North American Socialist Commonwealth

The North American Socialist Commonwealth La Manucomunidad Socialista Norte Americana
Flag Seal
Motto: "Gloria Revolution. Series Fragmentis Capitalismus"! (Official) (Latin: Glory to the Revolution, the Broken Chain of Capitalism!) "For Freedom, Equality, and Unity"! (Common)
Anthem: "Ballad of the Commissar"
Capital	Veluna City
Official languages	English, Spanish
Recognised regional languages	Keldon, Keld Neterlingua (Veiled Isle), Verde (Isla Verde)
Demonym(s)	American, Americans/ Commonwealther, Commonwealthers
Government	Semi-Presidential Republic
• President	Nataliya Valinova
• Prime Minister	Harrison Angel
Independence  from Great Britain
Area
• Total	9,361,966 km2 (3,614,675 sq mi)
Population
• 2066 estimate	1,202,286,522
• 2060 census	Ministry of Internal Affairs Census
• Density	128.42/km2 (332.6/sq mi)
GDP (nominal)	2067 estimate
• Total	$49,712,684,087,205
• Per capita	$41,348.45
Gini (2066)	25 low
HDI (2066)	.9646 very high
Currency	Meridonian Dollar (UTC)
Time zone	GMT-5 (Romeo) (for Captial)
Date format	dd. mm. yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+1
Internet TLD	.nasc, .scmil, .scedu, .sc

The North American Socialist Commonwealth (Spanish: La Manucomunidad Socialista Norte Americana) (NASC or MSNA) also referred to as the Socialist Commonwealth (Spanish: Manucommunidad Socialista) (SC or MS), the American Commonwealth (Spanish: Manucommunidad Americana) (AC or MA), or the simply the Commonwealth, is a Unitary Semi-Presidential Republic located primarily on the North American Continent of the "Prime" Earth. It is made up of nine Administrative Districts, one of which is semi-autonomous (The Veiled Isle), and five of which are are contiguously located in North America. As a result of Portal activity, the Socialist Commonwealth has three "off-world" territories. It is a highly diverse nation, ethnically, lingually, & religiously, partially as a result of the incorporation of inter-dimensional territories & their associated cultures, but mostly because of the mass immigration to the nation throughout its history. The Commonwealth is also ecologically diverse, containing examples of each form of ecosystem from the Tropical Forests of Isla Verde to the polar ice floes of Norland.

Early in the history of the continent, the land that would become the Commonwealth was inhabited by Paleo-Indians who had immigrated from Eurasia some 15,000 years ago. European colonization of the hemisphere began in the late 15th & early 16th centuries with colonization of the Northern half, beginning in earnest later, during the 17th century. The direct predecessor to the Commonwealth, the United States of America was formed in 1776 with The Declaration of Independence, which was the first of many revolts against colonial rule throughout the hemisphere. The first constitution was signed in 1787 with ratifications happening in the remainder of the decade and into the next. Throughout the 19th century, The United States went through a period of rapid expansion, displacing the native tribes existing in the areas, as a realization of the ideals of Manifest Destiny. The institution of slavery was abolished by the United States as a result of the American Civil War. The United States' status as a global power was established as a result of the Spanish American War & Two World Wars.

The United States became the world's only global military power at the end of the Cold War, only to have this status challenged by the People's Republic of China in the second decade of the 21st Century. At the end of a devastating war with China over the Korean Peninsula, The United States was forced to withdraw from the world. With an economy devastated both the fallout of a cessation of Sino-American Trade and also as a result of the war itself, the people of the United States became increasingly dissatisfied with the government of the United States. The US government in response began to crack down, which fueled the tension. Seeds of resistance began to spring up in the cities, in the late 2020s particularly among the younger citizens of the country. Revolution began in earnest in 2030, with a corps of "Young Socialists" drawing the masses & gradually reintroducing the idea of socialism as something greater than an object of ridicule.

The collapse of the United States occurred in the later half of 2030. A provisional government was established on Christmas Day of the same year. A constitution was drafted & ratified on April 15th 2031. The Provisional Government continued to serve until the first elections could occur late in 2032. The government's focus was recovery, and the economy bounced back quickly. However, during the revolution an Old Government backing Enclave continued to exist on in Alaska. Throughout the early 2040s, an increasing spate of terrorist attacks pushed the tolerance of the Commonwealth. In 2045, the Commonwealth invade the Enclave, the first shipment of troops overseas, in three months of brutal fighting the Enclave was destroyed, and Alaska reincorporated into the country. In 2047 a series of portals opened throughout the "Prime" Earth. The portals led to several worlds that faced threats to the world, & as a result the Commonwealth became much more active in the worlds to which it was connected.

The North American Socialist Commonwealth is a developed nation & has the third largest economy on the "Prime" Earth. It controls roughly 8% of the global GDP, 13% with Purchasing Power Parity. The strength of the economy is driven by the abundance of natural resources and the high level of productivity in the work force and in industry. It currently has the second highest mean and the highest median income on "Prime" Earth. The Commonwealth, as opposed to its predecessor has a very high level of income equality. The Commonwealth remains a military power, accounting for 9.5% of "Prime" Earth's military spending. However, this role has been surpassed by its status as a diplomatic and political power.

Etymology

In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a world map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere "America" after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci (Latin: Americus Vespucius). The first reference to the term The North American Socialist Commonwealth was in the 2031 Constitution creating it. Previously, during the rule of the Provisional Government, the nation was referred to as the "Revolutionary States", though most people used the "United States" instead. The demonym of citizens is American, though the term "Wealther" is also used, especially by "Prime" Earth denizens when speaking about citizens in off-world holdings. The term "North American Socialist Commonwealth" is frequently shortened to Commonwealth, Socialist Commonwealth, or America, or NASC.

History

Point of Departure from current history is June 26, 2014.

Prehistory to Colonization

The first people to arrive on the North American Continent came over a Land Bridge from Eurasia and spread quickly throughout the continent. The indigenous people formed their own separate nations. Many of these nations developed advanced architecture, agriculture, & states. Many of these states had fallen by the time European colonists had arrived, and the native population declined sharply, shortly after due to disease, intermarriage, & attacks by the colonists. Throughout this period colonists came to North America in substantial numbers. Generally settlers in the continent were farmers, some of whom worked for themselves as subsistence farmers, others heads of large plantations with Indentured Servants and later with African Slaves. These colonies continued to expand along the East Coast of the North American continent. By the end of the 17th Century most of the coast and some of the continental interior had been claimed & settled on by Europeans.

By 1732 with the colonization of Georgia, the colonies that would form the United States had all been founded. The colonies far from the crown formed their own governments, generally in a Republican form. This early sense of republicanism created the conditions of support for Republicanism. The First Great Awakening brought with it a great interest in Religion and Religious liberty. During the seven years war, the British seized Canada from the French at great financial cost. This cost sowed the seeds of separatist sentiment in the American Colonies.

Independence & Early US History

The money spent by the crown on The Seven Years War was vast, and England was deep in debt. To pay off this debt the British imposed taxation on the American colonies, which at that time had little ruler-ship coming from parliament and the crown. This angered some colonists who were used to managing affairs by themselves. Increasing levels of taxation, coupled with a Royal Decree barring settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains, led to increasingly bitter resentment of many colonists. Eventually, this mostly peaceful dispute resulted in skirmishes at Lexington and Concord, which escalated into a full blown war of secession. Though outnumbered and outgunned, the Continental Army managed to hold out, eventually winning a significant victory over the British Army at Yorktown, disbanding the largest force of regulars in the area. With the losses incurred by this war, and the threat of other wars to come the Crown was forced to acknowledge the independence of the new nation with the 1783 Treaty of Paris.

Signing of the Declaration of Independence

The young nation was wracked early on by a series of problems. The first government, under the Articles of Confederation was impotent to do anything in the face of a weak economy and a host of other problems. A Rebellion in Massachusetts under Continental Army veteran Daniel Shays nearly resulted in the seizure of a major armory and perhaps full blown revolution. This led to a reform movement regarding the Articles of Confederation, eventually resulting in its voiding as the national governing document by what is now referred to as "The First Constitution". Ratification was a longer process, but eventually each of the thirteen former colonies became States under the new governing document. The first President, George Washington entered officer in 1789, and served for eight years, passing control to John Adams in 1797.

19th Century

The majority of the 19th Century was dominated by three key issues. The first of these was slavery. Throughout the first half of the century, the Northern and Southern factions argued relentlessly over slavery and issues associated with it. Numerous compromises were made, starting with the precedent set by the admissions of Maine and Missouri into the Union in 1820. By the late 1850s, the issue had become highly divisive, and the election of 1860 decided the issue. With the election of Abraham Lincoln a series of Southern slaveholding states seceded. More joined them with the shelling of Fort Sumter in 18661, shortly after President Lincoln came to office. Lincoln called for 100,000 soldiers and the American Civil War had begun. Though many initially thought the war would be brief centered around one decisive battle, it proved to be a long a bloody war, eventually ending, at the cost of over half a million dead, and the destruction of most Southern Cities. The end result was the end of Slavery and the beginning of reconstruction period, though the next century would see Blacks legally forced into second class citizenship.

The 19th Century saw the rapid territorial expansion of the United States. This was done mostly at the expense of indigenous tribes living on the continent. Several tribes of people fought against this aggressive expansion into their homelands. The United States signed treaties forcing several onto reservations. Starting in the earlier part of the century, but increasing in frequency rapidly after the American Civil War several armed native rebellions occurred. Though such movements would continue later (including the Sioux led, 1973 Wounded Knee incident), resistance was effectively crushed with the 1890 Wounded Knee massacre.

