New West Indies Monthly Update: November

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[center][size=115]❂ [url=https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1231583][color=gold]Previous Issue[/color][/url] ❂ [url=https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1189662][color=gold]Monthly Update Issues Archive[/color][/url] ❂[/size][/center][hr][/background-block]

[floatleft][box][center][b]Sections[/b][/center]
[list=I][*][url=#intro]Introduction[/url]
[*][url=#announce]Important Announcements[/url]
[*][url=#cymio]A few words with...Cymiopolis[/url]
[*][url=#activities]Recent Activity[/url]
[*][url=#oped]Opinion: A new era for Foreign Affairs[/url]
[*][url=#game]Game of the Month[/url]
[*][url=#jud]Scales tipped in favour of Regional Judiciary[/url]
[*][url=#new]New Citizens[/url]
[*][url=#poll]Appreciate the old, seek the new says regionwide poll.[/url]
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[anchor=intro][/anchor][center][size=150][font=futura]W E L C O M E [tab=20][/tab] B A C K [tab=20][/tab] ![/font][/size][/center][hr]

[tab=50][/tab]Fellow New West Indians and readers from abroad, welcome to the Monthly Update for November! This is going to be the last Monthly Update of the year 2019, and the last of this executive term. Whereas the future of the Press Corps is uncertain and depends on what the next Secretary-General feels, what is absolutely certain is that this update will be full of exciting news! 

This banner could have easily been one of a turkey and a US flag, as the end of November is known as Thanksgiving for many of our Northern American friends. However, the Update is not in the business of telling you what you already know, so we'll instead remind you that one day before Thanksgiving, on November 27th, the world celebrated Electric Guitar Day! The day commemorates famous guitarist Jimi Hendrix's date of birth and is the occasion to gossip about and listen to electric guitar music. If you knew [i]that[/i], you have the Press Corp's apologies, and the promise that at least one thing in this particularly filled update will surprise you. 

Indeed, November has been a particularly newsworthy month, with two major proposals covering the New West Indies' brand new judicial branch being passed, one judicial election, one poll, two elections coming soon, fantastic roleplay, a Cabinet reshuffle, great foreign affairs achievements, and an interview with Secretary of Internal Affairs and long-time New West Indian Cymiopolis! This update might be a bit wordier than usual...

Please do tell us how you feel about it, any feedback, suggestions, requests for advertisements or articles submitted in your name or anonymously should all go to Press Director [nation]Celestiam[/nation] (Seafarer#5810 on Discord). We are always appreciative of any comment you can bring to the table to make our Updates more agreeable and informative. If you liked this month's update, please [color=gold][b][u]upvote it[/u][/b][/color] so others can benefit from reading. 

If you wonder why we have so much to say, you should definitely join [url=https://discordapp.com/invite/cmeQqND]Our Discord Server[/url]. This is where a lot of the political and especially cultural life of the New West Indies takes place. Whether you are a citizen, resident, diplomat, or even just some random visitor who landed here, you are welcome to join. We look forward to seeing you there! 

And now, with no further ado, let the November Monthly Update begin! 
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[anchor=announce][/anchor][background-block=#1E90FF][hr][center][color=gold][size=150]Important Announcements[/size][/color][/center][hr][/background-block]

[table][tr][td]Office of the Secretary-General[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]
[list][*]Many citizens have gotten themselves a government job and enjoy it! You can do too [url=https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1241099]here[/url] by following this link. Want to have fun, develop skills, and get the fuzzy feeling that you’re helping out in the process? Nations are free to read and apply for positions!
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[table][tr][td]Department of Internal Affairs[/td][/tr]
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[list][*][nation]Cymiopolis[/nation] is the new Secretary of Internal Affairs

[*] [nation]Deugaw[/nation] is now the Activity Moderator. He’ll be making sure people are active enough to be on the Regional Map. 
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[table][tr][td]Department of Foreign Affairs[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]
[list][*]A Treaty is currently being negotiated with our friends over in [region]Alvaria[/region]. The Treaty is currently being pre-discussed in the committee chambers of the General Assembly on Discord.  

