United States (From Sea to Shining Sea)

USRA
United Socialist Republics of America
Timeline: Communist-Controlled America
OTL equivalent: United States of America

Flag Seal Location of America Motto "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs"
Anthem	"Onward, workers of America!"
Capital	Georgetown
Largest city	New York City
Other cities	Los Angeles
Language   official	English
others	Spanish
Religion   main	Irreligious
others	Christianity
Ethnic Groups   main	71.2% White
others	15.6% Black 4.8% Asian 8.6% other
Demonym	American
Government	Federal Marxist-Trotskyist socialist semi-direct council democracy
Legislature	Workers' Congress
President	Sarah Leslie (1936-1953) Larry Smith (1953-1961) Alexander Roberts (1961-1967) Emmanuel Winters (1967-1971) Maria Colombo (1971-1979) Anna Nikolaev (1979-1981) Micheal González (1981-1985) Samuel Allen (1985-1993) Thomas Kim (1993-1995) Melanie Chambers (1995-1999) William Douglass (1999-2003) Emily Thatcher (2003-2011) Mark Adams (2011-2015) Janet Kim (2015-)
Workers' Congress members	150 (current)
Population	317.46 million people (current)
Established	November 7th, 1936
Independence	from United States of America
declared	November 23, 1932
recognized	December 9, 1932
Currency	American Dollar
Time Zone	UTC
Driving Side	right
Calling Code	+1
Internet TLD	.ua
Organizations	United Nations (UN)

America, officially the United Socialist Republics of America, abbreviated as USRA, is a democratic socialist country in North America.

History

The coming of revolution

Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, many citizens of the United States began turning to communism. This led to the creation of the American Workers' Party; a new political party with the purpose of creating a communist society in America. Sarah Leslie was elected as its leader in 1929, just before the start of the Great Depression, and gathered support from across the United States. She led the American Workers' Party under Trotskyism, a democratic form of communism created by Leon Trotsky. Members of the party traveled across the United States, increasing the popularity of Trotskyist communism. Over three years later, as the Second American Revolution highlighted, she lead the November Revolution, capturing Washington, D.C., renaming it Georgetown and declaring independence from the United States. This started the Second American Civil War in 1932, which lasted for the next four years. This clash between communism and capitalism in America sparked a "Red Scare" around the world. In 1936, the United States officially surrendered to communist forces. Following surrender, the United States was dissolved, and in its place the United Socialist Republics of America was formally established. It quickly seized the United States territory of Alaska, with Alaskan socialists easily overthrowing the Alaskan government. Alaska was then annexed as the 50th republic. Georgetown was subsequently made into the capital of the new nation. Most of the remaining United States territories such as Cuba, declared independence.

Creating a workers' state at home and abroad: The Leslie Era

Under Leslie's leadership, massive campaigns were launched that greatly increased the percentage of Americans in the working class, which boosted the new country's economy, as well as redistributing wealth and political power equally among the people. Economic policies pushed millions out of poverty and into the middle class, while rich citizens were pulled down into the middle classes, essentially ending the system of social classes. A national government was set up as a loose alliance between the newly formed socialist republics, with the purpose of distributing resources among the republics, so they could provide jobs, money, and housing for each individual. It was meant to be purely provisional, as its only purpose would be to ensure each republic was democratic and had sufficient resources, after which it would be dissolved when it was not needed anymore. At the same time, attempts to lead socialist revolutions in former United States territory failed, convincing Leslie to wait until the country was stable to lead revolutions. In 1941, after stabilizing, America declared war on Germany, recognizing Nazism as anti-communism and thus the threat to the working class. In response, Japan declared war on America and began an invasion of Hawaii. Following the collapse of Nazi Germany, America detonated two nuclear bombs on Japan, forcing their surrender in 1945. Germany was then divided among the Allies: Britain, France, Russia, and America. While the British, French, and Russian-occupied areas were reunified, the America-occupied section was transformed into an independent nation: the German Democratic Republic. This lead to a brief civil war, after which the entire country was reunified as the Federal Republic of Germany. Japan was left to America's control after World War 2. Americans began supplying Japanese communists with weapons and assisting them in overthrowing the government, with the hope of gaining an ally in Asia.

Following the execution of Emperor Hirohito in 1947, the Japanese Civil War broke out. The Japanese Empire fell, and Japanese revolutionaries founded the Democratic People's Republic of Japan. America supported this new nation, giving it supplies and military support it required. The Japanese-American Split in 1953 caused this alliance to deteriorate, as Japanese communism drifted away from American communism. The failure of Sarah Leslie to create a democratic government in Japan was universally seen as an embarrassment, and Leslie lost most of her support at home and abroad. Japan and America retained a partial alliance, the "Communist League", which would be dissolved in the 1970s. In the final two years of her term President Leslie's approval ratings collapsed, prompting the initiation of emergency Reforms.