A photo taken after the battle of Antietam

After the Civil War, The United States went through a period of rapid industrialization, which was driven by the Robber-Barons. Great wealth was made at the expense of the working class. This period, also referred to as the Gilded Age, also marked one of the greatest periods of worker unrest in US History. Most of these ended in violence and were typically put down through the temporal authorities of States or the United States. This industrialization also created an excess of American produced goods that needed to be sold off. Thus, the United States needed a captive market. In the latter half of the 19th Century, Span had become weakening Empire losing its colonies. After a short period of tension, and the convenient explosion of the USS Maine, in 1898 the US went to War with Spain which it defeated after a brief war acquiring the Philippines, Cuba, and Puerto Rico.

The "American Century"

The 20th Century saw the dramatic rise of the United States from a second rate, fledgling power to the last remaining superpower on Earth. The nation started the century fresh from the Spanish-American War, and having finally become an industrialized nation. Though it had done so, and had humiliated Spain, the United States remained militarily weak, and relatively isolationist. The start of World War I brought with it a massive need for war materiel, materiel which United States businessmen were more than provide. This business interest compounded with a few international incidents led the United States into war, allying the triple Entente. Shortly after US entry, the war ended in 1919. Harsh terms were imposed upon the one remaining Central Power, Germany which had to pay harsh reparations and give up most of its military and colonial empire. With the war over, many Americans settled into a decade of decadence and, for some, prosperity. This decade, known as the Roaring Twenties marked a period of economic decay for the United States, as the agricultural sector, having produced crops to excess found that its products were no longer needed, naturally they went into decline. At the end of the decade, the Black Tuesday event would bring the rest of the American economy to a crash.

The 1929 Crash marked the beginning of what has been referred to as the Great Depression. Unemployment soared as did homelessness. The Hoover Administration failed to respond to the growing crisis, which further exacerbated the economic decline. This combined with other factors caused the American populace to fall into a state of deep isolationism. The American people wished to remain neutral in all foreign affairs. Though, the economy did eventually being to improve through the effects of the New Deal, and through the slow return to normalcy, the United States would not fully recover for a time. Throughout the world, economies crash alongside that of the United States, some among these, particularly Germany and Japan turned to fascism to end the economic woe. With the Rise of Fascism came a spate of international incidents leading up to the eventual German invasion of Poland and the start of World War II.

Though initially wanting to stay out of the war, the American people, through the guiding hand of President Roosevelt gradually began to realize that staying out would be impossible. This fact became much more apparent with the December 7th bombing of Pearl Harbor. With that and Hitler's prompt declaration of War on the United States after its own declaration of War on Japan led to US Intervention in the War. The war ended in August of 1945 with the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the first use of nuclear weapons in anger. The United States, unlike most of Europe and Japan escaped relatively unharmed from the war, and very quickly assumed the role of a military power on the new global stage.

In the second half of the Century, the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (or Soviet Union) were locked in a political power struggle known as the Cold War. Each side sought to become the dominant power in the world, and proceeded to engage in a nuclear arms race and briefly a coinciding space race. This time period marked a time of relative economic prosperity in the US, as the middle class grew and people moved from rural and urban areas to suburbs. The early part of the Cold War also marked a period of great unrest in the United States as Women and African descended people, who had been considered second class citizens throughout history began to rebel against that status. Though true equality had yet to be attained both groups made great strides forward during this time. In 1965, the United States intervened on a Civil War in Vietnam, gradually ramping up its involvement. By the late 1960s, a popular resistance movement to the war formed, which promptly pressured the US Government to leave by 1973.

Throughout the 1970s there was a period of relative peace or détente, between the United States and Soviet Union. This period also saw a time of economic stagnation in the United States. President Reagan, when elected in 1980 sought to end both. With a "rollback" policy against the Soviet Union and an actual rollback of US economic regulation at home. The late 1980s saw the stagnation and the seeds of collapse in the Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc allowing for another period of relative calm between the US and Soviet Union. With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States became the world's only super power. This period also marked a time of great economic growth and the birth of the Internet which would become, for a time the world's most influential media outlet. The rapid expansion of US power and influence caused the 20th Century to be called "The American Century" by many historians.

Buildup to Revolution

The earliest precursors to revolution began shortly after the turn of the century. Socialists, having been persecuted throughout the previous time finally began to reappear in public. This became more prominent shortly after the 9/11 attacks and the beginning of the "War on Terror". The shift of fear was removed from socialists and placed upon terrorists. The hunt caused the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, and inevitably cost the United States trillions of dollars in a very short order. The rising national deficit, when compounded with the burst of the housing bubble caused a serious recession to occur. A series of highly unpopular "balilouts" followed shortly thereafter fueling the flame. Several popular protests collectively referred to as "The Occupy Movement" sprang up in the United States and internationally, protesting against the excesses of American oligarchical capitalism. This movement, spearheaded primarily by college students is now regarded as the progenitor of larger movements that would occur after.

A PLAN Submarine, of a Class Commonly used during the war.

In 2016 the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, after a 60 year cease fire stormed across the De-Militarized Zone attacking its Southern neighbor. This invasion was likely an attempt by the North Korean elite to hold onto their country, which had faced increasing instability & poverty over the decades. Both the United States, and its ally Japan intervened on behalf of South Korea. The Chinese government, though nominally the protector of North Korea provided only moral support until an interventionist generalship overthrew the government and chucked its lot in behind North Korea. Many of the NATO Countries banded together and ensured that the warring parties negotiated a nuclear cease fire so as to avoid an all out nuclear holocaust. Though nuclear weapons were verboten, the war still devastated the Korean Peninsula, and ceased Sino-American trade drove a slowly recovering economy back into recession. The war ended only when a disaffected Chinese people, tired of the repressive junta overthrew the Generalship and instated the Federal Republic of China which immediately sued for peace.

The Sino-American War left the country more fractured then before. This was driven primarily by demographic shifts that had been occurring since the turn of millennium. In particular, the growing number of people unexposed to the fears of the Cold War and the associated fear of socialism and its associated ideologies. This younger group came into direct conflict with the "baby-boomer" generation. The conflict, fueled by the increasing power of corporations inevitably spawned more movements against the existing social order. Though initially small these steadily grew throughout the 2020s, eventually causing a massive crackdown during the 2028 "DC Riots". The US government instituted a state of martial law, using the Police Force to crush any protests or strikes that threatened the power of the government or its corporate allies. The state if martial law would last until the eventual revolution in 2030.

Revolution and Provisional Government

The increasing protests against the government and the increasing responding crackdowns escalated throughout the closing phases of the 2020s. Though most resistance was crushed for a time in 2028, the dissent resurfaced in early 2030 building rapidly. The United States Government, weakened by years of the conflict with its own people started to crack under the strain. Throughout 2030, the government and the resistance movement clashed, usually with minimal force until "Bloody August". During that month several bloody one-sided clashes pushed the majority of the people over the edge. Starting in September the protests turned into riots organized into a true revolution by The Young Socialists organization which educated the people, whom were revolting merely as a sign of dissatisfaction with the government and were aimless. This new movement guided by Democratic Socialist principles became more powerful with an organizing force. A clash in Mid-October brought to the revolution a new banner and a new icon. The "Commissar" who's identity is now a closely guarded secret, and the "Sapphire Star", the flag which has now become the official flag of the Commonwealth.

Police surround a small band of Protesters in Oregon

By late November, the government was in a state of collapse constant clashes, and desertion wearing their forces down to an untenable level. Preparations were laid out for its survival in the State of Alaska, which had at this point been devoid of revolutionaries. Gathering their most loyal soldiers and the most important government officials, the "Government Enclave", as it was now called, officially withdrew from the country on December the 12th, 2030. Though some holdouts remained in Washington DC, holding out for a couple of weeks, the Revolution was essentially over in the favor of the revolutionaries. The main core of TYS moved into the city and formed a provisional government on Christmas Day. The hard task lay ahead, the formation of a new government, spearheaded by the TYS. The revolutionaries called together the finest political minds available and forged a new Constitution, which after much debate was completed and ratified as the new law of the land on April 15th, 2031, forming the North American Socialist Commonwealth. The nation, which had been completely disorganized, needed to get back on its feet following the revolution, and the nation remained under the care of the provisional government until elections could be held on December the 9th of the next year.

The "Hermit" Commonwealth

In the wake of the Commonwealth's formation, the nation needed to be rebuilt. Decades of neglect, economic decline, and war had taken their toll. The new Commonwealth immediately adopted a policy to set about rebuilding the country, paying minimal attention to the outside world. The government spent almost all of its available income on public works projects, rebuilding the interstate system as well as creating several series of high speed light rail lines going through and between major cities. A crash program rapidly re-industrialized the Commonwealth following a newer more responsible model regarding energy use and carbon output. Public housing was quickly put up, and state run farms slowly took over food production. During this stage, the economy grew very quickly, though the military forces of the Commonwealth remained in a sorry state and the nation largely ignored the outside world. The Commonwealth during this time period was often referred to as "The Hermit Commonwealth" by international press in light of the seeming aloofness of Commonwealth foreign policy.