[*] The Secretary of Foreign Affairs is now [nation]PotaTown[/nation]

[*]The Department is still hiring Ambassadors! Check it all out [url=https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1241099]here[/url]. 

[*] We now have an [url=https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=474475]embassy[/url] on the Nationstates gameplay forums, where news of our fantastic region will be available for the whole world to see! 
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[/table]

[table][tr][td]Department of Administration[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]
[list][*] Interested in a job that involves you directly with the inner workings of the New West Indies? That allows you to run this region's governance, roleplay, and functionings from the inside? That places you directly below the Secretariat, offering a promising entry into your governmental career? There is such a job as Administrative Assistant to the Secretary. Widely considered as an antechamber to the Secretary position, the Administrative Assistant provides a valuable aid to the Department of Administration. Interested? Contact [nation]new United Carolinas[/nation]

[*] Check out [url=https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1283892]Nwi.gov[/url], the Government’s new dispatch portal! You can find all your favourite dispatches linked there. 
[*] The Department of Administration, thanks to [nation]Portinabia[/nation], now has a [url=https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1287338]Cultural Repository[/url] that you absolutely should check out. 
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[anchor=cymio][/anchor][background-block=#1E90FF][center][hr][color=gold][size=150]A few words with... Cymiopolis[/size][/color][hr][/center][/background-block]

[center][img]https://www.nationstates.net/images/flags/uploads/cymiopolis__521454.png[/img]
[size=75]Text in [i]italics[/i] directly quoted from interview with Cymiopolis, or RMB posts[/size][/center]
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[i]Clock Tower Pier, in Montreal Canada, is where 
Cymiopolis would meet us if he had a real interview. [/i][/centre][/box][/floatright]     

[align=justify][b]Whether you are a roleplayer having interacted with this peculiar Venetian inspired South American nation, a Falklands nerd, an appreciator of good flags, or a political observer, it is nearly impossible not to have bumped into [nation]Cymiopolis[/nation]. He's the man with the plan, Has the posts with the most, Flies a flag that is swag, he's a sightsee, he's lordly, [i]and[/i] he's a Secretary. Besides he won last edition's monthly update game. That's the kind of person you'd pay to interview. Thankfully the busy statesman did not charge us for his time in answering a few questions...[/b]

Late afternoon, by the agreeable Old Port of Montreal, a luxurious black sedan bearing the logo of the Department of Internal Affairs pulls up. Out comes Cymiopolis. In his hands, no guns, and behind him no bodyguards. Instead, the nation famous In-Character for their fine wine exports comes with two bottles of Valpolicella wine. How did we even get here?

The answer comes from Cymiopolis and is a quintessential example of how lucky people can sometimes be "[i]I was answering issues when I first started playing NS and got a recruitment telegram from Achipel. The region seemed relatively fleshed out and had a cool map so I decided to join and lay claim to Tierra del Fuego[/i]". Cymio then specified this was the first time he had ever gotten seriously involved with any region in Nationstates "[i]I had done a small stint on NS with my puppet Lambrinia, but mostly answered issues until I got bored.[/i]" This is how, on April 5th, 2018, Cymiopolis arrived in the New West Indies, where Founder Achipel welcomed him and an equally new nation...Volirum. 

Cymiopolis' first few days in the New West Indies were spent doing what newcomers do best: asking as many questions about everything as he could fathom and worrying about his NS Stats. In one of his posts at the time, erstwhile newcomer Cymio said "[i]At first I was disappointed this game didn’t have different forms of Anarchy (I lean towards Anarcho-Capitalism), but I was pleasantly surprised after an issue returned Cymiopolis to Anarchy AND upgraded my economy (the issue, in particular, was outlawing Eminant Domain)[/i]". Soon enough, they started moving to roleplay and made their first RP post in the New West Indies by building Hanging Gardens. 

Cymiopolis' post quality went soaring, as the now-famous "Most Serene Ministry of Foreign Affairs" started imposing sanctions on the more belligerent nations of the New West Indies, and the nation was advancing to space mining and interest in extraterrestrial operations. Still today, Cymiopolis is one of the New West indies' prime spacefaring nations in character. 

