Republic of Superior (1983: Doomsday)

The Republic of Superior is an American survivor nation in what used to be the upper peninsula of the former American state of Michigan.

Post-Doomsday
The only target in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan was K. I. Sawyer Air Force base, garrisoned by the 410th B-52 Bomber Wing. Shortly after the nuclear-armed bombers took off for their flight over the North Pole into the Soviet Union, all remaining base personnel fled outside of what was deemed a certain target. One Soviet missile did hit the base through an air burst, completely destroying everything in a 10-mile radius from the epicenter. Marquette itself suffered significant damage, but most was able to be repaired quite easily. No other major settlements were seriously harmed by the detonation.

Robert S. Stowe Sr., mayor of Marquette, John O. Harrington of Sault Ste. Marie, and a delegation from Escanaba. Plans were made that, in order for their communities to survive, the borders with the former states would have to be blocked off, including sending those with experience as soldiers to block off the Northern and Southern ends of the Mackinac Bridge.

Birth of the Republic
Knowing that there was little likelihood that the American government survived the war, Robert S. Stowe, on May 19th, 1984, declared the formation of the Republic of Superior, claiming that it was time to put aside the idea that the United States existed. Though there was some opposition to the idea of what was considered secession, many agreed that a government of their own would be best until communications with the outside world could be reestablished.

Each of the cities and towns sent delegations to the constitutional convention in Marquette, held on the 4th of July of the same year. There, they adopted a virtual copy of the American Constitution. The only major exception was that in the text, in order to be a natural-born citizen of the Republic, one must be born on national soil, and also be the child of another citizen of the Republic. Though controversial, more radical elements prevailed, claiming that by keeping out potential refugees, it would not force the nation's hand into helping them.

The Years of Stabilization
It was quickly assumed that the county lines would form the basis of the new "states", each of which would elect Representatives and Senators to Congress in Marquette. Due to the difficulties of holding an election outside of county lines currently, Robert Stowe was elected by the Congress to be the first President of Superior. There were two major problems immediately facing the Republic upon the formation of the government. One was that there were refugees leaking through the patrols along the former border with Wisconsin. The other was the expected food crisis once the stockpiles within the cities ran out. Under the direction of President Stowe, Congress quickly passed the Kerin-Casey Act. The Act impressed former seamen into the remains of Michigan's fishing fleet in order to establish a reliable food source for the nation's population. Farming would also be reestablished, though it was considered more a temporary measure, as there was little possibility that they would thrive in Superior's environment. Regarding immigration of the refugees, the Act established a National Army, in order to regulate immigration into the Republic at a respectable rate. At the same time, a major refugee camp would be established at the Southern end of the Mackinac Bridge, in former Mackinaw City. Seen as a way to possibly stem the flow of the refugees, it only made it worse as word spread in the Lower Peninsula. Eventually, the situation got so bad that they had to start turning out refugees from the refugee camp. From the refugee camp, those deemed with skills that would be useful to the Republic, such as doctoring, teaching, etc., were allowed across the bridge into Superior Proper, and sent through a naturalization program. Those who had formerly been in the army or law-enforcement were immediately put into the military. Each of these "probationary citizens" received supplies on loan from the government that they would have to pay back by working on their assigned jobs.

By beginning of 1985, the food crisis had been solved, following the expansion of the fishing fleet and personal, though the failure of the farming expansion was a disappointment. At the same time, control over the Western Frontier was strong enough to stop almost all illegal immigration, including the establishment of several minor refugee camps. However, problems were only growing in Camp Mackinaw. Despite the military presence, crime and murder rates began to soar, and a feeling of resentment toward the RSA (Republic of Superior Army) in keeping them in such squalid conditions.