An enduring star: Progress, and Pacifism

The Reforms of 1954 planned to introduce a new set of laws intended to prevent corruption and authoritarianism in the government, such as limiting future presidents to serving only five terms (ten years) and limiting members of the Workers’ Congress to serving a maximum of 13 years. Ultimately, the reforms would be put into effect only after the Cold War, as the Workers’ Congress launched a coup and barred Leslie from the government. When the Japanese-American Split ended in 1971, America's alliance with Japan was severed, allowing American-Russian relations to improve. On October 14, 1986, the world saw a thawing in the Cold War when America joined the World Economy. The Cold War came to a close in 1991 with the end of one-party rule in America through the breakup of the American Workers' Party, allowing American-Russian relations to improve and fully bringing America out of isolation. The end of the American Workers' Party lead to protests nationwide, but these have since subsided.

Janet Kim passed the Reforms of 2015, which both initiate economic changes in an attempt to stabilize its economy, and renounced America's right to declare war, in an attempt to gain allies. Today, American citizens enjoy the second-highest standard of living, the fifth-lowest infant mortality rate, the world's largest industry, the seventh-least corrupt and tenth-most stable government. In modern times, America benefits from a prosperous economy, a rapidly growing population, and a large arsenal of nuclear weapons, but suffers from an unorganized military and lack of international support. It is ranked as one of the most liberal and democratic countries in the world, along with China, Korea, and Norway.

Government

Form of Government

The United Socialist Republics of America is structured as a federal republic; a union between "socialist republics", usually referred to simply as "republics", forming the country. Each republic is run by a "Workers' Council". The members of a Workers' Council are democratically-elected by the citizens of a republic who are not running for political office. The members of a Workers' Council are directly elected. Most republics use a system of preferential voting is used to determine the victors of these elections, though a few, particularly underpopulated ones, use a system of first-past-the-post voting. The number of members of the council and timing of the elections is determined by each republic, resulting in wide difference between when these elections are held in each republic, ranging from as little as five months to eight years between elections. Council members are required to work when the council is not in session, to ensure government officials are working members of society. While non-workers are prohibited from holding office, as the uphold the "dictatorship of the proletariat", the national government bans capitalists (except for Liberal Democrats), business leaders, and anarchists from holding office as well, without an official explanation. Three members of a Workers' Council serve as representatives of their republic in the legislature. The main purpose of the national government is to administer resources to the republics, as each republic is given the right to self-governance and limited autonomy.

Despite this, the national government possess the power to override the decisions of a republic's government, though this can only be done if the judicial branch determines the act to be unconstitutional or the majority of republics vote in favor of vetoing such decisions. This is done to insure each republic adheres to the nation's constitution. This system is intended to give each republic a restricted amount of control of its neighbors, while maintaining their control over themselves. However, since the 1980s the power of the American government has been gradually decreased, starting the passing of Amendment 13 in 1983, which re-dispersed power among the republics. The Communist Party has officially explained that these reforms as the beginning of the "withering away of the state", the final step towards a communist utopia.

The nation's capital, the Republic of Georgetown, is granted full autonomy, though it must operate under trade deals made by the national government of America. The city mainly serves as a meeting place for representatives of the republics, as it is controlled by a workers' council democratically-elected by citizens of the city that does not submit to the American government, nor elect its own representatives to the national legislature.

Branches of government

The national government is comprised of three branches: the executive branch, the legislative branch, and the judicial branch. The legislative branch is comprised of the unicameral "Congress of the Workers of the United Socialist Republics of America", more commonly referred as the "Workers' Congress of America" or simply the "Workers' Congress". Members of the Workers' Congress are comprised of members of each republic's Workers' Council. Originally, the legislative branch was indirectly elected, with each Workers' Council electing three of its members to the legislature. Since 1990, members of the legislative branch of the national government have been directly elected, with citizens electing three members of their republic's Workers' Council to the Workers' Congress. This is done using a system of preferential voting. The Workers' Congress possess more power than the executive branch of America, the "President of the People of the United Socialist Republics of America", both referred to as the "People's President of America" or simply the "President".