In early January 2019, Cymiopolis' career took a turn. The nation that had arrived on the same day as him, Volirum, was running for Secretary-General and looking for candidates to fill the NWI's four departments. "[i]I felt like it was a good time to get involved in regional politics.[/i]", Cymiopolis now comments. Fascinated by regional mapmaking, Cymiopolis asked to become Secretary of Internal Affairs. "[i] Sadly, Volirum had a man for the job who was doing great so I had to settle for SFA[/i]". 
A few days later, Volirum triumphed in the Secretary-General elections and became the New West Indies' second elected Secretary-General. Cymiopolis took his first elected office. 

During his time as Secretary, Cymiopolis remained extremely active in the regional roleplay. When asked how he managed to balance both responsibilities, he humbly replied "[i]The balance was easy as SFA since my job only involved accepting or denying embassies. Not gonna lie, Achipel would do that anyways before I’d have the chance so it was a relatively slow job which left me more time to RP.[/i]" 

While Cymiopolis' first term saw some advancements in Foreign Affairs, the Department of Foreign Affairs really took off during Cymiopolis' second term as Secretary of Foreign Affairs, this time under Secretary-General Karteria. Of this time, Cymiopolis told us "[i]Working under Karteria really changed the work dynamic since he had a more proactive approach. He let us do what we want, but he still gave us some guidelines to steer us on the right path[/i]". 

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[i]What the regional flag would have looked like, had Cymiopolis' proposal won[/i][/center][/box][/floatleft]
But Cymiopolis certainly did not wait for Karteria to be elected to do what he wanted. While Karteria was preparing for the polls, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs started [b]a flag competition[/b]. " [i]As Secretary of Foreign Affairs, I've seen plenty of beautiful regional flags while establishing embassies with other NS regions.[/i]"Cymiopolis explained. What with an active citizenry, quite a few good vexillologists, and a new vexillology channel on Discord, the competition drew much attention. Five submissions were placed, but in the end, the winner and the current flag of the New West Indies was designed by New United Carolinas. 
Reflecting on those times, Cymio said: "[i]While it didn’t have the desired effect of making my entry the official NWI, NUC did a stellar job along with the other participants and I loved the energy that the flag competition brought[/i]". 

The energy it brought was a taster of the new Secretary-General's plans to make the New West Indies a more active place, and the Department of Foreign Affairs certainly was not left out of those plans. It is under Cymiopolis' tenure as SFA that the New West Indies' Embassy Policy, that is still relevant today, was published. The self-declared goal was to have more "[i]meaningful diplomatic relations[/i]". Cymiopolis explains "[i]A meaningful embassy would entail sending ambassadors (either the SecGen, SFA and/or diplomats) to a regions Discord, getting to know their government and sharing ideas amongst each other to grow our regions together[/i]". The policy has permanently shaped the way the New West Indies conducts interregional business, as many embassies with Collector, too small, or inactive regions are closed or never opened. In hindsight, Cymiopolis believes that the policy was "[i]relatively successful. We now communicate with numerous other regions on the NWI Discord’s diplomacy channel.[/i]"

Two weeks ago, in mid-November, Cymiopolis' dream was finally accomplished. He who had wanted to become Secretary of Internal Affairs, for now, a full year was finally rewarded as Secretary-General Karteria picked him to replace outgoing SIA Luraqau. "[i]Wanted to be SIA ever since I decided to enter regional politics since I love making maps (I can draw the borders of the Balkans by heart).[/i]"  The Press Corps was unable to fact-check this last assertion, but Cymiopolis' love for mapmaking was immediately apparent, as he worked through the backlog in map application to present a recently updated regional map. But that is not all. "[i]My goal as SIA is to make the NWI maps the envy of all other regions[/i]" Cymio asserted, before adding "[i]After looking at some other region’s maps, I reckon I’m almost there.[/i]" He also told us he might experiment with new formats in the future, but kept his mouth shut when we asked for more (unless you count sipping tasty red wine). 

Speaking of the future, Cymiopolis confirmed he would be running for SIA again in December, claiming "[i]Hell yeah. I live these maps like they were my children[/i]". The Father of Maps remained more elusive on potential Secretary-General ambitions in 2020, for which he is considered to be one of the most plausible candidates "[i]Nah, Karteria is doing a great job as it is and I have no idea how he balances that job with his IRL life[/i]" he told us. 