Throughout it all, the government ignored the world burning in the absence of the United States and its far reaching sword. The end result was a series of wars, revolutions, civil wars, and diplomatic incidents. Too busy, focused inwardly the Commonwealth ignored these allowing the situation worldwide to fester. The rebuilding process was disrupted by several terrorist attacks in the nation instigated and organized by the Alaskan Enclave Government, which had seceded shortly after the revolution, and claimed to be the "True America". In response to the attacks and the various crises around the world, the government of the Commonwealth, which had at first been totally isolationist in foreign affairs began to realize that it did not exist in a vacuum and the outside world could not be ignored. The world's increasingly critical shortage of oil pressured the Commonwealth to share its nuclear research with the rest of the world, easing the cravings for oil and therefore the tension that had risen since the 2020s. One final attack in early 2045 by the Enclave government pushed the Commonwealth from its isolationist state and onto the world stage militarily for the first time.

The Northern War and the Opening

Enclave Soldiers prepare for an ambush. Such tactics were common during the Northern War

The Northern War was an inevitable continuation of the Revolution. Following the retreat of the US Government to Alaska, they immediately sought the destabilization of the successor regime. To do this, the US Government orchestrated a number of terroristic attacks into the Commonwealth in an attempt to damage or destroy the public works projects that were so crucial to its hold on power during the early years. In 2045, the Commonwealth, despite its commitment to isolation recognized the existential threat the Enclave presented. A sizable attack force was quickly formed and dispatched to the Alaskan frontier. In a short a brutal war, the Commonwealth forces dispatched the Enclave. This has later been proven to be the result of overwhelming Air Superiority rather than quality of period Commonwealth forces.

Shortly afterward, a curious event occurred. In something that baffles the scientific community to this day, on July 13th, 2047 a tear in the space time continuum resulted in a large number of portals opening throughout "Prime" Earth. Many of these portals opened to unpopulated areas... a godsend to many overpopulated nations around the world, a bigger benefit given the vast amount of new natural resources pouring in. Some others opened to nations. The Commonwealth mostly encountered the latter. The Commonwealth quickly secured treaties of annexation from the countries at the other end to keep the border secure. The nations of Keldonia and The Republic of Verde were hesitant at first to sign the treaties, but both in the end accepted them for the security of being part of a larger nation, and not having to worry about an invasion from the other world. The secondary effect of the portal's opening was the opening of the Commonwealth which had at this point finally accepted its role in the brave new world beyond the portals. Thus began what most call contemporary history.

Contemporary History

The Opening was a dramatic shift for the Commonwealth. Through the portals they could see thousands of fractal worlds, many in desperate need of help, and many new foes that were a great threat to the Commonwealth. With this new vision, the Commonwealth's government clearly needed to adjust its world view. At this point a policy of ignoring the outside world, and doubting any attack would occur. There were many hostile nations in the multiverse and many more with whom relations needed to established. In light of this, the Commonwealth government adopted a more multilateralist policy. With the new national focus, the recently recovered economy was utilized to its fullest extent in rebuilding defense systems as well as influencing other nations in the multiverse.

The first thing the Commonwealth sought out was a relationship with its immediate neighbors. These, located in the multiversal regions of Mystria, and Meridon, were quickly flooded with a vast number of diplomats seeking alliances, economic unions, and other agreements. The Socialist Commonwealth eventually acquired new territories through the annexation of Isla Verde (which was at that point called La Republica de Verde) and The Veiled Isle Autonomous Distict (at that point called the Keldonian Queendom). Both were hesitant at first to sign annexation treaties, but in the end accepted for differing reasons (The former as a result of a weak and unstable government, the latter for guaranteed defense and the promise of relative autonomy). Additionally, the Commonwealth adopted the Meridonian Common Currency along with various trade agreements with nations in it, as well as a mutual defense pact with The United Nations of Finorskia. Additionally, the Commonwealth joined the Worker's International Alliance.

The first post-Opening conflict the Commonwealth participated in was the Phonencian Conflict. A communist rebellion occurred in the nation of Phonencia, ending ultimately in failure. In an attempt to flare the rebellion up once more, War Minister Howell decided to send armaments shipments to the CEP. The first shipments came unescorted, then escorted, then transporting significant contingents of Proletarian Guardsmen. The conflict continued for a number of months, until a ceasefire occurred. Eventually the conflict ended with a settlement followed by a rapid normalization of relations after it was discovered that the cause of the war was for the War Minister to draw known loyal military forces away from the country in the name of seizing power.

The second conflict in which the Socialist Commonwealth fought after the opening was that of the Arthuristan Civil War. The Commonwealth, during the Commonwealth's month long involvement, the rebels initiated their largest attack, which ultimately failed due to the timely intervention of the allies of the Loyalists. This was followed by a rapid counter-attack which drove the defending rebels to the sea and ultimately destroyed them. With the rebellion crushed the Commonwealth's forces withdrew from Arthurista leaving behind a small number of engineers to assist with the reconstruction of Walsall.

Since the end of the Arthuristan Civil War, Commonwealther domestic policy shifted towards a smaller scale stance. While the Commonwealth had enemies (real and percieved) at the state level, focus was shifted on maintaining a hold over the Commonwealth's annexed territories and suppressing rebellions in client states. However, a growing disatisfaction in the rule of the Social Democratic Party is seeing a greater fracturing in the body politic of the Commonwealth. The center-left Social Democratic Party is under siege by both more radical leftist parties, and by center and right wing parties attempting to take the Commonwealth in a different direction.

In 2065, the Commonwealth effectively ushered in the Post Human era. With greater acceptance of the nonhuman population on the mainland, and with the adoption of two Artificial Intelligences into the Commonwealth some believe that the historically human dominated Commonwealther culture will be subsumed into a significantly more diverse one. This belief is further fueled by the rise in augmentation and similar technologies that can create people that are more than human, or modify existing people to much the same effect.

Geography

The North American Socialist Commonwealth contains a land area of 5,817,256 square miles (or 9,361,966 square kilometers). Roughly half of this landmass is part of the contiguous mainland of the Commonwealth, with the rest being spread between its three non-contiguous territories of Norland, Isla Verde and The Veiled Isle. The mainland is flanked by two coastlines and accompanying plains which give way to mountains and finally central interior plains. Norland is predominantly mountainous, with a large southern island chain covering most of its Southern territory opening to Arctic tundra in the far north. Isla Verde is likely the flattest of the Commonwealth's territories lacking any significantly large mountain ranges to speak of, and dominated by a single central plain. The Veiled Isle is bifurcated in its geographical composition with two differing climate types separated by a central mountain range.

Climate

Due to extensive size and sprawl of the Commonwealth, most major climate types are present within it. In the Eastern part of the country, it ranges from humid Temperate to Sub-Tropical, while the Southern tip of the Gulf Peninsula is Tropical. The central plain of the mainland is semi-arid, gradually becoming more arid as the land travels further South and West. West of the Rocky Mountains one can find Mediterranean climate in Southern Vesper, gradually becoming more humid going North. In Norland, climate is dominated by sub-arctic and arctic climes. In Isla Verde, it is mostly humid tropical or sub-tropical with its northern reaches gradually transitioning to a more Mediterranean climate. In the Veiled Isle, there are largely two halves of climate, in the East, it is primarily of a Mediterranean bent whilst West of the mountains it becomes much more humid and tropical.

A Satellite Map of the Commonwealth's Mainland

Environment

The Socialist Commonwealth is described as "megadiverse" containing many thousands of different species (including 25,000 species of vascular plant and over 105,000 species of insect). within its borders. There are currently 70 nationally run parks in the Commonwealth, and the state controls roughly 45% of the nation's land, most of which goes to conservation, protection, or agricultural purposes (with food crop growing being the vast majority of that and usage with a smaller percentage of livestock raising). Some government owned land has been leased for mineral extraction, though this is a minority. The national bird and national animal is the Red-Tailed Hawk (B. jamaicensis), which has been a regular sight in the Commonwealth, barring the Veiled Isle which lacks any wild examples of the bird. The national flower is the Black-Eyed Susan (R. hirta) which is a common garden flower in thee yards of citizens and is found ubiquitously throughout the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth's national tree is the Chestnut Oak (Q. prinus), which is only encountered on the Eastern Mainland.

Environmental issues have played a role in government since before the conception of the Socialist Commonwealth, during the rule of the United States. Big points of debate include the continuing use of older fission plants in the energy profile of the nation, the maintenance of the road network despite decreased automobile traffic, and the impact of re-industrialization. All roles of conservation, environmental protection, and pollution regulation falls under the purview of the North American Socialist Commonwealth Ministry of Internal Affairs, or more specifically, the Ministry's Environmental Protection Department, which then delegates responsibilities to the various Agencies necessary, or to District Bureaus as necessary.

Demographics

Human Racial Breakdown

The Ministry of Internal Affairs, Census Department's most recent Census (in 2062) states the population of the commonwealth to be 1,186,526,805, the population has nearly quadrupled since the turn of the century. This has been demonstrated to be almost entirely due to immigration and the incorporation of new, populated territories into the Commonwealth. Currently, the population of the Socialist Commonwealth is projected to have a .34% growth rate, its birth rate is 10 per 1,000. The greatest area of population growth has been in the rise of multiracial citizens, with intermarriages becoming a norm, and interracial breeding being more common, particularly in comparison the same rate in the year 2000. The Socialist Commonwealth is very diverse with 40 ancestry groups with more than one million members in the Commonwealth. Population growth is expected to decline as the wave of immigration caused by the chaos of the 2030s and 2040s is finally coming to an end, and there are no more incorporation of new territories predicted in the near future. According the the 2062 census roughly 5% of the adult population identified themselves as LGBT, up from 4.8% in the 2052 census and 4.97% in the 2058 census. The largest concentration of LGBT persons can be found in the northeastern districts (10.1%), while the lowest is found in the Veiled Isle Autonomous Districct (2.1%).