The President is the head of state and is directly elected through a preferential voting system. Originally, America used a first-past-the-post voting system to determine the candidate that became president, though since 1983, elections have consistently narrowed five finalists for president, ranging from the far-left to right-wing. As a result, Amendment 14 was added to the constitution, changing the voting system from first-past-the-post to preferential, in order to better represent the people's interests. This system remained in place even after the disbanding of the American Workers' Party. The President mainly serves as the symbolic figurehead, with political power mainly limited to advisory powers. The executive branch is the weakest branch of government, being able only to propose laws and constitutional amendments to the Workers' Congress.

Most non-elected government officials are selected by the "Constitutional Court of the Intelligentsia of the United Socialist Republics of America", more commonly known as the "Constitutional Court", though its choices can be overridden by the Workers' Congress. The Constitutional Court is comprised of scientists, mathematicians, lawyers, judges, political thinkers, etc. selected based on their skill. The Court's purpose is to give the intelligentsia a voice in the national government. The national government does not possesses a system of "checks and balances"; the legislative branch is the most powerful section of government. New laws and other government decisions are first bought before the Constitutional Court to determine its constitutionality, after which the Workers' Congress votes on whether to pass it or not. Originally, the Court provided planning for the economy, though today it uses a majority of its time explaining science to American politicians. However, as a means of implementing direct democracy, citizens must then vote on the proposed law or governmental decision for it to be put into effect.

Political parties

American politics is dominated by three parties: the far-left American Communist Party, the left-wing People's Democratic Socialist Party, and the centrist Liberal Democrats. The American Communist Party is the most popular party in America followed by the People's Democratic Socialist Party and the Liberal Democrats. The American Workers' Party, sometimes shortened as the "Workers' Party", was originally the sole official party of America, though it was incredibly loose, large, and decentralized. The Workers' Party held a monopoly on power, controlling each branch of government. Other political parties could have been formed legally, and elect their own candidates, though these parties were banned from holding office. This system of party discipline was intended to promote unity among individuals with differing opinions, with political discourse working out the flaws with communism and allowing everyone to work together under the banner of socialism to create an absolute communist utopia worldwide. Unfortunately, disagreements among party members divided the party rather than uniting it. Sarah Leslie, America's founder, manged to prevent complete collapse of party member relations, even after she was barred from the government.

Following Sarah Leslie's death on February 28, 1986, differences between party members began to increase once again. Even before her death, the rise of nationalism in America lead to a new ideology, that became popular within the Workers' Party, referred to as "Socialism in One Country". This ideology is the exact opposite of the theory of "Permanent Revolution", as it states that communist-controlled nations (specifically America) should only work to sustain and improve themselves. This is the opposite of Permanent Revolution, which states communist nations should make every attempt to create communist governments in other countries. Socialism in One Country states that America can only survive through economic and political supremacy, which can only be done through work to improve the living conditions for its own citizens combined with peaceful negotiation efforts to gain capitalist nations as allies.

The Workers' Party became divided among supporters of Permanent Revolution and supporters of Socialism in One Country. Just five years after Leslie's death, this division within the party become too much to bear, and it split into three separate parties. By 1991, it became clear that the collapse of the American Workers' Party was inevitable. On May 26, 1991, Samuel Allen added Amendment 15 to the constitution, which allowed political parties other than the American Workers' Party to hold office. This was done to prevent the fall of the American government, which most believed would happen when the ruling party disbanded. On December 24, 1991, the Workers' Congress voted to dissolve the American Workers' Party without a legal successor, a movement that took effect two days later, ending America's status as a single-party state. However, as part of Amendment 15, only three parties, selected specifically due to their support for Marxist socialism: the American Communist Party, the People's Democratic Socialist Party, and the Liberal Democrats, are allowed to serve in the government, leading some to call America a "three-party state".

Economy

Historical Development

America possess a socialist mixed market economy. Originally, America possessed a decentralized planned economy, dominated by worker cooperatives and self-employment. Businesses were officially state-owned, but in reality, were effectively owned by their workers. Banks were dismantled and replaced with credit unions as part of America’s transition to socialism. From 1936 to 1941, Leslie initiated the Five-Year Plans. After collectivizing farms and creating workers' factories, the program was launched to rebuild the country's devastated infrastructure and economy. During this period, all businesses were required to set "high, but realistic" goals to increase productivity, as well as set addition goals for the future. To give workers and farmers an incentive to work hard, they were allowed to own a small amounts of what they produced as personal property, as a part of their share of profits with the state. While the government did not punish businesses that failed to reach their goals, though it did shame them. During the period, the role of currency was significantly reduced and replaced by that of labor and the products themselves. In 1942, the expand the success of the Five-Year Plans, Leslie proclaimed a second phase of the Five-Year Plans. This, combined with American involvement in the Second World War, boosted the American economy and grew it to the size of Europe's. After the 1953 coup, its planned economy economy was centralized, with all businesses and enterprises becoming state-owned, but production of capital goods was still planned out by the workers. Citizens, regardless of occupation and government position, were required to work for the first seven years of their adult life. Through the 1940s and 1950s, the country's economy grew with unemployment plummeting from over 25% to below 5%, though this was mainly due to American involvement in foreign wars. With unemployment down, the economy flourished and citizen productivity increased.