Camp Mackinaw Riots
As dissent increased in the Mackinaw Refugee Camp, so did the nervousness of the camp's administrative officials. Order's were soon sent out that gave emergency powers to the military, hoping that the increased freedom of the Army would be enough to stem the riotous behavior that was increasingly common. Col. Lewis Poulat infamously fired into an open crowd after they rushed a food convoy heading to the east sector. Despite calls for his court-martial by some Congressmen upon hearing of the incident, nothing came of it. On April 23rd, 1985, a squad of RSA soldiers moved in to close a warehouse. Several refugees, including a women and her child, approached and begged for food and blankets. Nobody knows who fired first, but according to a military spokesman two of the refugees pulled guns on the soldiers and tried to force themselves inside. The soldiers immediately opened up on the group, killing them all. A few second after this, the refugees rushed en masse upon the squad and overwhelmed them. The warehouse was broken into and picked clean of all of its holdings. The 14th Company was rushed to the area, and demanded the release of the squad. Fighting broke out when these demands were refused.

The riots quickly spread throughout the entire Southern sector of the camp by the end of the day, and, by order of the President, contained within the Sector. Robert Stowe hoped that the situation would cool off enough within two days to allow the redeployment of military units in the area. At the same time, dissenters in any other part of the camp were immediately ejected outside of it, in hopes of containing any further thought of rebellion.

On April 25th, the 2nd Army moved into the ruins of the Southern sector, expecting little to no resistance. Surprisingly, the rebels were well fortified, and well armed. It was later learned that they had somehow managed to break into one of the minor weapons caches hidden within the sector, specifically in case such a riot occurred. It would take until the next day before the riot was finally crushed.

In all, some 12,000 refugees were dead or wounded during the riots, about half just fighting amongst themselves. 87 Superior Soldiers died, with another 265 wounded. The main squad that was positioned to guard the warehouse was later found hanging from the lampposts along the main street. Their bodies had been riddled by bullets, and there was not much left for identification. Public opinion for the camps fell dramatically, and it would take another ten years before proposed representation for the camps in the Republic's government were to be passed.

Return to Calm
Shortly after the riots in Mackinaw, support for the refugee camps plummeted among the public. Votes came just short of a full withdrawal of support for camps both in Mackinaw and along the Western Border, even with the veto from President Stowe. Fears of further rioting died down after rationing limits were lifted after the end of the food crisis, and law and order had been reestablished, or rather reinforced, by additional deployments within Mackinaw. Mackinaw itself would quickly develop by 1990 into a fledgling city, unrecognizable from the slums that had dominated five years ago. As a result, Mackinaw become both the most populous, and the most prosperous settlement within the Republic. The refugee zones were moved outside of the city in early 1989.

Along with the success of the city, there grew demands for representation in the Republic's Congress. However, public opinion was still largely against Mackinaw's admission as a full state, and as a result, much of Congress. One of leaders of the opposition, Republican Robert P. Griffin, claimed that the refugees had yet to earn back the right of being citizens of the Republic, and it would be better if they were apart. President Stowe disagreed, and campaigned endlessly across the nation in favor of Mackinaw's admission. The initiative would fail throughout the remainder of the Stowe administration, but it would remain a major issue within the nation into the next decade.

Another topic that began to dominate Congress was when an expedition was going to be sent into the outside world, as some communication was being picked up, but nothing that was understandable. James Whitney Dunn, a Republican Congressmen from Escanaba, eventually proposed that an expedition be sent into the Lower Peninsula, in order to see if any other government developed in the area, or if anything remained at all. A similar expedition would be sent west, into what was the former Canadian state of Ontario. Several outposts had been established on that coast, but there had been only a few patrols into the main interior. Another, “RSREF Wisconsin” would explore inside the former state of Wisconsin, where reports from refugees stated that there was to be some form of a settlement, though more recent refugees from the area say that any form of government had since left. The location was later pinpointed as being Madison, which was quickly designated as the units goal. A final one would be sent from Marquette to skim the coasts for any other signs of human goverment. President Stowe quickly supported the plan, but in private voiced doubts that anything would come of either of the expeditions.

Results of the RSREF
Both elements of the Republic of Superior Recon Expeditionary Force (RSREF) were given 500 men, each with enough supplies to travel for about 6 months round-trip, though they were encouraged to increase their supplies whenever they could. Both left Mackinaw on April 3rd of 1991, while the RSREF left Marquette on the 5th.