Species Breakdown

Since the annexation of the Veiled Isle, there has been an issue regarding the recognition of non-human citizens. There were no provisions prior for the recognition of species other than humanity. There was a significant backlash of human supremacists against a provision to add a section to the census, believing that non-humans could not be citizens. Despite this backlash, the Socialist Commonwealth adopted the provision and added the Species selection section to the Socialist Commonwealth census in 2058. This section has since reappeared in 2062. Despite fairly substantial populations of non-humans, the population of the Commonwealth remains overwhelmingly human, with less than 10% of the population registered as something other than human.

About 90% of residents live in urban areas, including the interspersing suburbs. Roughly three quarters of the urban population live in cities with a population over 1 million, with roughly half of those living in the top ten metropolitan areas. 300 cities are reported to have a population of greater than 100,000 with twenty having a population of greater than one million. Of these nine have a population greater than two million, and five have a population greater than five million. There are currently seventy two metropolitan areas with a population greater than one million, fifty four of which are on the mainland. The trend of rapid urbanization has slowed largely as a result of agriculture, people have been encouraged to work in the agricultural sector to produce the food necessary for urban centers to survive. Despite this, urbanization has continued and has spawned a new form of food production in the form of rooftop greenhouses and gardens on many modern buildings, particularly those which house large numbers of residents.

Largest cities or towns in The North American Socialist Commonwealth 2062 Census
	Rank		Administrative District	Pop.	Rank		Administrative District	Pop.
Corazón del Río Los Angeles	1	Corazón del Río	Isla Verde	26,850,540	11	Miami	Gulf	19,700,500	New York City Chicago
	2	Los Angeles	Vesper	25,750,650	12	Myst	Veiled Isle	18,650,000
	3	New York City	New England	25,525,750	13	Heavenfall	Veiled Isle	17,500,500
	4	Chicago	Lakeland	23,991,650	14	Philidelphia	Columbia	15,572,560
	5	Castille	Isla Verde	23,400,750	15	Atlanta	Gulf	13,502,670
	6	Dallas	Nueava Mexico	22,950,430	16	Phoenix	Nueva Mexico	11,200,650
	7	La Llleva	Isla Verde	21,650,750	17	Boston	New England	10,500,450
	8	Houston	Nueva Mexico	20,540,600	18	Lacreti	Veiled Isle	10,300,270
	9	Fairhaven	Veiled Isle	20,350,750	19	Puero Este	Isla Verde	9,995,000
	10	Veluna City	Columbia	19,900,000	20	Tampa	Gulf	9,450,750

† Metropolitan Areas

Language

There is no official language in the Socialist Commonwealth, this has largely been the result of there being multiple substantially spoken languages within the nation. However, the defacto national languages of the Mainland are English and Spanish which are also the most commonly spoken languages on the mainland. Most mainland governmental paperwork as well as immigration/naturalization papers are in these two languages. Despite this, there is substantial assistance for those who cannot speak either of these languages. However, the majority (and almost overwhelmingly so on the mainland) of Commonwealth citizens speak either English or Spanish as one of their primary languages. There are however, not insignificant ethnic enclaves which speak Chinese, Korean, French, or other languages, such language speakers form a small but noticeable minority of the linguistic fabric of the Commonwealth.

Language	% Population	# of People
English	30%	359,463,780
Spanish	22%	263,606,772
Verdean	20.4%	244,435,370
Neterlingua	10.8%	129,406,960
Keldon	6.8%	81,478,457
Vorluun	5%	59,910,630
D'ragolɛth	1.1%	14,498,372
Chinese	1%	11,865,168
Korean	.5%	5,991,063
French	.5%	5,988,000
German	.4%	4,746,107
Japanese	.4%	4,543,675
Blackhawk	.4%	4,326,257
Vietnamese	.3%	3,559,580
Tagalog	.3%	3,505,580
High Elvish	.2%	2,373,054

In The Veiled Isle, the human populace speaks almost exclusively Neterlingua or Keldon, the most common language among the nonhumans of the Isle is Vorluun, which is the primary language of the Vorlonii, though some speak D'ragolɛth or High Elvish as well. The people largely speak these languages exclusively, though government officials, military recruits, and younger citizens have been taught other languages either as a natural part of the education system or as a need to communicate orders or governmental record more effectively. Therefore all government paperwork in the Isle is written in The trend of making the Veiled Isle more multilingual is advancing steadily though much work remains to be done.

In Isla Verde, the primary language is Verdean, which is virtually identical to Spanish. As a result of that and a need to utilize existing materials, all government paperwork sent to that District is in Spanish. This has been a moderate annoyance to Verdeans who may be able to understand the Spanish paperwork, but are irked by the length of time it has taken to introduce Verdean paperwork into the system. As a result of pressure from the District's residents, the Commonwealth begam producing Verdean paperwork, introduced in early 2065.

There is a great movement in the Socialist Commonwealth to make a more multilingual nation. As a result there have been great strides into making the Commonwealth's education system teach multiple languages at a much earlier age. Children are introduced to multiple languages as young as possible introducing it into public funded entertainment and into pre-primary education. By the end of primary education students are expected to have begun formal study of at least three languages, and are expected to be at least on a semi-conversational level in all three midway through secondary education. This education effort has produced results keeping the multicultural and multilingual nature of the Commonwealth from becoming a major hindrance.

Religion

The Socialist Commonwealth is forbidden by Constitutional Mandate from preventing free practice of religion or free practice of arreligion. The largest group of citizens are part of the rapidly growing portion of people who are unaffiliated, though the largest religious group remains the Christians who comprise thirty percent of the population. According to the 2062 census, 25% of the Commonwealth's mainland citizens claim that "Religion is a very important part of their life", which is a dramatic decrease from the turn of the century or even the formation of the Commonwealth. Outside the mainland, especially in Isla Verde and the Veiled Isle, religion is a much greater influence in the daily lives of citizens. Forty percent of people attend church on a weekly or nearly weekly basis, though this number is on a steady decline along with the decline of confidence in organized religion.

According to the 2062 census, fully 33% of all Americans are Irreligious, with the largest religious group being Christians at 30% with most being Roman Catholic or Protestant. Most Protestants are of the Southern Baptist Convention. 42% of Protestants call themselves Evangelical, and 58% Mainstream. Non-Christian religious groups are predominantly of Mystrian faiths, most of which follow the Church of the Ecclesiastes of Serion, and the rest following the traditional Mystrian Pantheon, and of Regio de Verde, the Verdean traditional faith. Other religions include Islam (2%), Unitarianism (1%), Buddhism (.6%), and Hinduism (.4%) as well as numerous smaller faiths.

Though the region has calmed from its extreme conservative stance, a long belt along the coast of Southland is still referred to as "The Bible Belt", for its large population of Evangelical conservatives. This region however has since been replaced as the most religiously conservative region by the Veiled Isle. The least religious areas of the country by contrast can still be found in New England, Columbia and also in Vesper.

Government

The North American Socialist Commonwealth is a unitary semi-presidential republic and representative democracy. The nation is governed by those elected by the people with the rights of minorities protected by laws or by the constitution itself. The powers of each branch of government is restricted by constitutional checks given to other branches of government to remove the ability of one another to abuse their powers. The Constitution of the Socialist Commonwealth is the supreme legal document of the land and is therefore the document from which all laws are derived and checked for legal standing. The Socialist Commonwealth is, according to the 2063 reports, ranked 4th in the Corruption Percentage Index and 11th in the Democracy Index of "Prime" Earth.

In the Commonwealth political system, citizens are subject to three levels of government, National, District, Local. The most powerful of these by far is the national government, which overrules the Districts and especially Local in all matters it legisliates that are within its power constitutionally. Local Governments are almost always in the formal of Municipal Governments. In National Elections a proportional representation system is utilized while the municipal governments typically elected by a plurality vote. District Elections are differing depending on the district, the Veiled Isle utilizes a plurality system while all the others use a representative vote. There are currently four branches of government and they are as follows:

Diagram of the Commonwealth National Government's workings

Legislative: A bicameral legislature, made up of a People's Parliament and a Congress of Soviets. It creates laws and votes them into the Executive, Makes Declarations of War, and has the Power of Purse. The Congress of Soviets has the power of impeachment, by which they can remove from power, sitting government officials, excepting those who are members of the Congress of Soviets. There is also a General Secretary of the Parliament, selected by the President, but subject to Parliamentary approval, and who may be removed by referendum.

Executive: A President and a Minister's Council. The Council also elects a Prime Minister to act as a spokesman for the Ministries as a whole. Both sign bills into law. The President also acts as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces through the War Minister. The Ministries are responsible for enforcing laws respective to what there spheres of influence. Ministers are responsible for hiring people to their respective ministries, though high ranking members of ministries (such as Ambassadors or Department heads) are subject to Parliamentary query.

Judicial: A Supreme Court, whose judges are elected on the same time frame as the Congress of Soviets. They are responsible for debating and determining the constitutionality of laws, as well as having the power to impeach and remove sitting members of the Congress of Soviets, if they have abused their powers, particularly regarding their own power of impeachment.