Through the 1960s and 1970s, however, the economic growth began to slow down, as resources were drained supporting socialist revolutions in foreign countries. Through the 1980s and 1990s, the economy began to gradually recover America ended its involvement in foreign politics and began to focus on internal development. The Economic Reforms of 1986 passed by Samuel Allen began to integrate America into the World Economy, lowering the required amount of economic planning, and restoring both currency and private property. Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, state-owned industries were gradually transferred to the public and regulation on public industries was reduced, as the economy became less nationalized. The American economy functions under the principles of participatory economics, though due to the complex manner in which it operates, many organizations label the American economy as operating under "communist capitalism".

America's mixed economy

Janet Kim passed the Reforms of 2015, fully reforming America's economy to a mixed economy, with the intention of creating a post-capitalist economy in America. These reforms banned state-owned industries, forcing existing ones to either privatize or become socially-owned property. American citizens are still required to work for a certain amount of time, though this decreases as the population grows. Currently, American citizens are subjected to an 8-hour, 3-day work week, as well as two days of volunteer work, though volunteer work is not enforced by the government. Citizens work until the age of 55, after which they are granted retirement by the government. The value of goods can fluctuate according to supply and demand and private property is legal and encouraged by the government. Businesses and enterprises can be both privately and socially-owned, but state-owned ones are illegal. Private businesses are owned by individuals and socially-owned ones (referred to as public businesses) are owned by the people as a whole, rather than an individual. Private businesses are controlled by individuals, while public ones are controlled a democratically-elected labor union, based on the principle of workers' self-management through workplace democracy. Members of the labor union collectively serve as the business's entrepreneur. Public industries are owned by the entire population of the country, by are maintained and controlled by its workers. Because of how transactions in America function, those in charge of private businesses are mostly citizens going into retirement.

Private businesses are significantly more regulated by the government than public businesses, which are very unregulated. However, privately-owned businesses are required to become socially-owned if the state deems them to have "grow too large", as a method transferring ownership of the means of production to the people while maintaining a capitalist-style economy. All businesses are required to implement economic planning, though the products they create is determined differently. The owner of a private business determines the production of its products, whereas public businesses use the philosophy of "the customer is always right" to determine what products to make. Private businesses receive money from private, often either local or foreign investors, whereas the government directly invests in public businesses with public tax dollars. All workers are required to be educated in economics, as a means to insure adequate economic planning. In public businesses, economic planning is a participatory process carried out by its labor union. All businesses, regardless of its owners, are required by law to surrender their profits to the government for redistribution; the majority of companies are publicly owned due to public stigma against private ownership. Due to profits from businesses being required to be given to the government for redistribution among citizens, many critics describe American businesses as state-owned. America contains 12 "Specially-Administered Economic Experimentation Zones", in which laissez-faire capitalism is enforced and no economic regulation is allowed.

Transactions and Public Services

The American government follows a "citizens first" policy, putting the value of its civilians above all else. The government provides temporary jobs to unemployed citizens, based on their abilities, until they have found a permanent job and are financially stable. Citizens are allowed to change their job, but do not receive government assistance when doing so. General resources are disturbed to citizens based on needs rather than greed, but the specifics of those resources are chosen by citizens based on their personal greed rather than needs. All citizens are given housing, medical care, clean water, food, and education for free, as they pay for these through taxes. Taxes are paid every year on December 31st with Continental Credits, earned from paychecks given by the state for the the citizens' work.

Citizens are essentially in a state of perpetual debt, working so they can pay it off and continue their rather luxurious lifestyle. American taxes are among the highest in the world. For every months' worth of taxes paid prematurely, citizens are given a "vacation card", which allows for a week-long state-paid vacation to a location of their choosing. Although the American government distributes wealth equally among citizens, and thus income inequality does not exist, a form of class divide does exist under this new system. Citizens working the longest or in extremely dangerous jobs have the most vacation cards, can be considered the "richest", as they have the most free time. Once citizens have worked for the amount required by the state requires, they are allowed and encouraged by the state, though not required, to retire. Under this system, the American economy has prospered, with American goods increasing and value and the American GDP being the highest in the world.