The RSREF West was by far the most successful of the expeditionary forces sent out by the Republic. Though it did engage a group of pirates off the coast of Wisconsin, who were promptly executed and their bodies dumped back into Lake Superior, they managed to find a local functioning government in, in the former Canadian state of Ontario. The RSREF might have missed it if they had not sent out a boat of their own to determine what the large force was. When the men docked, it became apparent that the city had fallen under the control of a fascist government, led by a Canadian Captain known as Giraud Leppe. The RSREF was graciously greeted, as Thunder Bay had lost all communication outside of the city, and was having trouble both in terms of resources and morale. Believing they were the only human settlement left was not dwelling well upon either the soldiers or the people. However, the tyrannical tendencies of Leppe, as well as the lack of freedom in the city itself, disgusted more than a few of the SRA Soldiers and Officers. The RSREF left Thunder Bay on May 29th, and returned to Marquette on Jun 17th.

RSREF South expected to find little, if anything, in the Lower Peninsula. Fewer and fewer refugees were coming in from that direction, and many stories told tales of horrific acts of survival. Many tales also involved what was considered a rouge group of National Guardsmen, known as the “Night Watch”, led by someone known as “Sarge”, based in Lansing. They were attributed to many attacks upon refugee convoys trying to reach Superior. As a result, the convoy was prepared for military action, expecting to engage the group at some point on its way past Lansing to former Chicago.

As it so happens, Detroit and Lansing were found to be almost, if not completely, depopulated, having been taken back over by nature. “Sarge’s” grave was found in the ruins of Lansing surrounded by many of his spoils, with signs that the “Night Watch” had since disbanded. By records, it appears as if there had been an attempted coup among the leadership, in which “Sarge” had been killed. In former Indiana, the expedition came across several nomadic clans that traveled over most of the Midwest, and told that there were many such groups both South and West of their current location. Meetings with the “Rico” clan did not go over well, as a soldier by the name of Pvt. Neville Gregory had apparently fallen in love with, and removed the virginity of, the Chief’s daughter. A firefight ensued as warriors of the clan tried to take both Pvt. Gregory and the daughter, who had been disowned, back to the camp. As a result of this incident, strict rules were put upon expedition member’s interactions with natives, and Pvt. Gregory was removed from active duty.

Chicago was quickly found to be in the same condition as Lansing and Detroit. Though the city had noticeably lower radiation readings, not many Americans remained within its ruins, and those who wished to come with the expedition back to Mackinaw were allowed. RSREF South returned to Mackinaw City on August 11th.

RSREF Wisconsin was simple in its objective and left Ontonagon on May 20th. However, suspecting that the situation in the city had deteriorated, based on stories from refugees, the expedition was well-armed for any possible combat with the locals. By the time the expedition arrived at Madison on June 13th, the entire city was in a state of civil war, though it was not much information was able to be gathered. This was almost entirely due to Colonel Jeremiah Perry’s policy to try and not interact with the locals, let alone intervene in the urban warfare within the city. Locals who wished to escape the fighting and were taken back explained that several mobs had developed within the city, though only three were left in existence. After a soldier was killed when a patrol in the city’s suburbs came under fire, Colonel Perry ended the mission and ordered a return back to Ontonagon. The RSREF Wisconsin arrived back o August 3rd.

RSREF East had little to no success in its mission. Many of the settlements it came across were either razed or abandoned, and Ottawa was no exception. The only bright side was that a few refugees were rescued from what appeared to be rouge hunters, though it was quickly noticed they were cannibalistic. The refugees told them that most of the settlements had been abandoned in favor of heading south into the former United States. RSREF East returned on August 11th.

The Thunder Bay Question
Two major issues arose by the time 1992 came around, the first, and most important, was the 1992 Presidential Election. Robert Stowe had won the last two elections largely unopposed, in 1984 and 1988. However, he was bound by term limits within the constitution, and was forced out of office. As a result, the Republican and Democratic Parties both held mini-primaries within the Republic to find nominees for the Presidency.

The Republican Party eventually nominated Lewis Poulat, now a General in the SRA. Running on a platform of expansion and strength, he advocated that relations between Thunder Bay and Superior be formalized, and that a military force should be sent south to liberate Madison. The Democratic Party quickly found its candidate in Vice President Joseph O’Hara of Escanaba. Though relatively conservative, he did not believe that the Republic should send aid to Ottawa at all, and that taking Madison would be a needless waste of lives and resources, for little gain.