It was getting late on Clock tower Pier, and Cymiopolis the trilingual mapmaking vexillology-loving fervent Progressive ambitious Secretary had work to do. The Press Corps thanks him for his service to the region, and for having taken time off to answer questions. 

[anchor=activities][/anchor][background-block=#1E90FF][hr][center][color=gold][size=150]Recent Activity[/size][/color][/center][hr][/background-block]

[table][tr][td]Roleplay (IC)[/td][/tr]
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After weeks of raids in the anarchic Anatolian peninsula, the great leader of [nation]Idiocarasia[/nation], Yebelluv, has returned to his capital with much loot and slaves. 

A major drought has hit [nation]Kilaguni[/nation], bringing the nation's welfare system to large levels of stress as the most disenfranchised citizens were unable to count on a decimated agricultural production. 

While Kilagunians are starving, more nations have joined the International smoking competition held in [nation]The Anarchist Communist[/nation], while the Royal Ministry of Sport of the [nation]North Italian Union[/nation] suggested adding a drinking contest to the smoking, making the contest even more degenerate. 

In Kurdistan, [nation]The Greater Iran[/nation]'s armed forces successfully raided bunkers where Ottoman loyalists were hiding. The same Ottoman Loyalists issued an ultimatum to occupying forces in Anatolia to retreat, otherwise, 800 hostages would be culled. 

Far from earth, in Neptune's atmosphere, a [nation]Portinabia[/nation]n space marine betrayed his colleagues and escaped from Neptune's orbit with an escape pod, leaving his fellow crewmates for dead. 

In [nation]PotaTown[/nation], a violent coup has brought leader Ravi Olé to power. The government was reformed into an autocracy known as [nation]Oopsidroppedmyrightsburg[/nation]. The regime's human rights violations have put it at odds with much of the international community, with the [nation]North Italian Union[/nation], [nation]The Anarchist Communist[/nation] and [nation]Caves of Paradise[/nation] applying sanctions and Cymiopolis refusing to sell a space station to them. 

In [nation]Achipel[/nation], President Hatüey Cantù was forced to resign after corruption scandals, leading to the election of left-wing nationalist Bárður Néstor Morales Halldórsson as President of Achipel. Halldórsson's first act as President was to invite leaders of the Caribbean region to a summit in Paradí, the Capital. 

In [nation]New United Carolinas[/nation], the Governor of Appalachia Province, who had been accused of bribery, money laundering, and other career-ending scandals, deserted his province. It was later revealed the governor had fled to morally doubtful international pariah [nation]Oopsidroppedmyrightsburg[/nation]. 

[nation]SiegFried[/nation]'s navy has been moved from the Baltic to the Atlantic to benefit from a larger training environment. 

[nation]Cymiopolis[/nation] and [nation]Portinabia[/nation] have cooperated to create the Panamero Zone (PaZ), a single market in the Americas. The Government of Achipel has asked to negotiate a certain number of opt-outs.

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Free Trade has been at the heart of Internation diplomacy this month [/center]

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[table][tr][td]Government[/td][/tr]
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Executive Decrees authorized in October.
[list]
[*][url=https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1279973] EDA#002:Amend "Deputy Secretary"[/url]
[*][url=https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1283681] EDA#003:Amend "Election Information"[/url]
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[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/3WW5lzg.png?1[/img][/center]

[table][tr][td]Elections[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]
We had a Judiciary Election at the end of which [nation]Twelve Titans[/nation] was elected Chief Justice. 

Secretariat elections are scheduled for [b]December 14th, 2019[/b]

General Assembly President elections are schedules for [b]December 25th, 2019[/b] (Merry Christmas!)