The People's Parliament is comprised of 1,500 members who are theoretically meant to represent the original number of the Provisional Government, but mostly as an arbitrarily created number of seats based upon creating a number that would seem sufficiently large to the people. The Congress of Soviets is comprised of 250 members, fifty for each of the national Soviets (Industrial, Agricultural, Clerical, Government, and Intelligentsia). District Governments are very similar to the national, with a bicameral legislature, proportionally representative of the people's vote.

The Constitution of the Socialist Commonwealth establishes the limits of its National government and about the interaction of powers on the District level, and to a lesser extent the interaction of the National and Local governments. Article 1 of the Constitution forms the outline of human rights in the Commonwealth, granting the writ of Habeus Corpus, as well as the Freedoms of Speech, Association, of and from Religion, among other rights. All laws are subject to review by the Supreme Court, and all viewed as unconstitutional are voided.

Parties & Elections

Party Breakdown in the Parliament

Elections are held on a two year or three year system dependent on the seats elected. Parliamentary, Ministerial, and Presidential elections occur every two years, and everyone over the age of sixteen may participate in these elections. A system or proportional representation is used, with the most voted for party gaining the Presidency and 3 of the Ministries (which is to be determined at a later date, before the Council is seated), as well as an appropriate number of seats in Parliament. The second ranking party gaining three Ministries and similar seats in Parliament. With the third and fourth gaining one of each of the other Ministries, and all parties receiving Parliamentary seats according to their proportion of votes. The Prime Minister is elected by the Minister's Council, typically the position goes to the Seniormost Minister.

Breakdown in the Congress of Soviets

Congress of Soviets, and Supreme Court elections occur every three years with all persons eighteen or older, or working sixteen year citizens being able to participate in the election. This is based on a system of Soviet representation, where a person participates in their own "Soviet Elections", electing people to represent their national Soviet in the Congress. Each National Soviet gets 50 seats, and each party gets seats according to the varying elections with Soviets. The Supreme Court is elected in a similar fashion to Ministerial Elections with seats apportioned to specific parties based upon a set number scheme with largest getting 4 of thirteen seats, second getting 3 each, and so on. A Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is selected by the Court itself, typically going to the most senior justice in it.

Currently the largest party is the Social Democratic Party, and the smallest permanent party is the National Corporatist Party.

Foreign Policy

Main Article: Foreign Policy of The North American Socialist Commonwealth ‎

The North American Socialist Commonwealth has an established form of Foreign Relations. It is a permanent member of the multiversal World Assembly as well as "Prime" Earth's United Nations. It enjoys intermittent status as the Mystrian Delegate to the World Assembly, and is in a Leadership Role in the Worker's International (formed by the Serovaskya Pact). Many nations on Earth have embassies in the Socialist Commonwealth as well as a smaller number of nations in the multiverse. Many nations host Commonwealth diplomatic missions, though the overwhelming majority of off-world nations do not have any formal ties with the Commonwealth.

The Socialist Commonwealth maintains strong ties with Capisaria, Finorskia, Crystal Spires, and Arthurista as well as its fellow members of the Worker's International. It also maintains ties within the "Prime" Earth. The Socialist Commonwealth is party to the Meridonian Economic Union, and is currently the only member outside of the region to do so. The Commonwealth is heavily invested in foreign aid, producing a vast amount into nations around Isla Verde, which formerly filled the Foreign Aid Role until the collapse of its government shortly before the NASC annexation. It is a permanent sustainer of the Compassion Cruises organization, and also gives generously to other development organization as well as educational and space exploration funds.

The North American Socialist Commonwealth has in recent years adopted a multilateralist policy in foreign affairs, attempting to sign into several international organizations. It also, when engaging in military expeditions typically supports, defends, or attacks with allies. The Socialist Commonwealth does not typically engage in expeditionary warfare without allies view unilateral invasions as one of the problems with the multiverse, and taking a moral stance against it. Though it has opened up in recent years, the Commonwealth is largely inwardly focused in most matters, particularly military ones.

Economy

The North American Socialist Commonwealth is currently a mixed market economy guided by Market Socialist principles. The Commonwealth is both a large importer and a significantly larger exporter, however this is largely the case due to the heavily protectionist trade policies of the Commonwealth. In recent years of relative economic strength, the Commonwealth has become more lax in these policies as the native producers no longer need the protection. The economy of the Commonwealth is frequently described as "neo-industrial" where both service and manufacturing sectors provide large numbers of jobs, with a vast industrial base is producing the wealth that can be sold to create more wealth. The Meridonian Dollar is currently the government backed note in the Commonwealth, and is currently stronger than the International Bill of Trade, the Nationstates Dollar.

Economic Indicators

Monetary Unit: Meridonian Dollar Conversion Rate: 1UTC= $1.69 Fiscal Year: April 15th-April 14th Nominal GDP: $49,712,684,087,205 GDP per Capita: $41,348.45 Labor Force: 596,822,982 Unemployment: (See Unemployment & Poverty)

The labor force of the Commonwealth consists of 593,263,402 workers who comprise 50% of the total population. The leading source of employment in the Commonwealth is the state which provides roughly 118,652,680 (20%) of all jobs in the Commonwealth. The leading source of employment in the private sector is in the electronic manufacturing field providing 32,629,487 (5.5%) of jobs, followed closely by the chemical manufacturing and private medical fields providing 31,798,918 and 31,680,265 (5.36 & 5.34%) jobs respectively. The vast majority of these workers are participant in the National Soviets, and many are also in co-ops if not employed directly by the state. The Commonwealth provides legally 2 weeks of paid vacation, and paid family leave as legal rights, though many jobs provide more, except in during peak work times. The Commonwealth is fairly productive, but cannot be regarded as among the most highly rated nations in this respect.

Unemployment and Poverty

Despite all of the efforts of the Commonwealth's government, poverty remains an issue. There are two official policies of the Commonwealth regarding the reduction of poverty. The first is the "Three Squares and a Roof" Policy, which guarantees all citizens a minimal basic standard of living by giving all citizens three meals, a roof over their head, and other basic necessities to live, the idea being that a well fed and housed people can then work more productively to acquire luxury items. The second is the State Employment Program which provides all citizens who are unemployed and looking for employment with jobs on state run farms and other basic low skill work, or community servicing programs. These policies are well in force on the mainland and poverty has been dramatically reduced to the point of near extinction there. However, on the off-world territories poverty remains a serious problem, largely due to the troubles with implementing the national policies there due to the relative autonomy of the two Districts. The end result is that the two policies are underdeveloped in those locales and people continue to suffer. The national government is rapidly losing patience with the sluggishness of implementing the policies and is considering cracking down on the two off-world Districts to get these policies in force more quickly.

Infrastructure

The Socialist Commonwealth is a well developed nation regarding infrastructure development. The Commonwealth's infrastructure and its development is largely state controlled. The Commonwealth's mainland is by far the best developed of its territories, with the vast majority of its transport, energy, and information networks transversing that area. The Veiled Isle is by far the least developed of the Districts in the Commonwealth, with little modern transport networking to speak of and a virtually nonexistent information network. The most developed district is Veluna.

The transport network of the Commonwealth is largely driven by high speed rail. While the Commonwealth maintains a vast network of roads, the high price of gasoline and the rapid expansion and development of the light rail network has led to a mass exodus from automobile based travel throughout the 21st century. The more recent development of alcohol and electrically driven cars has increased this travel slightly in the most recent years. The Commonwealth maintains an extensive public transport sector with the majority of commuter travel using this network. In the off-world district public transport is dominant, and light rail provides the overwhelming majority of public travel, while Isla Verde has a more automobile driven system. Airlines and most air ports are largely run by coops monitored by the state.

A High Speed Train crosses the Countryside

Energy in the Commonwealth is largely provided by a mixture of wind, solar, geothermal, and nuclear energy depending on the local area for electric power. Some more water rich areas also maintain extensive hydroelectric power systems as well. The largest source of "central" power is nuclear which provides for most large cities their primary sources of power. This nuclear power is predominantly of the "warm" fusion variety, which is still incredibly hot but is considered much safer than fission based nuclear power. The biggest trend on the mainland is the decentralization of power. To make the electrical system more resilient against mass-shutoffs (from a natural disaster or EMP effect), citizens are encouraged to place small solar, wind, or man-powered backup power units in their own homes, while the state runs smaller "backup" power stations interspersed through smaller towns and cities as well as close to large cities. Power networks are existent in the off-world territories, though powered by differing sources, Isla Verde providing power largely through fossil fuel burning, and the Veiled Isle largely off of magical powering.

Information is largely dominated by Internet traffic in the Commonwealth. The means of connecting have diversified rapidly since the turn of the century from solely home computer access to more and more mobile forms. The information network has grown rapidly in the Commonwealth is considered "completely" developed on the mainland though the off-world territories are lagging far behind.

Government Finance

Taxes are levied on the National, District, and Local level. All sources of government income total roughly 56% of the economy. The lion's share of government income goes to the national budget, which also pays for the vast majority of state supported services as well as the military budget. The system of taxation in the Commonwealth is progressive, with the wealthy paying as much as 90% of their income in various taxes (though very few people reach the tax bracket for taxation on that level). According to Ministry of Internal Affairs census data, the top quintile pay 30.4% of taxes, the second quintile pays 25.6%, the third 20.2%, the fourth 14.4%, and the bottom 9.4%. The Constitution and laws of the Commonwealth clearly delineate which responsibilities fall under which level of government.