Polling between the two candidates almost always had Poulat ahead by five to six points, and it appeared that he would win the election comfortably. However, the Marquette Press released information regarding his term of duty while serving in the Mackinaw Refugee Camp, specifically the infamous “February 3rd Massacre”. Despite attempts to remove the issue from the election, Poulat plummeted in the polls, and O’Hara won in a 57-43 landslide.

President O’Hara regarded the government in Thunder Bay as being nothing more than “a Canadian version of Hitler’s Nazi Germany, and Mussolini’s Fascist Italy!” The Republican Congress tried to pass legislation that would aid the Ottawa government, but the President’s veto power, along with Democratic opposition, resulted in naut. Eventually, Secretary of State Russ Feingold convinced O’Hara that it would be better if they tried to change Thunder Bay by offering aid with conditions such as Democratic reform, and a return of basic civil liberties. Congress quickly passed a relatively large aid package, that at the same time formalized relations with the Thunder Bay government.

Cpt. Leppe, however, was against any form of Democratic government being created in the nation. Instead he promised to increase civil liberties, and promised that a Parliament, albeit weak and virtually powerless, would be formed. O’Hara almost canceled the deal, but Feingold and many Republican Congressmen convinced the President that the seeds of Democratic government had been planted, and it would be better that Thunder Bay were an ally rather than an enemy. In late 1993, a SRA convoy arrived, completing a transit link between Thunder Bay and Merille Base on Lake Superior. A embassy was constructed in the city, though an embassy would not appear in the Republic until 1996.

Expansion
As expected, the issue of Representation for Mackinaw again became a major issue in the Republic. Adding a new state to the nation did create some excitement, but there was also a certain level of resistance among the old guard who remembered the Mackinaw Riots, and still refused that such a proposal even be considered. President O’Hara, however, agreed with many fellow Democrats that Mackinaw was culturally a part of Superior now, and that they had no right to run their lives while denying them citizenship. As a result, Congress passed the Mackinaw Status In Regard to Superior Act. Basically, a referendum was set for July 4th of 1995, where residents would determine whether Mackinaw was to become an independent nation or a state in the Republic of Superior. As the date for the referendum approached, both President O’Hara and Mayor Fredrick Cullen campaigned in favor of statehood, which was chosen overwhelmingly, 67-33. The debate in Congress was more heated and controversial, however. Veteran Congressmen Robert P. Griffin lead a filibuster against Mackinaw’s admission, but Democratic gains in the 1994 Congressional Elections were enough to win cloture. A star was added to the Flag of the Republic a month later on August 6th, the day Mackinaw was officially admitted into the Union. Elections were held the next month to elect Senator and Representative to Congress, among them Socialist Representative Dennis Kucinich, a member of the recently created Socialist Party.

Another major issue that was arising was overpopulation, specifically in Mackinaw. There wasn’t a problem with food, resource, or anything like that; it was simply a lack of space. Congressmen James Dunn quickly proposed that the government give people incentives to move into the now open countryside just outside of Mackinaw City along the Upper Portion of the Lower Peninsula. Other Congressmen included the establishment of enclaves on the now abandoned Manitou Islands in Lake Michigan, on the Leelanau Peninsula, and the outposts on the coast of former Ontario. Known as the Dunn-Keithmen-Theriualt Act, it was rapidly passed in September of 1995. Settlements have since expanded to cover much of the Great Lakes region, though most remain within close proximity to the Upper Peninsula.

Another major Act passed in 1995 was the Capital Relocation Act. The idea was that, due to the rapid expansion of the Republic, a central Capital would be required other than the state of Marquette, which still had trouble accommodating the large Congress of the Republic. Despite his initial refusal, the capital was ordered to be named after former President Robert S. Stowe, in honor of his guiding the Republic through the early year, in which it was least stable. Following a building plan reminiscent of the Washington D.C., a short drive out of Manistique, the capital was not entirely completed until 1998, though Congress and the Lake House were completed by early 1997.

