Parliament of the Rensselaer Republic
Rensselaer Parliament of the Common People Rensselaer Parlement van Het Volk | |
|---|---|
| 29th Rensselaer Parliament | |
 Image of the Rensselaer Parlement van Het Volk | |
| Type | |
| Type | Unicameral House |
Term limits | Four Terms (max. 16 years) |
| History | |
| Founded | December 1, 1818 |
| Preceded by | Freijian Northern-Hibernia Colonial Administration |
New session started | February 1, 1935 |
| Leadership | |
Coalition Government Leader | |
Liberal Democratic Bloc Leader | |
Worker's Bloc Leader | |
Rural Interests Leader | |
Nationalist Front Leader | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 350 |
Political groups |
|
Length of term | Four Years |
| Elections | |
| |
First election | December 1st, 1818 |
Last election | December 1st, 1934 |
Next election | December 1st, 1938 |
| Motto | |
| "Elke man vertegenwoordigde" | |
The Parliament of the Rensselaer Republic, officially known as the Parliament of the People (Freijian: Rensselaer Parlement van Het Volk) is a unicameral house which acts as the Legislature for the Federal Republic of Rensselaerswijck. It is tasked with passing legislation, confirming cabinet positions, and overseeing the executive branch with checks and balances. The current leader of the Parliament, or Deputy President, is Hamilton van Rensselaer Fairfax. It is compromised of 350 members, referred to as MPs (Members of Parliament) and a coalition of 175 or more is needed in able to form a majority government. The current government in power is a coalition goverment formed by the Republican Unity and Mercantile Interest Parties.
History
Foundation of an Equal Body
The country of Rensselaerswijck was formed on the basis of equality for all. Upon the independence of Rensselaerswijck in the Treaty of Freijstad, the new country had to form a government. It took until 1818, however, that an actual government and constitution was adopted. The constution laid out the need for a legislature equal in power and rank to the executive branch, and created the foundations of the Parlement van Het Volk. It establishes a body of representatives which are proportionally represented in direct democracy, a first for Hibernia. However, those allowed to run were still limited.
Role of the Deputy President
In early drafts of the constitution, the Deputy President (like the President) was to be elected directly by the people. This caused an issue, as three positions being elected directly without input from each other could cause theoretical problems. Some politicians noted that a President, a Deputy President, and a majority of Parliament could be controlled by three seperate political parties, causing deadlock in the political system.
By 1822, the role of Deputy President was enshrined in the constitution as one that would be elected by members of Parliament and be the head of the Legislature. That way, a Deputy President could not likely be Deputy President without a majority of Parliament's approval.
Ranked Choice Voting
An idea manifested which stated that "in order to truly show democracy, one must let others vote for multiple candidates." This idea was not very mainstream at first, but after multiple General Elections and seeing the vast number of "spoiler"-like candidates, in which voters effectively waste and split the vote tallies of ideologically similar candidates, the government began to seriously consider a new solution.
A very progressive and left-wing government in the early 1900s attempted to push through an amendment to the constitution to include Ranked Choice voting. Parliament initially shot down the idea, but by 1912 all provinces bar one had implemented it anyways. The government, in order to comply with Provincial Decisions, asked Parliament once again to make Ranked Choice official on a federal level. Parliament this time approved, and it was used for the first time in the General Elections of 1914.
Current Parliament Outlook
The current Parliament consists of 5 coalition blocs which represent the interests of multiple or one party, while the parliament has a total of 9 individual political parties being represented. The 29th Rensselaer Parliament is led by a Republican Unity - Mercantile Interest coalition, which has ruled the government for two Parliamentary Sessions in a row.
Political Parties of Rensselaerswijck
| Party | Position | Common Ideals | Leader | Seats in Parliament | Bloc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican Unity |
Centre-Left | Free Trade, Pro-Indigenous Interests, Status-Quo Governing, Neutrality, Expanded Regional Powers | Hamilton Van Rensselaer Fairfax | 135 / 350 |
|
| Mercantile Interest |
Centre-Right | Market Liberalism, Free Trade, Merchant Interests, Deregulation, Pro-Business | Willem Lodewijk | 45 / 350 |
|
| Liberal Democrats |
Center | Protectionism, Pro-Union, Pro-Indigenous Interests, Expanded Federal Power | Jan-Pieter Snijder | 100 / 350 |
|
| Christian Democrats |
Centre-Left | Christian Democracy, State Religion, Protectionism, Expanded Federal Power, | Maas Heino | 20 / 350 |
|
| Rensselaer Worker's Movement |
Left | Socialism, Welfare Net, Trade Unionism, Anti-Corruption, Redistributionism | Gantse Braaksma | 25 / 350 |
|
| Socialist Front |
Far-Left | Socialism, Welfare Net, Trade Unionism, Anti-Capitalist, Redistributionism, Anti-Market, | Neents Brouwer | 1 / 350 |
|
| National Party |
Far-Right | Fascism, Nationalism, Interventionism, Corporatism, Populism, Military-Industrial Complex | Nicolaas van Lenthe | 5 / 350 |
|
| Christian Fundamentalist |
Far-Right | Theocratic, Nationalism, Interventionism, Corporatism, Populism, Native Expatriation | Dik van der Voorde | 4 / 350 |
|
| Rensselaer Farmers |
Left | Anti-Mercantilism, Pro-Farmer, Agricultural Interests, Anti-Indigenous Interests, Rural Prioritization | Maurus Schaaf | 10 / 350 |
|
| Independents |
No Affiliation | No Official Affiliation | No Leader | 5 / 350 |
Republican Unity
The Republican Unity party was formed in late 1929 of a coalition of Republican and regionalist parties seeking to greaty lower the authority of the Federal Government in the wake of the Martens Administration Scandal. It won a landslide victory in the 1929 Rensselaerswijck Snap Elections, winning an absolute majority without forming a coalition government. However it lost its absolute majority in the 1930 Rensselaerswijck General Elections, being forced to form a coalition government with the Mercantile Interests Party. Many of its former seats were swooped up by the resurgant Liberal Democratic Bloc, which stands to be the party's greatest opposition in Parliament.