They are as follows:

National: Social Welfare, The National Health System, National Park, Forest, & Historic site maintenance, The Military, Education, Scientific Endeavors, Counter-Terrorist Police Force, Governmental Air/Space Travel, the National High Speed Highway, Rail Systems, interdistrict Public transport, Environmental Regulation, Ministerial Action, The American Commonwealth Armory System, and the Central Power Grid.

District: District Police Corps, District Road and Rail networks, intercity Public Transport, state operated agriculture.

Municipal: Local Police Forces, local power systems, and intracity Public Transport.

The total government budget is roughly $27,508,995,147,070 it is broken down as follows:

Type	Sphere of Influence	Percent of Spending	NSD Amount
Education/Scientific Development	Space Travel, Scientific Grants, Education System	15%	$4,126,349,272,061
Social Welfare/Aid	"Three Squares and a Roof", Pensions, Worker's Compensation, Foreign Food/Monetary Aid	15%	$4,126,349,272,061
Healthcare	The National Health Service, Veteran's Health Service, Foreign Medical Aid	15%	$4,126,349,272,060
Defense	Commonwealth Defense Force, Citizen's Defense Force	15%	$4,126,349,272,060
Public Transport	Interdistrict, Intercity,& Intracity Public Transport	10%	$2,750,899,514,707
Industrial Development	National Armaments System, State Farms, Infrastructure Maintenance	10%	$2,750,899,514,707
Law Enforcment/Intelligence	The Ministry of State Security, Counter-Terrorist Group (STIG), District Polices Corps, Local Police Departments, & Special Persons Protection Unit	10%	$2,750,899,514,707
Environmental Protection	Environmental Protection, Nation Park, Forest, and Historic Site Maintenance	7%	$1,925,629,660,295
Administration	Operation of Government, Pay for Bureaucrats & Government Officials	3%	$825,269,854,412

Military

Main Article: Commonwealth Defense Force

Main Article: Citizen's Defense Force

The Military of the Socialist Commonwealth is under the control of the Ministry of War. It is broken into two large parts. The smaller of the two but also the most well known is the Commonwealth Defense Force, which is the professional military arm of the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth Defense Force (CODFOR) is paired with the Citizen's Defense Force (CIDFOR), which is the larger "Home Guard" arm of the military, comprised of volunteer citizens to act as additional manpower to eject invaders from the Commonwealth. CODFOR is broken into three branches of service. The largest is The Proletarian Guard, which is the ground arm of CODFOR The air arm of CODFOR is The Commonwealth Air Force, which is also the primary operator of strategic weapons. The naval arm of CODFOR is The Commonwealth Navy. These three forces primarily serve as a professional core in the event of invasion but do have limited expeditionary capability. CIDFOR is exclusively to be used on Commonwealth Soil.

Military service is voluntary though conscription may occur in the event of war through the passage of a Bill of Conscription. Total manpower of CODFOR is stated to be 3.6 million including reserves. CIDFOR's numbers are to stated at 4 million. CODFOR is capable of rapid deployment of its lighter assets through its massive air force, though armored formations will tend to be slower. CIDFOR is primarily based locally, its movement virtually nonexistent. The Commonwealth currently spends 15% of its public monies on CODFOR and CIDFOR, or roughly 8.4% of its GDP. This is a fairly high expenditure, but is justified when compared to those of nations around the Commonwealth.

CODFOR is largely based on the Commonwealth Mainland, though there are some limited deployments overseas, largely in off-world territories, but also in limited amounts to other nations, most notably in Phonencia, but there are some bases located in states associated with the Worker's International.

Proletarian Guard

Main Article: Proletarian Guard

The Proletarian Guard is the primary ground arm of the Socialist Commonwealth. The Guard numbers 1,200,000 full time members with an additional 1,200,000 reservists. It is technically the oldest branch of the Commonwealth's CODFOR, though the foundation gaps between CODFOR branches is negligible, all being founded on the same day, 15. April. 2031. The Proletarian Guard has its roots and foundations in the United States Army. The Core of the Proletarian Guard was formed out of soldiers in the United States Army who opted to join with the revolutionary cause during the period of the Provisional Government.

The Proletarian Guard's Mission is "To protect and defend the lands of the North American Socialist Commonwealth from its enemies via dominance of the soil of the Commonwealth and its allies and to protect the rights of all peoples from egregious acts of tyranny as the Parliament of the Commonwealth defines". The Proletarian Guard is a uniformed service under the civilian government branch of the Army Department of the Ministry of War. The Guard is headed by the War Minister and its highest ranking officer is referred to as Field Marshall General of the Proletarian Guard. The Guard is broken down into Army Commands, and the 1st Corps Rapid Response Force. Additionally, the Army operates a fairly sizable special operations command called Special Operations Command (SOCOM), and is in fact the largest supporter of Special Forces of the Commonwealth.

The Proletarian Guard is responsible for the Symmetric Defense of the Homeland in the event of invasion using a Point Based defensive strategy. When acting as an aggressive force, the Guard uses similar tactics. The Guard is predominantly a symmetrical fighting force, but many of its units are well versed in asymmetrical tactics should the need arise.

Commonwealth Navy

Main Article: Commonwealth Navy (NASC)

The Commonwealth Navy is the primary aquatic combatant force of the North American Socialist Commonwealth. The Navy numbers 400,000 with a 300,000 man reserve. The Commonwealth Navy is nominally the second oldest branch of CODFOR formed officially fifteen minutes after the formation of the Proletarian Guard on 15. April. 2031. The Commonwealth Navy was formed largely out of the United States Navy, though most of its officership disappeared after the revolution to join the Alaska Enclave, however much of the equipment was left behind.

The Commonwealth Navy's Mission is to "Protect the shores of the North American Socialist Commonwealth and its allies from foreign invasion by sea and to decisively project the military power of the Socialist Commonwealth to foreign shores... to represent the interests of the Commonwealth. To use that military power as a constructive or destructive force. The Commonwealth Navy is a uniformed service under control of the War Ministry's Navy Department. The Governmental Head of the Navy is the War Minister and the highest ranking naval officer is The Grand Admiral of the Navy. The Navy is subdivided into Commands which are the subdivided into fleets of carrier groups. The Reserve is a green and brown water force and also represents the coastal defense network.

The Commonwealth Navy is the force responsible for the seaborne defense of the Commonwealth making use of high speed (relative to seaborne travel) hit and run tactics avoiding remaining in a single place for an extended period of time to be destroyed by typically superior force. The Commonwealth Navy is a high speed fleet and applies this to all of its operations foreign and domestic.

Commonwealth Air Force

Main Article: Commonwealth Air Force (NASC)

The Commonwealth Air Force is the sole air arm of CODFOR, and indeed the Commonwealth's armed forces at large. The Air Force is the youngest of the CODFOR Branches by an hour, having been formed on 15. April. 2031. The Commonwealth Air Force was formed independent of the United States Air Force which was devastated by the Sino-American War, and had not managed to rebuild in time for the Revolution. The Commonwealth Air Force managed to find some officers willing to join after the Revolution but for the most part the Air Force was started from scratch in 2031. It is currently comprised of 400,000 active service members and 100,000 reservists.

The Commonwealth Air Force has the mission to "Guard the skies of the Socialist Commonwealth from aerial invasions and airborne terroristic attacks, and to aid in the defense of allies. To safeguard the skyways for which the Commonwealth is responsible and, to protect the citizens of the Commonwealth from harm". The Commonwealth Air Force is the military arm of the Air Force Department in the War Ministry, and its government head is the War Minister, the ranking officer of the Air Force is the Air Marshal of the Air Force. The Commonwealth Air Force is subdivided into commands of Air Divisions, the Air Force Reserve manages the interceptor squadrons, and Air Defenses of the Commonwealth. A relatively small contingent of the Air Force is the Strategic Weapons Command which controls the Strategic Nuclear Weapons of the Commonwealth, including those mounted on navy launches.

The Commonwealth Air Force is the sole air combatant of the North American Socialist Commonwealth. It operates under a principle of Total Air Superiority First, seeking control of the skies before attempting further operations. This may not be a particularly uncommon doctrine but it is one that works.

Citizen's Defense Force

Main Article: Citizen's Defense Force

CIDFOR is the largest military force of the Commonwealth. It is comprised of 4,000,000 personnel spread throughout the country. CIDFOR is the oldest service branch of the Commonwealth going back to the times of the Provisional Government. CIDFOR can trace its linage to the first militarized revolutionaries.

CIDFOR is the Last Line of Defense of the people of the Socialist Commonwealth against a foreign threat. It is headed by the War Minister, through the War Ministry's Citizen's Defense Force Department. There is no current position as chief of staff for CIDFOR given its nature as a regional home guard. CIDFOR is divided by the War Ministry into District Defense Corps, each of which is comprised of individual companies of CIDFOR militias. CIDFOR, being a gendarme organization is entirely a "reserve".

CIDFOR is largely an asymmetric fighting force. If it is demonstrated that CODFOR can no longer defend the entire country through conventional means it is to pull to mission critical (nuclear) facilities, while CIDFOR melts into the countryside to form the core of popular resistance in the Commonwealth. As the final "Home Guard" of the Commonwealth, if it falls so too does the Commonwealth, and so flies its nuclear arsenal.