Intervention in Madison
President O'Hara's popularity, along with the support of the electorate from Mackinaw ensured that he would be able to serve an additional four years as President of Superior. However, the Republicans recaptured Congress after a short period of Democratic dominance. With Robert P. Griffin as Majority Leader of the Senate, he asked that an intervention force be sent to liberate Madison from its state of civil war, and to establish a new republic allied with Superior. Many Democrats, including Socialist Dennis Kucinich, regarded this nation-building as imperialism, as the goals were not in line of those within humanitarian means. O’Hara’s view of the war in Madison had since changed, however.

Since the RSREF South’s failed attempt to retrieve vital Intel on the ongoing conflict within the city, stealth recon patrols had been authorized by both Presidents Stowe and O’Hara. Apparently, three mobs were fighting for control of the city, using both old National Guardsmen equipment and weapons made in the reactivated factories. Somehow, the population in the area had managed to remain stable, but the number of casualties was staggering. Reports of child soldiers were being ever more common by the late 1990’s as able-bodied men became scarcer. After a meeting with Chief of Staff Charles Danforth, O’Hara asked that congress authorize a military force be sent into Madison in order to stabilize the city. On June 2nd, 1997, Congress gave its authorization, despite some opposition from Democratic and Socialist Congressmen. The 3rd and 4th armies, under the command of 4-star general Jack Yeager, entered the city on Jul 21st, with a force of about 15,000 men. What was expected to be an easy fight quickly turned into a war of attrition, as the three mobs, shortly after the entrance of the RSA, joined forces against the outside threat. President O’Hara was shocked when General Yeager asked for additional men, having expected the Madison to already largely be under the control of the army. Comparisons from the former United States experience in Vietnam were cited by some Congressmen, but another 60,000 men were deployed to aid the effort, along with an off-shore presence made up of former Coast Guard vessels. Madison would not come under the control of the RSA until May 28th 1999, and even then would not be stable until the last major mob arrests in August of 2001.

Overall, 689 SRA Soldiers would die in the attempt to liberate Madison from 1997-1999, and another 4,576 were wounded. O’Hara’s popularity plummeted as a result, and as a result Republicans captured super-majorities in Congress, while additional Democratic seats are lost to the rising Socialist Party. Reconstruction efforts in Madison immediately got underway, despite the occasional firefight with mob remnants that had gone underground.

The Provisional Government of Wisconsin was established on October 14th, 1999, under the leadership of General Yeager, though former Secretary of State Russ Feingold ran most, if not all, of the administrative duties and reconstruction. Feingold also set elections for November of 2000, so that the Republic of Superior could quickly withdraw most of its military, while leaving an effective government behind. When the elections finally rolled around, a largely liberal-socialist government was elected, with independent candidate Timothy Lemms being elected President after winning in the runoff election. The Provisional Government of Wisconsin was disbanded in February 8th 2001, which was declared a national holiday (Sovereignty Day), by President DeLeo. The still suffers from a significant level of corruption, of which Lemms is suspected of aiding, but the nation is in general considered a success in the Republic of Superior’s Foreign Policy.

The Conservative Revolution
The War in Madison had destroyed whatever hope had remained for a Democratic President to be elected in 2000. The only matter of importance was who the sacrificial candidate would be. That eventually fell to Senator Marvin St. Jean, who was in reality the only Democratic candidate that had entered the race (future analysts would find that he himself was reluctant to declare, but that this was his best chance of both winning the nomination and the election). The Republican race was easily more contested, but the man who quickly came on top was Governor of Marquette, Randy Sarick, who was considered one of the most popular and successful governors of the time. The election was largely considered one-way, as Sarick defeated St. Jean in all the debates. The analysis proven to be quite correct, with Sarcik carrying every single of the 16 states, along with a surprisingly large 65% of the popular vote. Many Democrats also found themselves voting for Socialist candidate Arlen Tompkins, who had until recently been on the fringe of national politics.

As a result, Republicans also captured super-majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, due to Sarick’s landslide victory, many Democratic voters failing to vote, and vote-splitting between Socialist and Republican candidates. This would easily allow for President Sarick to carry out his agenda for the Republic. At the same time, a short-lived Conservative Democrat Party came into existence, but it failed to gain much traction, and most of its members defected to the Republican party.