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[table][tr][td]Assembly Affairs
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GA resolutions passed in November
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[*][url=https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1275985][GAR#21] Establishment of a Judicial System[/url]
[*][url=https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1283751][GAR#22] Criminal Code[/url]

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[center] [img]https://i.imgur.com/xjFuy7J.jpg?1[/img]
[i]There is still plenty of free space around the Capitol to build Congressional offices, so do join the General Assembly![/i][/center]

[anchor=oped][/anchor][background-block=#1E90FF][hr][center][color=gold][size=150]Opinion: A new era for Foreign Affairs[/size][/color][/center][hr][/background-block]
[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/Ji9ySEp.jpg?1[/img][/center]

In mid-November, we had a Cabinet reshuffle that replaced our long-standing Minister of Foreign Affairs [nation]Cymiopolis[/nation] with highly active career diplomat [nation]PotaTown[/nation]. PotaTown had considered writing about foreign affairs for the Update and was recognised as a leading non-Cabinet foreign policy expert. This fresh face at the top of the Department of Foreign Affairs is already quite a change, but wouldn't make a whole opinion piece if it weren't for some other events. 

We are currently negotiating a Treaty with Alvaria. Though it is not the first time the New West Indies negotiates a Treaty, it is the first time it is being done as a bilateral agreement between two active regions, whose heads of state seem to be in good standing with each other. The Treaty is not currently being too discussed in Alvaria, though the general feeling there is that the people like the New West Indies and wouldn't be opposed to tightening relations. In the NWI, we already started pre-debating some parts of the still unsigned treaty in the GA channels. The Treaty would establish real ambassadors, and sources close to the diplomatic proceedings claim clauses allowing NWI citizens to create a puppet and participate in the ALvarian army, or that Alvarians could roleplay in the New West Indies are being negotiated. Whatever is coming is quite exciting, and many agree. 

Meanwhile, we were visited by the Vizier of Foreign Affairs of Osiris, who graciously invited us to build a Consulate on the forums of this prominent GCR. Ties with a wider NS world and NS Gameplay, that have started ever since the creation of our embassies on the NS forums, are starting to be formed. 

But all of this will prompt legitimate questions. We will need to look at our stances on what can be traded in Treaties and what can't. We will need to look at how we think of our embassies and relations with regions that support or have supported actions that are not compatible with our morals. We will need to think of what image we want to give out to a world that will soon start seeing us. 

Thankfully we have an election coming quite soon. The December Secretariat elections will be our chance to discuss a subject once upon a time left to a few élites and nerds. Foreign Policy is relevant to every New West Indian, even those who are happy with roleplay posts. It affects who gets to RP here, how we are seen, and even how many people we get to join our region. Too long has Foreign Policy been restricted to a few lines on platforms about liking the Embassy Policy, and "privileging quality over quantity" without any other description. As this issue is starting to become more and more relevant, our dialogues about Foreign Polic need to gain in substance. 

[anchor=game][/anchor][background-block=#1E90FF][hr][center][color=gold][size=150]Game of the Month[/size][/color][/center][hr][/background-block]

This month's game of the month is a riddle! The first one of you to find the answer and contact [nation]Celestiam[/nation] will get the chance to publish anything they want, be it text, memes, a video, countryballs, a poem, a complaint, ANYTHING (as long as it is legal and not obviously spammy/too heavy) in the next Monthly Update that will be the first update of 2020! The riddle is:

[center][i][size=150]I have cities, but no houses. I have mountains, but no trees. I have water, but no fish. What am I?[/size][/i][/center]

Good luck!

[anchor=jud][/anchor][background-block=#1E90FF][center][hr][color=gold][size=150]Scales tipped in favour of Regional Judiciary[/size][/color][hr][/center][/background-block]
[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/aZ501ga.jpg?1[/img][/center]

We've been discussing, debating, speculating and spilling oceans of ink (or should we say pixels) over the question of a Judiciary over the past four months. Ever since [nation]Twelve Titans[/nation] first proposed to establish real Courts best described by Cymiopolis as "[i]a step above Hammurabi's "an eye for an eye"[/i]", the region has been waiting for it.

November is the month everything happened. After final amendments were made, GAR#21 "Establishment of a Judicial System"[sup]1[/sup], that had been nicknamed "The Judicial Proposal" by many General Assembly insiders, was put to vote. The months of consensus building and edits were well worth it, as after four final amendments the Proposal was adopted with 18 votes yea and 0 votes nay. The crushing 100% approval of the resolution reflects how all major parties were in support, and the bill had attracted a few major co-sponsors. 
More than being Twelve Titans' second [sup]1[/sup] proposal to be passed into law, GAR#21 ordered the Secretary-General to call for a special election to fill the unoccupied seat of Chief Justice. 