Mercantile Interest
The Mercantile Interest party was formed in the mid-1800s as an official political party, yet it has remained active in Rensselaer politics ever since colonial times. It started off as a lobbying organization which would lobby the colonial administration for favorable treatment towards the Merchant Class, but has generally evolved with the country as a political organization promoting free trade, mercantilist policies, deregulation and lower federal government outreach. Incumbent president Willem Lodewijk was elected party leader in 1926 and has won the Presidency every time ever since taking a caretaker role of President in 1929.
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats were formed in the early days of Rensselaerswijck, in 1825, and have been a dominant figure in politics ever since. Their power over the country collapsed following the Martens Administration Scandal, in which President Martens, the Deputy President, and around half of the members of parliament charged with criminal contempt of the constitution were Liberal Democratic members. The party was initially banned from participating in the ensuing 1929 Rensselaerswijck Snap Elections, but the party was pardoned by President Willem Lodewijk in late 1929 as part of his recovery program. The party did not participate in the snap elections, however, and lost most of their seats as a result.
By that time next year, the Liberal Democrats had laid off prominent officials and overtaken a grand rebranding as a political party dedicated to protectionism, indigenous interests, and unions. A popularity surge thus followed, and in the 1934 General Election it scored surprising upsets over the Republican Unity Party. They are currently lead by Jan-Pieter Snijder, who states he will fix the wrongs of the former Liberal Democratic administrations.
Christian Democrats
The Christian Democrats are an off-shoot party of the Liberal Democrats, being formed in 1901 to advocate for Chrisitian Democracy. They generally align themselves with the Liberal Democrats in most areas, except they seek to involve religion closer into state affairs. Discussion of a merger with the Liberal Democrats broke down after the Martens Administration Scandal lead to the collapse of the Liberal Democrats. Ever since, Christian Democrat leader Maas Heino has been reluctant to restart talks. In the 1930 General Election, the Christian Democrats publicly denounced the Christian Fundamentalist Party as "misrepresenting" Christianity and religion. The feud between the two parties on which holds the religious voting base continues to this day.
Rensselaer Worker's Movement
The Rensselaer Worker's Movement was formed in the late 1830s just as the Industrial Revolution was making waves across the world. It has always focused on protecting the common man, but as time has gone on drifted further left towards more socialist policies. They currently advocate for the redistribution of wealth from wealthy merchants to the common man, and party leader Gantse Braaksma said that "Syndicalism could work if implemented properly."
Socialist Front
The Socialist Front does not have much support, only having one seat in parliament by its party leader, Neents Brouwer. It is much more radical than the RWM and advocates for something closer to Communism rather than Socialism. Neents Brouwer has even stated that "people do not even like democracy," when interviewed about what he would do if theoretically elected President. The party continues to dip in support, advocating for an abolishment of capitalism and a switch to a command economy.
National Party
The National Party is a far-right group of mainly citizens with Freijian backgrounds. It has publicly supported various fascist governments worldwide, including Altenland, and effectively seeks to convert Rensselaerswijck into a fascist dictatorship. The Supreme Court mulled banning the party, but narrowly voted against it after its founding in 1919. President Willem Lodewijk called the National Party a "disgrace to Rensselaer politics and a terrifying represetation of everything wrong with men."
Christian Fundamentalist Party
The Christian Fundamentalist Party is an extreme far-right religious movement which seeks to turn Rensselaerswijck into a theocracy with Christian-principles guiding the country. It has been accused of openly advocating ethnic cleansing, which it denies, while also calling the indigenous population a "brown filth on this country." Various party officials have been arrested for crimes ranging from Hate Crimes or murder. It disputes the Christian Democratic Party as the "true party for the religious." It's extremist attitudes have put off most voters, although the fact that it still manages to be re-elected makes waves in Parliament.
Rensselaer Farmers
The Rensselaer Farmers Party is a single issue party, formed in 1843. It opposed the switch of Rensselaerswijck to an economy reliant on its port cities and dependent on the merchant class. It claims to represent the farmers of Rensselaerswijck who live in rural areas, and if elected it would prioritize rural areas over urban areas. Most farmers and rural voters, however, tend to favor the Liberal Democrats over the small single issue party. With ten members of parliament, it generally sides with the Liberal Democrats on most votes.