”Stowe, we have contact”
One of Sarick’s most important and desired goals was the establishment of contact outside of the Great Lakes region. The government in Thunder Bay gave some hope that one would exist elsewhere, but the last expedition had largely proved to be fruitless in its goals. Chief of the Army Bruce Wayne, however, was particularly adamant that if civilization existed anywhere, it would be in the former Northeast of the United States:

''“Mr. President……Canada is our best bet in finding an form of government…..as most of those coastal settlements…….including states like Newfoundland and Prince Edward would have survived Doomsday. Whether they themselves have had any luck in contacting the rest of the globe……however……is the real question. Is the globe still too fractured to reunite communications like it had 20 years ago? Well…..I think we must assume that it is. For the sake of humanity……..I hope that it isn’t.”'' In a landmark piece of legislation, President Sarick asked Congress to authorize the creation of the 2nd RSREF, tasked exclusively with exploration for any forms of government along the St. Lawrence, or within the former American states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. Despite opposition due to the finding of the last expedition among Socialists, both Democrats and Republican gave unanimous support.

The RSREF was assembled at Riker, a settlement along the southern coast of former Ontario. Almost exactly retracing the path of the RSREF East, the RSREF came across the ruins of Ottawa, or what was left of them. Nature had almost entirely reclaimed the city, with few, if any, recognizable features shown from pictures taken only 10 years prior. However, bandits were found along the St. Lawrence River in the former Canadian state of Quebec, with which several pitched battles were fought. Talk of a Republic known as “Saguenay” was heard from captured bandits, but not much thought was put into it, as they were drugged when they revealed this.

On July 19th, the expedition came across a patrol of what appeared to be American Soldiers, yet they wore an insignia reminiscent of the former US states of Vermont and Maine. In a friendly meeting with expedition leader Col. Cage, they revealed that were part of the military forces of the Republic of, which occupied much of the former state of Maine. When asked if contact had been made with other parts of the globe, the soldier, now identified as Sgt. Oliver, simply said:

“Sir……..if you mean if I can talk with someone from here to Tokyo…..hell no. If you mean that we are in contact with other governments around the globe…..who are themselves trying to survive….then yes.”

Shortly after this exchange, Col. Cage sent the following message, now famous throughout the Republic as meaning a dawn of hope:

“Stowe……we have made contact.”

Contemporary Times
Many citizens of the Republic were saddened to hear that the government of the United States had disbanded seven years earlier, as, despite President Robert Stowe’s comments during the Republic’s formation, there had been an undying hope that somehow, the government that had represented the free world would fail to die. Regardless of this sadness, it quickly turned to pride, as the Republic of Superior was by many residents now the successor of the United States. This is true in many regards, as it had largely held onto the American political system, while also remaining culturally identical. However, desires among citizens for the rebirth of the United States have lead to the dominance of the Committee to Restore the United States of America as an organization in recent years, while heavily supporting the now dominant Republican Party.

After the 2nd RSREF expedition, President Sarick did not have much done during his first, and later second terms in office. The economy boomed as settlements continued to develop along the shores of the Great Lakes, though this eventually presented a problem of how to govern them. Many wanted them to obtain immediate statehood, though this was problematic, as they were far apart and not heavily populated. What eventually was passed was the Carey-Feingold Act, which carved areas along the Great Lakes into territories, based upon the location of settlements, their size, and their political leanings. A panel would determine in 2012 whether any of the territories were ready to be granted statehood, and every two years after that would make another review. In compromise to those who wanted immediate representation, a council of delegates from the territories would be established in Stowe. Though they would have no power in the actual proceedings of Congress, they would be able to make it clear or not if they supported the path was taking in regards to any bill or law that affected them.

The 2008 election was easily won by Republican candidate Terrance Newman, who simply rode on the popularity of President Sarick, over Democratic candidate Russ Feingold. However, in a surprise move, President Newman made Senator Feingold his Secretary of State, a position he had held in the O’Hara administration. Though this was decried by some Republicans, the move was largely met as a good will gesture to a respected politician in the Republic.