Immediately after the passage of GAR#21, the Criminal Code Proposal that was numbered GAR#22 was introduced. Aiming to give the Court the teeth it needs to apply the Law on offenders, the Code was unanimously adopted with 15 votes yea to no nay votes. A few weeks and much discussion in the #judiciary channel of the Discord server, as well as official debating in the [region]NWI General Assembly[/region] was necessary for Celestiam's first proposal to make it to law. 

Meanwhile, candidates for Chief Justice prepared their platforms and campaigns. [nation]North Italian Union[/nation] first considered a run but later stepped down, while [nation]Blankenheim[/nation], [nation]Twelve Titans[/nation], and [nation]Volirum[/nation] all published platforms and tried their luck. 

Two of them answered questions for the Press Corps and all three published platforms. You can see it all here: 
[center]
https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1288624
[/center]

After 72 hours of voting, [nation]Twelve Titans[/nation] arrived on top with 14 votes to [nation]Volirum[/nation]'s 6 and [nation]Blankenheim[/nation]'s 1. Twelve Titans is, therefore, the Chief Justice of the New West Indies.  

The Secretary of Internal Affairs should soon announce appointments for the vacant offices of Regional Attorney and Public Attorney. 

[size=75]1: 02/12/2019  22:20 GMT: The Chief Justice has gracefully pointed out a few inaccuracies that were edited out. [/size]
[anchor=new][/anchor][background-block=#1E90FF][center][hr][color=gold][size=150]New Citizens[/size][/color][hr][/center][/background-block]

Please all congratulate [nation]David Harris[/nation] and [nation]Tennor[/nation] who joined us in the month of November!
 [/align]
[anchor=poll][/anchor][background-block=#1E90FF][center][hr][color=gold][size=150]Appreciate the old, seek the new says regionwide poll.[/size][/color][hr][/center][/background-block]

On November 29, 2019, the Press Corps opened a regionwide poll send by telegrams to all individuals that were citizens on November 29, for a total of 45 nations. Of those, 11 nations responded to a series of questions measuring their approval of the administration’s term, their opinion on policies old and new, and which candidates they would be the most excited to see run for office in the Secretariat and GA. 
Here is what citizens have to say on governmental affairs, as elections approach in December (Dec 14th  for Secretary-General, and Dec 25th for GA President. 

[b][u]Secretariat Affairs[/u][/b]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/22dR3Ss.png?1[/img]

This question sought to measure how satisfied citizens were with each executive department. “Approval” will here refer to the sum of the “very satisfied” and “satisfied” answers. Disapproval is the sum of the “very dissatisfied” and “dissatisfied” answers. Percentages will always be expressed with respect to the total responses. 
Ranking on top is the [b]Department of Administration[/b], that boasts a 100% satisfaction rate, with 70% being “very satisfied”. The Department was placed under [nation]Kronshtadt[/nation]’s control early in the term, before the latter’s resignation and the ascent of [nation]New United Carolinas[/nation]. Both are popular among the citizenry. Besides, the Department of Administration has been diligently operating, amending the Constitution, updating dispatches, assisting in the Nwi.gov initiative and overall showing it is a department where proper conservation of existing dispatches and high initiative for new ones are both high. 

The [b]Secretariat in general[/b] also scores high, with a similar 100% approval of which 36.4% strongly approve. This may be due to the cohesion of the most recent Cabinet, or simply to the efforts provided by hyperactive Secretary-General Karteria. With achievements to show on the domestic and foreign fronts, the administration can pride itself for having accomplished, and those accomplishments seem to be appreciated. 

The [b]Department of Internal Affairs[/b] comes in with the third-highest satisfaction rate, at 72.8%. 45.5%  of respondents strongly approve of the Department. However, the Department also has the highest disapproval rate, with 27.3%  disapproving. The Department was controlled by long-time Secretary [nation]Luraqau[/nation] until the most recent Cabinet reshuffle when Luraqau resigned in favour of Secretary [nation]Cymiopolis[/nation]. The difference in approval could be explained by speculating that both Secretaries have different approvals, and people may have approved or disapproved of the Department un13.65%. der one Secretary but not the other. 