Law Enforcement

Law Enforcement in the Commonwealth is largely run on the District or Municipal Level. Most common "Beat" Police work is done by municipal police departments except on the Highway System which is largely handled by District Police Corps. Municipal Police departments are the largest body of the Commonwealth's police. Their duties include normal policing, catching of street level criminals, issuing speeding tickets, and similar, localized duties. The situation is mostly similar with the District Police Corps, with the exception being jurisdiction (Airports, Highways, and Intercity). District Corps set up barracks for their operations in cities and are distributed for patrol or response as needed.

Special Terror Intervention Group (STIG)

STIG Operators prepare for a raid.

In the event of a terrorist attack the National Police force is sent in. This is in the form of the Special Tactical Insertion Group, which is the most militarized of the police branches. The STIG is sent in only on cases of a terrorist attack, and in the cases of very high profile mass murder. They do have an investigation unit, but the Primary function of STIG is to act in response to attack. There are STIG Barracks in every major city of the Commonwealth, as well as Crime Labs. STIG Officers are assigned to duties as they are required.

Special Persons Protection Unit (SPPU)

A law enforcement force largely independent of the others, the SPPU exists for a single purpose, the protection of key individuals of the Socialist Commonwealth. They are deployed as needed, typically to protect the President, and the Prime Minister. Additionally, the SPPU is the section of the Police responsible for protection Embassies and Consulates, making the SPPU the only branch of the Commonwealth's Police to serve overseas. The SPPU is the smallest of the Police Branches with membership in the low thousands.

Human Development

The North American Socialist Commonwealth is considered a developed nation. This is especially the case on the mainland where the Commonwealth maintains one of the highest levels of development on "Prime" Earth, and among the top tenth of the multiverse. The Socialist Commonwealth is fully committed to developing this status further, and necessarily increasing the living standards of the citizens of the nation. Living standards having been rising steadily since 2035, though the rate of growth has fallen since the opening, and the renewal of international and inter-universal militarism, and the threat it poses to the Commonwealth. Despite this rates of poverty continue to fall, educational, and medical standards continue to rise, especially in Isla Verde which has seen the most rapid raising of living standards anywhere in the Commonwealth since its inception.

Education

The educational system of the Socialist Commonwealth is free through a secondary level of education for all citizens, and those going into fields where further education is needed may attend university for free as well. Primary and Secondary education is mandatory for all citizens, and homeschooling is forbidden barring rare cases. University education is optional though many choose to go to university before joining the workforce. The education system is a priority for the Socialist Commonwealth, and currently 15% of public funding goes to the educational system.

Primary Education consists primarily of small public schools scattered throughout municipalities. These tend to be the smallest institutions of learning. Primary Education goes from a pre-graded level (colloquially referred to as Kindergarten) to 5th Grade. Primary education centers are referred to as Elementary Schools or Primary Schools. This phase of education covers the basic skills of academia, Literacy Arithmetic, and Reasoning as well as early access to a historical and artistic education, and are introduced to multiple languages. Once they complete to the satisfaction of the teachers the requirements for 5th grade, children are passed on to a Secondary Educational Level.

Secondary Education consists of larger more centralized schools though still in every municipality if it is practicable. These tend to be moderately sized learning institutions. Secondary Education goes from the 6th grade until the 12th grade. Secondary Education is broken down into two parts, the first is referred to as "Middle School" education, and it covers more advanced literacy, and more advanced arithmetic (up to and including basic algebra and statistics), as well as critical thinking and reasoning, and further historical and artistic education with formal study of different languages beginning.

The latter half of a citizen's secondary education is defined by a citizen's choice and their scores on certain aptitude and personality testing. At the end of the Middle School all citizens take an exam covering aptitude and personality type and these are assessed. The results of these tests are shared and guidance counselors suggest whether or not a student pursue a technical education or continue with academia, or more recently an artistic one. Students will make a choice as to which path to follow after hearing the advice of their guidance councilor. They would then go into an Academic High School, a Technical High School, or an Arts Conservatory based on this choice. Academic High Schools are focused on continuing Academic education with a futher grounding in Algebraic, Geometric, and Statistical Education with the best also learning calculus at the end of their time in High School, they will also be well versed in Literature and History. Technical High School students will also receive a grounding in math as well as being taught trades, and STEM applicable classes. Conservatory Students will of course learn to further their artistic ability. All secondary school students will learn how to communicate and public speaking is something that all schools will reinforce in their students, additionally formal education of other languages, if started will be finished regardless of path). At the end of the 12th Grade, if the teachers of a student deem their education complete students may opt not to continue their education or to pass on to a University Education.

At University students will focus on a "Major" study of education, some may also opt to adopt a "Minor" as a side study of education. This is a focus that they have chosen from their secondary education. This focus will end in a degree or certification program. Those programs that give people needed skills are free of charge, while those that are not will cost citizens money though this will often be in part subsidized by the state so as to avoid massive amounts of student debt held by the citizenry.

Healthhcare

The Healthcare system of the Socialist Commonwealth is a very well developed network of hospitals and Urgent Care Facilities. These facilities are a part of the NASC National Health Service. The National Health Service receives 15% of public funding and is as result very well funded allowing for total care of all citizens of the NASC. The system is broken down from the National administration level to a District administration level and finally down to individual municipality clinics. In most small towns there is a local clinic, while larger hospitals are located in cities. Also included in this system is the emergency response system which includes ambulance and fire services. All of this is managed by the Internal Affairs Ministry, Health Department.

One of the largest controversies in the Commonwealth's Medical Field, is the advent of Human Augmentation Technology. This technology, relatively new to the world has created a major problem for society in general. It presents a chance for all people to transcend their physical or mental limitations, it is however, well documented that those who become heavily augmented, lose their personalities in cases of what is called "Cyberpsychosis". The debate was just recently been ended with a series of laws wherein the the state will take greater oversight over existing augmentation programs to ensure the relative equality of citizens continues, and also to directly fund those projects which interest the state, and serve its interests going into the future.

Everyday Life

Everyday life in the Commonwealth has changed radically since the dawn of the millennium. The rapid development of technology has at times been overwhelming socially, and has required a total paradigm shift in terms of morality, the economy, and lifestyle. Some more conservative members of society claim that the Commonwealth is too developed for its own good, and that the shift in social paradigms has done more harm than good since 2030.

AR contacts in use

Since the early days of the "dotcom boom" and the rise of the internet, there have been more and more connective devices at an increasing rate. Since the 2040s, the growth has slowed down in light of the ubiquity of the internet. There is literally no place in the Commonwealth (aside from the the Veiled Isle) where one cannot be connected to the internet, and very few objects that cannot be connected. Most commonly, traditional surfing has been replaced by Augmented Reality (AR), wherein people can interact virtually, without being cut off from the real. The virtual world, instead is an overlay upon the real world, allowing people to handle real world problems on the fly. This has resulted in many moral dilemmas. Primarily, due to the fact that everyone is connected more or less their entire waking lives, privacy does not exist in a meaningful way. While the state guarantees privacy constitutionally, it is a virtual impossibility to actually enforce this. This trend to connectivity has been paired with progressive miniaturization, as more devices have become connected, their size shrinks. Traditionally desktop workstations have largely been rendered a thing of the past. The most common user interface is an AR capable microcomputer, often worn as a pair of glasses, though since 2060 AR contact lenses have been considered all the rage with younger people. At work, most computers are small and portable terminals that can be worn like a watch, or a device similar to a smart cellular phone of the "New Teens".

An effect of the connection trend is that of more and more being handled over the internet. The vast majority of commerce is now handled over the internet. In fact, very little "real" money is ever used in trade, and few people actually carry around paper bills and coin in substantial amounts. While this is more convenient, it poses great risks, and a large portion of the police budget now has to go to fighting electronic crimes. This has also further enabled predatory business practices by foreign corporations and some of the less ethical cooperatives, in tracking purchases and using targeted advertising in an attempt to attract more business, something that the government has tried to stop, but is incapable of actually removing completely from the equation. Another upshot of this however is the rise of internet celebrities (or Netlebs by some), those who gain fame and support themselves through various means over the internet. The government has actually encouraged this type of moneymaking (generally speaking, unethical practices are still squashed over this medium as well), as it allows for people to support themselves in spite of growing automation.

Another trend that has started prior to the revolution was the growing trend of automation. The increase of autonomous machinery in the factory has largely led to a decrease in the need for human workers. As a result, working hours have decreased significantly. The average Commonwealth citizen works only fifteen hours to the turn of the millennium worker's forty. This decrease in working hours is oft viewed as a blow to productivity, but has allowed for greater interaction and social life. Another trend in work has been the rapid expansion of people working from home, growing connectivity has resulted in less need for a physical presence unless it is absolutely necessary. As a result many people working in the industrial and some elements of the service sectors rarely go in to work, instead "telecommuting" to their jobs.

Overall, the Commonwealth has been trending towards automation, connectivity, and an increase in available leisure time. Despite all the efforts of society, the economy remains largely a scarcity economy and will likely remain so for the foreseeable future.

Culture

To say that there is really any national culture is a lie. The NASC like its predecessor is and always has been a melting pot of various cultural influences, and ideas. It is very much a multicultural nation in that regard. To say that regional cultures exist, though a stretch is still possible. There are differing identities that exist in each reason, each largely its own micro smorgasbord of cultural influences. These separate identities in the end combine to form cultural trends and memes that apply... in some fashion to the entire nation. With it, the cycle is complete from the individual subcultures that exist feeding regional culture which in turn feeds national culture which influences the individual subcultures.

