Acadian Confederation

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The Acadian Confederation
La Confédération Acadienne
Flag

Motto
"Libertas, Æqualitatem, Pax" (Latin: "Liberty, Equality, Peace")
Anthem
"None"

Map

Short Name Acadia
Demonym Acadian
Capital City Fort Frontenac
Largest City Fort Frontenac
Official Language English, Français
Land Area 1.1 km² (approx.)
Population 21 (as of 2013 census)
Religions All Religions are accepted
Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Internet Domain None
Calling Code (+1)

Government
- Type of Government Confederation with Cantonal Direct Democracy
- Federal Council
- Minister of Defense Trevor Munroe
- Minister of Domestic Affairs Devin Cushing
- Minister of Foreign Affairs Caleb Dyer
- Minister of Economic Affairs Matthew Oakes
- Minister of Education and Research Samuel McCoy
- Legislature The Parliament (comprised of 15 seats)

Elections
- Last Election 1 April 2013

Economy
- Currency Libra Acadiana (£)(LBA)
- GDP (total) £89.25 (LBA)
$115.25 (USD) (when Ag is $31.00/Troy Ounce)
- GDP (per capita) £4.25 (LBA)
$5.49 (USD)
- Currency Value 1 Libra Acadiana is equal to 20 grains of fine Ag.

Establishment
– Foundation N/A
– Constitution Ratified N/A

Notes None
Website

The Acadian Confederation is a micronation founded on the (date) with the adoption of its Constitution by a vote of # to #. The nation project commenced a few weeks later when the delegates from the Constitutional convention met in a heavily forested area in southern New Hampshire. The found a small brook and founded a small commune which was named Fort Frontenac after the first governor of the New French Territories. Here the government was established and the Acadian Confederation was begun.

Etymology

The name Acadia comes from the name of the region in the northeastern region of North America. The name itself is derived from the Greek word “Arcadia” meaning a place of refuge or peace. This name was chosen for its relevance to the goals of the project: to create a society which was a place of refuge from the modern Western society.

History

In early 2013, a few students in a southern New Hampshire high school started a project to create a fully functional independent nation. This idea was born from a political discussion among them on the subject of constitutional rights. From this came the basis for the nation: to create a state that would promote the rights of the People above all else. The students researched and eventually developed a governmental system of direct democracy (like that of Switzerland) that would accomplish this and become the basis for the society.

In early February the students interested in the project met and ironed out the details within a Constitution that had been drafted by a prominent member of the group, Caleb Dyer, who would later become the Confederation's first Minister of Foreign Affairs. This Constitution stressed the importance of People's rights, including eleven specific rights that would be guaranteed to the People. The Constitution was heavily influenced by the Constitution of the United States, but specified some rights that are not guarded by the Constitution's first ten amendments.

The students studied the draft and found it to be sufficient to create a government upon it. With a few minor edits and the signatures of many of the future members of the first Federal Council and the Federal Parliament the Constitution was ratified on the (date)2013.

Government and Politics

Government

The government of the Acadian Confederation is quite complex. As outlined by the Constitution, the government is to be a sort of Confederation of the cantons within it. He Constitution is designed to maximize the sovereignty of the Cantons and minimize the power of the federal government while maintaining a strong union between them. The style of government also incorporates an element of direct democracy similar to the public initiative system that has been implemented by many European states. This is specified in the Constitution to be:

“The People shall have the power to hold referenda on any matter that is of concern to them. This includes but is not limited to: the removal of one from their office, the introduction or repealment of a piece of legislation, the introduction of a Constitutional amendment, or the implementation or nullification of a statue.”

This wording is considerably stronger than the wordings of this concept within other Constitutions. Also this ability is guaranteed as a right of the people as stated in the third amendment in the second chapter of the Constitution.

The government consist of three primary bodies: the Federal Council, the Federal Parliament, and the People's Court. These three bodies share power equally and are tasked with guarding the nation's interests domestically and abroad.

The Federal Council is comprised of five seats. These seats are the Minister of Defense, the Minister of Domestic Affairs, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Economic Affairs, and the Minister of Education and Research. Each office shares the power of the Executive body. The Council meets regularly to discuss the state of affairs and to draft policy for introduction to the Parliament. Councilors shall also hold special powers dictated by the title of their office. The abilities are specified by the Constitution and include such things such as the conduct of foreign affairs, the regulation of state resources, and the provision of welfare.