The [b]Department of Foreign Affairs[/b] comes in with an approval rating slightly above the 50% mark, with 54.6% approval. 27.3% strongly approved of the DFA’s work. 36.4% of respondents were neutral or had no strong opinion of the DFA this term, with only 9.1% disapproving.  This is another switch Department, that was held under Secretary [nation]Cymiopolis[/nation] until the most recent Cabinet reshuffle when Secretary [nation]PotaTown[/nation] took the DFA’s reins. The approval disparity and high neutral rating could be explained by the fact the Secretary-General has taken a lot of tasks in the Department of Foreign Affairs, sometimes leaving the Department empty-handed. Alternatively, people may have different opinions of the Department under the two secretaries. 

Coming in last among departments, the [b]Department of Defense and Information[/b] can pride itself of a 0% disapproval rate, but approval of only 45.5%, 36.4% being “very satisfied”. The absolute majority of respondents (54.5%) had no opinion of the DDI. The Department of Defense and Information was the only department to be headed by the same Secretary for the entire term, at the command of Secretary [nation]The Sakura Nippon[/nation]. The low disapproval and approval ratings are coherent with the DDI’s constitutional limitations. It is a department that has very little agency in anything and is generally unseen. As not much ever happens there, citizens did not forge a strong opinion either way. 

The average department has a satisfaction rate of 74.58%, with a relatively high standard deviation of 25.2. The range/2, more appropriate for the small number of data points, is of 27.25 percentage points. The average disapproval rate was 7.28%. There were no “very dissatisfied” answers for any of the Departments. The standard deviation was 11.8, while the range/2 was 13.65 percentage points. 

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/wvUKNqO.png[/img][/center]

This word cloud shows the potential candidates for Secretary or Secretary-General, with the size of the names being proportional to popularity. The question for each candidate is whether one would want to see them run for office, to which the answers were yes, no, neutral, and later. 

[b]Top Five[/b]
[size=75]Candidates are ranked by the number of "yes votes". When tied, candidates with the least no votes take precedence. If there is still a tie, candidates with the least neutral votes take precedence. If there is still a tie, candidates with the most "later" votes take precedence. If there still is a tie flip a three-dollar coin. [/size]

[table][tr][td]Name[/td][td]Yes[/td][td]No[/td][td]Neutral/No Opinion[/td][td]Later[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][nation]Celestiam[/nation][/td][td]9[/td][td]0[/td][td]0[/td][td]1[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][nation]New United Carolinas[/nation][/td][td]8[/td][td]0[/td][td]0[/td][td]2[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][nation]New Sistonia[/nation][/td][td]8[/td][td]0[/td][td]2[/td][td]0[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][nation]Cymiopolis[/nation][/td][td]8[/td][td]1[/td][td]0[/td][td]1[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][nation]Karteria[/nation][/td][td]8[/td][td]2[/td][td]0[/td][td]0[/td][/tr]
[/table]
For citizens' opinions for potential Secretaries or Secretaries-General Celestiam polls on top, only one vote ahead of the leading pack, composed of current Secretaries New United Carolinas and Cymiopolis, current Secretary-General Karteria, and reknowned roleplayer New Sistonia, who all have 8 yes votes each. 

The meaning of these voices is to take with a grain of salt, as they are different for each individual. The question did not segregate between Secretaries and Secretary-General, so the "later" votes on non-Secretaries (Celestiam and New Sistonia) could mean a wish to see them in Cabinet, while the "later" votes on Secretaries such as New United Carolinas and Cymiopolis might mean citizens see potential Secretaries-General in these individuals. It can be added that in the case of Celestiam and New Sistonia, they are active individuals that people hence would expect to see as Secretaries, making their votes interest votes. In contrast, New United Carolinas and Cymiopolis have shown themselves, so the yes votes for them are more solid approval votes. 