Goverment
The government of the Republic of Superior is almost a virtual copy of that of the former United States of America. A President is elected by the people every four years, with the Electoral College casting their votes as well, whereas the candidate must have a majority of the electoral vote to win. Plans to do away with this system were removed, as an amendment was added, where the winner of the Presidential election was also win a plurality of the popular vote in order to be elected. If none of the candidates have both, then the election moves to Congress, where the President is chosen by the state delegations in the House of Representatives, while the President is chosen by the Senate. Congress is divided between a House, reflecting the population of the states, and a Senate, slower to change, and also to prevent radical change in government policy. Though the original number of Representatives was kept the same, the Senate was downsized, due to there only being sixteen states, rather than the fifty in the former United States. The House is reelected every two years. Senators serve terms of six years each; the terms are staggered so that approximately one-third of the seats are up for election every two years. This was achieved by dividing the senators of the 1st Congress into thirds (called classes), where the terms of one third expired after two years, the terms of another third expired after four, and the terms of the last third expired after six years. This arrangement is also implemented following the admission of new states into the union. The staggering of the terms is arranged to ensure that both seats from a given state are never contested in the same general election except when a mid-term vacancy is being filled. In cases that the seat of either a House Seat or a Senate Seat is vacated for any reason, a special election is held on the next election cycle. Before and even After Doomsday, two major political parties dominate the political landscape; the Democratic Party, and the Republican Party. Due to the moderation of the Democratic Party’s policies, the Socialist Party has developed among the far-left wing citizens and immigrants. At the same time, the National Republican Party recently got under way, and has only recently met success in the 2008 House elections, where three of its candidates managed to defeat incumbent Democrats.

The Democratic Party has existed since the fight between Andrew Jackson and John Q. Adams over the results of the 1828 American Presidential Election, born from the Jacksonian Democrats. Following a ideaology of American Liberalism, the party has since fallen on hard times, being largely blamed for the bungling of the War in Madison, which was thought to have been simple operation. Despite being an Independent in the Republic’s politics, Robert Stowe is a staunch supporter of the Democratic Party.

The Republican Party has existed since Anti-Slavery and Abolitionist groups in the north, alienated by the Whig party’s failure to take a position on slavery, created it in 1854. Its ideology is heavily conservative, though not to the extent of the National Republicans. The Republican Party has since largely become the dominant political party in the Republic, maintaining super-majorities in both the House and the Senate.

The Socialist Party is not a relatively new creation, being based off of earlier Socialist parties of the last century. Many former Democrats, upset with the moderate positions in the Democratic Party’s platform, developed the Socialist Party, which was popular among many refugees who had since become citizens. Following American Socialism as its ideology, the Socialist Party is often decried as being no different in its proposed policies than the former Soviet Union, though this has no prevented their rise. Their major bastion is in the state of Mackinaw, though they also have some support in the West of the Republic as well.

The National Republican Party was formed by a group of recently naturalized citizens from Thunder Bay, who did not feel that the Republican Party was truly following a path of Conservatism. Though controversial in its views on race, its proposals for a strengthened central government, the Conservative Revolution from 1998-2000 was all that was needed to propel them upon the national stage. Steady growth in membership has allowed them to pick up a three seats in the last House election in 2008.

Politics
Immigration remains a major issue today, even following the major expansion on the Lower Peninsula. The issue has died down in recent times, and the growing issue is becoming what the future of the Republic is going to be. The Republican and Democratic Parties have survived largely intact, and still dominate the Republic's politics. There is a major Third Party movement, the Socialist party, that is gaining steam, but has largely been stemmed by the existence of the left-leaning Democratic Party, and charges of it carrying "extremist" ideas similar to the former Soviet Union. As a result, they still remain upon the fringe of national politics, despite having several congressmen in office.

At the same time, there is a major dispute over territory control along the shores of the Great Lakes. Though the Republic of Superior has organized territorial government along the coast of the former Canadian state of Ontario, the land is still claimed by the Canadian Remnant Provinces. However, it is not in much of a position to reclaim the land, nor is Superior willing to give it up, being populated mainly by its own citizens.

