 1-3: Varying degrees of criminal or incarceration tiers.
  
• 4-5: Basic income. But with universal healthcare and military conscription this is more than likely a place everyone’s been at some point. So there’s no shame in being here, only staying here. Non-skilled labor is in this category.
  
• 6-8: Lower middle class to middle class. Educated-skilled workers, clerks, military enlisted, and the like. Probably a good portion of the population.
  
• 9-11: Upper middle class. A level to aspire to, maybe two houses, a few luxuries. Tradesmen, craftsmen, educators, senior military enlisted, professionals.
  
• 12-13: Upper class. Small business owners, junior officers, junior politicians, bankers.
  
• 14-16: Court class. Imperial nobles, senior military officers, politicians, corporate leaders, minor celebrities.
  
• 17-18: High class. Minor house lords, high ranking military, high ranking politicians, captains of industry, well known athletes and artisans.
  
• 19-20: Regent class. Major house lords, heads of major corporations, occasional war veteran military leader. Etc.
  
• 21-24: Royal class. These people are so few in numbers (across the entire imperium's territories) that they spend the resources to not be noticed. And arguing if someone’s on tier 21 or 25 is considered rude anyway. They have the financial power to control entire city-states, perhaps multiples of such and tend to self police themselves for the good of the nation. The common citizen may have heard of “the 21 Club” but probably couldn’t name a single member.
• 25: Imperial class. Emperor or Empress, they're associated family members named as possible successors should the House and bloodline they represent, be chosen to lead the nation. The lives of the Imperium are at their mercy and control, as are the choices of where to lead them.