The Federal Parliament is the national legislative body. It is composed of 15 seats; three representatives are elected from each canton. The representatives meet regularly to debate the issue that are presented to them. Any representative can introduce an issue as may the Federal Council or a regular citizen. The Parliament is required to address every issue brought before them. The Parliament also has the authority to draft and enact legislation to alter the laws of the state.

The People's Court is the national judicial authority. It is an assembly of seven elected justices which have legal authority to decide the Constitutionality of any statue or amendment to the Constitution. They also have the absolute power to decide the legal meaning of the Constitution. The Supreme Court can also regulate the actions of the Federal Council to an extent which would prevent the Council from abusing its authority in Parliament and with the execution of statutory law.

Politics

In the Acadian Confederation politics are very non-polar. There is no clear right or left. There are prospects to form political parties however many people do not support this because they feel it would create the same problems that exist in modern western societies. Because the federal government is so small it is considered unnecessary to create parties because it represents more of a realistic view of the society.

Cantons

Each canton in the Acadian Confederation is sovereign to the extent that the Constitution allows.

Fort Frontenac

Fort Frontenac is where the federal administrative district is located. Fort Frontenac is currently the only developed area within the country. It borders a small brook to the east and is crossed by the only major path through the country.

Greywood

Greywood is the southernmost canton. It is mostly swampland but does have some develop-able land. It is bordered by a stream to the east and south as well as a small pond which is the heart of the swamp.

Chaumont

Chaumont is the northern most canton in the Confederation. it is also coincidentally the highest ground in the Confederation. At the top of the hills one can find Acadias only other well developed area.

Rochterre

Rochterre is a district in the south of the Confederation. The canton borders a stream to the south and is known for its rocky topsoil. Rochterre is a primary source of stone for building structures in the Confederation.

Rome

Rome is a canton located in the western hills of the country. The Minister of Domestic Affairs and the Minister of Defense currently jointly control the land as it has no inhabitants.

Courts and Law

At the present time the federal authorities do not have a specific court system. This role is being filled by the People's Court which is serving secondarily as a court of criminal trials. The court's justices rotate on a schedule to determine who will preside over each case. As of yet they have not been compensated for these trials.

International Relations

The Acadian Confederation is a serious nation project and does support relation with other nations of similar intent. According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Caleb Dyer: “The Confederation shall support relations with any micronation which has a proven physical presence and supports the same basic goals of our social project.” The Acadian Confederation is Constitutionally bound to remain diplomatically neutral. At the present moment the Confederation has sent no ambassadors to any foreign nation.

Military and Police

The Acadian Constitution allows the for the creation of independent non-federal militias that would regulate law as would a police force. In times of war the militia may be federalized in order to "provide for the common defense". At this moment the Acadian government is debating whether or not a standing army should be able to be formed and maintained by the federal executive authority. The Minister of Defense, Trevor Munroe, is the main supporter of a standing army. He stated in a council meeting: "If Acadia grows large enough to need a standing army then it should be one of our interests to plan for it in the future." If the government was indeed to change this they would need to amend the Constitution by a 10/15 vote of the parliament and the approval of 4 of the 7 justices of the supreme court.

Economy

The economy of Acadia is very unique. At the moment the government has no specific regulations on the economic activity of the state creating a very pure free market economy. In addition to this the federal Constitution states that the unit of currency of the Confederation shall be equal to 20 grains of silver. This means that the Acadian Confederation is currently the only nation on the face of the earth that has adopted a true silver standard. Currently the nation's silver depository holds 1784.2 grains of silver in its reserves in the form of coinage. Because of the relatively high value of the currency and the low amount of reserve silver the nation has a very low Gross Domestic Product. This is also because the Confederation lacks the ability to conduct formal trade internationally.

Education and Research

Each Canton is responsible for maintaining its own system of higher education. The universities of each Canton collective form a federal university system. Any citizens has the right to education therefore all tuition is state subsidized and only costs students about £0,40 per month of education or £4,80 per year per student.

In Acadia scientific research is highly valued. The Confederation invests 12.5% of its GDP in Education and Research. Most government investments go towards the development of solar energy or simple machines to aid in production and construction. The Confederation does not invest any of this money in the development of arms.

Culture

The Confederation has a culture which is very rooted in New English and French traditions. The citizens gather to celebrate many regular holidays celebrated by the other ethnicities in the region with the exception of Independence Day (US), Presidents Day (US), and Martin Luther King Jr. (US).

The Confederation has a small press agency which releases a weekly newsletter called Vox Libertatis. The newsletter informs of basic regional and federal happenings and also includes articles on World, Financial, and Micronational news. Currently it is sold only in print for £0,05 in Fort Frontenac.