States within the Republic of Superior
This is a list of states within the Republic of Superior, and the years in which they entered the Union.

Demographics
Despite being largely American, both in its nominal population and from refugees, the culture, and therefore demographic map, has largely been unchanged. A small minority of French-Canadians moved from the former Canadian state of Ontario into the Republic, but this was equally offset by the many Anglo-Canadian refugees. The Republic is almost entirely white, but some minorities managed to escape the nuclear destruction of the urban areas.

An interesting development is the resurgence in ethnic languages, specifically Finnish in the western part of the state. Though English was still the dominant and most used language, what psychologists now call “Post-Nationalism”, in which members of ethnic groups, fearing that their cultural heritage was to disappear, quickly began regressing back into their old ethical habits. Therefore, along with the rapid increase in ethnic languages, ethnic customs have made a rapid come-back as well.

Foreign Relations
Since establishing communication with the outside world, the Republic has tried to maintain friendly relations with as many nations as possible. At the same time, it has tried to gain entry into the newly formed League of Nations, though so far has only obtained Observer Status, due to hostility from Canada. This is due to territorial disputes between the two regarding land claims along the Great Lakes, but it is largely only vocal on the part of Canada, while Superior has established settlements along much of the coast.

Along with Canada, relations with Thunder Bay have become strained due to the continued tyrannical rule of Captain Giraud Leppe, despite attempts to democratize the nation through both aid and economic connections. Human Rights remains a major problem, and there are increased calls for intervention among Democrats and Socialists. However, President Newman has called for restraint explaining that he did not wish for another Madison to occur in Thunder Bay, a position supported by his Democratic Secretary of State, Russ Feingold.

There are plans to establish a guarded road to Aroostook by way of Riker, but the costs are enormous, and the road would not be finished until sometime in 2011. Even then, there would have to be a large guard to prevent raids by rogue elements.

Military
The Republic of Superior Armed Forces relies heavily upon conscription, though there are also voluntary programs given with large incentives and benefits. This was enacted in order to eventually remove the National Service, though current numbers show that it is unlikely that such a move will be made until the 2020’s at the earliest. Those who are subjected to conscription are required to serve six years in the armed forces, after which they are always on call in the case that an emergency reserve must be formed. Women, however, are given exception from the draft, but are still allowed to voluntarily join at their behest. The Armed Forces are all under the complete control of the Chief of the Army, being split into smaller branches. These are the, the , and the. There is also a break off branch from the Republic of Superior Army, known as the, formed from the best of the best from all three other branches.

The Armed Forces are tasked with protecting the Republic from all dangers, though in its earlier history, it was tasked almost specifically with regulating immigration into the Republic. However, there have been calls for an expansion in its peacekeeping role. This is opposed by the majority of citizens, though, due to the experience the Republic had in trying to pacify Madison.

As of August 1st, 2009, there are 254,639 citizens enlisted in the Armed Forces.

Economy
The economy of the Republic has grown more diverse over the years. Fishing has become a major factor, both in terms of food and as a way of livelihood. At the same time though, an electronics industry has rapidly developed, mainly centered in Marquette and Mackinaw City. Though still in their early stages, the result has so far been positive, especially in regard to computers. Mining has also returned, but not to the extent of the regions hay-day in the 1800’s. Many of the mineral resources had already been removed from the soil, but new techniques and technologies have uncovered previously unknown veins in the last two decades, that have since restarted the industry. Farming, specifically in corn and wheat, has been picked up in recent years, but mainly in the more arable land in the Lower Peninsula. The largest industry by far, however, is the lumber business.

Though one would expect demand would have gone down, in the Republic it skyrocketed, specifically after 1995. At that point, when people began moving out along the coasts of the Great Lakes, carpentry and lumber were the two things that everybody desperately needed. Still the forests have managed to recover nicely over the last twenty years despite it all.

Oil was originally difficult to get, and all supplies were given to the military. In recent years, deposits have been found, both in former Michigan, the Great Lakes, and in former Ontario. The government, however, has been following a path of trying to promote Greener forms of energy, specifically biodiesel fuel and hydrogen fuel. There has been controversy over the use of hydrogen-based cars, though, due to its explosive nature.