Holographic Art, not unusual in the Commonwealth

Music

There are several types of music that are popular in the Commonwealth that can trace its roots back to traditional Americana. Though music has been altered, varied, and branched, someone can see beneath the surface where each can trace back. Most of modern popular music in the Commonwealth's can trace itself back to Blues, which originated in the musical traditions of enslaved Africans. Isla Verde has its own traditions, which date back thousands of years to the dawn of its histories, as does the Veiled Isle. The Latin American influx that occurred in the late 20th through mid 21st centuries has also provided musical influence and rhythmic traditions to the music heard through the mainland.

A common trend through most all music that is currently popular is the increase in usage of digital and electronic instrumentation. This trend started in the 1980s, reached its maturity in the late 2020s, and has since found its place in the ear of the common citizen. The most important aspect of maturity is the increasing fusion with more traditional instruments and the human voice. Very rarely will one hear "straight electronica", more often, the electronic aspects of music integrate themselves seamlessly with non-electronic instruments. A process which is sometimes considered odd by older sound engineers who predicted with the digitization of everything that music would be a part of the digital revolution.

Among the most commonly listened to genres of music on the mainland are Digimetal and Digipop. These two are evolutions of older forms of music that integrate electronic influences. Digipop is an evolution of popular music from the 2010s. Sub-genres of Digipop have influences from Country or Popular Rap music. These influences are generally mixed with influences of Electronic Dance Music (EDM) to varying degrees. Like EDM, Digipop is intended to be something that makes people want to dance, and is very heavily oriented to this aim. It is known to be generally addictive in this regard, and is most successful. Digipop is popular throughout the mainland. Digimetal is an evolution of 20th century Rock and Heavy Metal, generally along the lines of revival grunge or power metal, integrated oftentimes with epitronica (a bastardization of epic electronica), or more rarely with dubstep music. The sound of digimetal is often whelming, known for driving baselines and sometimes hypnotic chords, and occasionally epic theme and scope. This kind of music is very popular amongst working class people particularly among those in the northeastern and north central mainland Districts, and by some "epic aficionados" in some cases.

Among Latin American communities, a recently popular form of music, Neo-Bachata has arisen. Neo-Bachata is a fusion genre, mixing traditions from Cuban Salsa, Bachata, & Mexican Style Pop music. It is a heavily rhythmically oriented form of music, as a result of its heavy Salsa and Bachata influences. It is also the first truly popular form of music among Latin American people to include heavy integration with electronics. Currently Neo-Bachata is almost universally popular in Latin Communities, especially in the southern areas of the mainland, but is gradually gaining influence outside this community and into the wider Commonwealth psyche.

In Isla Verde, the most popular form of music is Musica Verde, a native form of music oriented around group dances. It can be vaguely likened to "Prime" Earth Flamenco, though some measures of instrumentation are different.

In the Veiled Isle, symphonic style music remains prevalent in what is oft referred to as "Brutalist" Style by theorists. Brutalist style music uses a lot of harsh, but harmonic sounding chords and short, sometimes violent movements. This style is emblematic of Veiled Isle society in general, militarized and afraid.

Musical traditions still go strong in the Commonwealth. Older more "traditional" and "high culture" forms of music are listened to, especially during special occasions. Generally it is often viewed as something for High Society, or during special "traditionalist" events. Often played at concert halls is Symphonic music (known to the layman as Classical Music), or more rarely old style American folk music. In smaller venues one can hear Delta Blues, Traditional Jazz, and similarly quaint forms of music.

Art and Architecture

Visual art in the Commonwealth has more or less succumb to the trend of digitization. Since the dawn of the century, artists have flocked to the Internet, and to electronic media in general. Very common with artists is the use of Holographic art, which has its roots before the revolution. Holography makes use of creative placement of lasers and similar light emitting devices to create a three dimensional image. In terms of what is actually displayed in galleries, most Modern Art takes this form. However, for those that still prefer more traditional art, the Internet is a very commonly used dumping ground for artwork in many forms.

A Neo-Futurist House

In terms of architecture, the general trend for the Commonwealth is building in "neo-futurist" style. neo-futurism, is a essentially a revival movement of traditional futurism. The neo-futurist movement began in earnest during the 2030s, and has since been the dominant architectural form in the Commonwealth. Neo-Futurism has another aspect, in light of the increasing localization of power and agricultural systems, neo-futurist architecture has increasingly made use of aspects of arcology in trying to making buildings self-sufficient. Neo-futurist buildings will generally be built to be mostly self-sufficient, or at least be able to be made mostly self-sufficient. Typical design features in this regard include energy efficiency, in building energy production, in building or close food production, and occasionally in-building 3D printing capability.

The Veiled Isle however, has more or less rejected these trends, instead adopting artistic and architectural traditions similar to those of realist or early impressionist time periods on "Prime" Earth.

Cuisine

If there is any cultural influence that is most emblematic of the Commonwealth's cultural melting pot, it is to be found in the way people eat. Cuisine of the Commonwealth is very often a hodgepodge all the influences of its multitude of immigrant groups. Currently much of Commonwealth cuisine makes use of rice or noodles as its base. In fact growing of grain is one of the key functions of the agricultural system, due to the impracticality of growing it in urban environments. Due to the large proportion of vegetarians in the Commonwealth, and the general reduction of meat production, various beans provide the biggest source of protein to the average Commonwealther. The consumption of pork, beef, or more exotic meats is generally reserved for special occasions.

"Salmon in a Corn Ball", a meal typical of restaurants.

Street food is generally composed Rice and Bean dishes. Oftentimes the method of holding a street meal is food itself, generally of a wheat, corn or vegetable base. In a more prepared meal, rice and beans are complimented with fresh vegetables, and in some cases, fish or poultry. Most food in the Commonwealth is meant to be cheap, and reasonably fast and easy to prepare. In contrast, meals prepared for holidays and other special events are more complex, and make more complete use rarer foods. Deserts are generally simple, sometimes they are baked goods, but the most popular deserts use ice cream or Italian ice as a base. Restaurants in the Commonwealth tend to make use of many techniques that cannot often be replicated by those using household kitchens to cook.

Mass Culture

Mass culture, cultural enterprise aside from "traditional" culture, television, film, or gaming has changed significantly since the dawn of the millennium. Continuing a trend that started in the 2000s and 2010s, more and more pop culture became subsumed by the internet. In the 2060s, the vast majority of all mass culture is available on the internet and is often exclusively available in that medium. Regardless, film and television has remained a popular form of mass entertainment, perhaps even more so, given the significant rise in the amount of leisure time the average Commonwealther has. Dramatic style performances have become the most dominant form of film (and in more rare stage productions) performance in the Commonwealth, though comedic style is still popular, and is in fact more popular in serials.

Since the 1990s, the steady rise and evolution of Video Gaming has continued. Trends since the revolution have led to a more and more immersion oriented experience for "Hardcore" gamers. Currently the most popular form of gaming in this respect are VR games, with the most popular platform being the Vistek Cooperative MkVII. In contrast to "hardcore" VR gaming are more casual AR social games that are generally available on most AR microcomputers. These AR games are commonly played by most everyone, at least to some extent, and are easily playable while engaging in other activity.

Sport

Despite the prevalence of VR and AR gaming, traditional sport remains popular in the Commonwealth. Sport has, since the Revolution, lost most of its status as a "big money" phenomenon and largely been relegated to armature, fun oriented playing. That being said there are still some Professional Leagues in the Commonwealth. Currently the most popular sports in the Commonwealth are Baseball, Association Football, and Lacrosse though track running and cross country sports are also popular. In the Veiled Isle, given its own laws on dueling, nonlethal duels (generally Duels dé Honor to first blood) are also popular spectator events, though Duels dé Guerre (to the death) have been made illegal since the Commonwealth's annexation of the Veiled Isle.

Holidays

There are a large number of secular holidays that are legally backed by the Commonwealth's National government. These holidays are "no work days", meaning that all nonessential (emergency response/active military) workers are, by default expected to be off work, and volunteers are to be payed twice their going salary for working holidays. Religious Holidays are not officially backed by the National Government, but are legally backed at the discretion of various districts, and Nationally it is illegal to deny someone a day off for a religious holiday (though it is still legal to mark it as Paid Time Off in most cases). The Commonwealth's holidays are plotted on the Gregorian Calendar Year (the national standard). Additionally, there are a number of nationally backed "Half Days" where the government calls for early closings or late openings, though few of these are official. The list of standing National Holidays (in bold) and Half Days is as follows:

• 1. January, New Year's Day
• 15. January, Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• 31. March, Cesar Chavez Day
• 15. April, Constitution Day
• 1. May, May Day
• 12. June, Veteran's Day
• 13. June, Memorial Day
• 4. July, Independence Day
• 17. July Gabriella Gutierrez Day (Early Closing)
• 1. August, Remembrance Day
• First Monday in September, Labor Day
• 13. October, Commissar Day
• Last Wednesday in November, Thanksgiving Travel Day (Early Closing)
• Last Thursday in November, Thanksgiving
• Last Friday in November, Thanksgiving Travel Day (Late Opening)
• 7. December, Pearl Harbor Day (Early Closing)
• 8. December, Parliament Election Day (Once every two years)
• 9. December, Congress of Soviets Election Day (Once every three years)
• 11. December, Inauguration Day (Early Closing)
• 12. December, Revolution Day
• 31. December, New Year's Eve (Early Closing)