It is worth noting that Karteria's polling numbers do not necessarily reflect a weakness in the Secretary-General, who polls behind two Secretaries and two laymen. Instead, the Press Corp's analysts point to the riskiness and controversy around some functions as an uncounted factor. Press Director and prominent roleplayer are essentially riskless jobs, where anything you do will be more or less approved. Secretaries have it a bit harder, while the exceptionally hands-on Secretary-General Karteria will have a hard time not attracting any disapproval, as they are constantly amid important and sometimes controversial decisions. As Winston Churchill once said "You have enemies? Good. That means you stood up for something, sometime in your life". this statement applies to the Secretary-General and his Secretaries more than it does to the non-Secretaries who made the list. Finally, expectations are different, and citizens will see good work from Secretaries they elected as normal and part of their job, while dedication from other players who have not been entrusted with elected office will be seen as a positive character trait instead. 

Secretary New United Carolinas can combine this second place and the top approval ratings for the Department of Administration as a show that the citizenry is confident in NUC's capacities and future. 

[b]Secretariat[/b]
[size=75]Candidates are ranked by the number of "yes votes". When tied, candidates with the least no votes take precedence. If there is still a tie, candidates with the least neutral votes take precedence. If there is still a tie, candidates with the most "later" votes take precedence. If there still is a tie flip a three-dollar coin. This only includes this term's Secretaries, current and former. [/size]
[table][tr][td]Name[/td][td]Yes[/td][td]No[/td][td]Neutral/No Opinion[/td][td]Later[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][nation]New United Carolinas[/nation][/td][td]8[/td][td]0[/td][td]0[/td][td]2[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][nation]Cymiopolis[/nation][/td][td]8[/td][td]1[/td][td]0[/td][td]1[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][nation]Karteria[/nation][/td][td]8[/td][td]2[/td][td]0[/td][td]0[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][nation]Kronshtadt[/nation][/td][td]7[/td][td]2[/td][td]0[/td][td]0[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][nation]PotaTown[/nation][/td][td]4[/td][td]3[/td][td]1[/td][td]2[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][nation]Luraqau[/nation][/td][td]4[/td][td]4[/td][td]1[/td][td]1[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][nation]The Sakura Nippon[/nation][/td][td]3[/td][td]3[/td][td]3[/td][td]0[/td][/tr]
[/table]

[b]Most promising in the near future[/b]
[size=75]Candidates are ranked by the number of "later" votes. When tied, candidates with the most yes votes take precedence. If there is still a tie, candidates with the least no votes take precedence. If there is still a tie, candidates with the least neutral votes take precedence. If there still is a tie flip a three-dollar coin. [/size]
[table][tr][td]Name[/td][td]Yes[/td][td]No[/td][td]Neutral/No Opinion[/td][td]Later[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][nation]North Italian Union[/nation][/td][td]5[/td][td]2[/td][td]0[/td][td]4[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][nation]Blankenheim[/nation][/td][td]2[/td][td]1[/td][td]4[/td][td]3[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][nation]Idiocarasia[/nation][/td][td]2[/td][td]4[/td][td]0[/td][td]3[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][nation]New United Carolinas[/nation][/td][td]8[/td][td]0[/td][td]0[/td][td]2[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][nation]Twelve Titans[/nation][/td][td]7[/td][td]1[/td][td]0[/td][td]2[/td][/tr]
[/table]

[b][u]General Assembly Affairs[/u][/b]
[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/0AlUJvI.png?1[/img][/center]

The Office of the President of the General Assembly is also enjoying relatively high approval ratings, with 90.9% of poll-takers approving of the President’s work. 9.1% disapprove. 
The President of the General Assembly is [nation]Reno Sheriffs Department[/nation], who reinjected activity in the GA. By creating the possibility that bills would be voted on, the President has encouraged the passage of numerous General Assembly resolutions, most notably the Judicial Proposal; but also other bills such as the Impeachment Fairness Act and the Criminal Code. 
GA activity has reached its highest point in history, with three citizens having successfully passed their first written law, growing the number of experienced legislators from 2 to 5. Reno’s high activity and reviewing quality have satisfied the majority of citizens. 

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/gq2zSMZ.png[/img][/center]

This word cloud shows potential candidates for General Assembly President, with the size of the name being proportional to popularity. The question was whether each citizen should run for GA President, and the options were “yes”, “no”, “neutral”, or “later”. 
[b]Top Five[/b]
[size=75]Candidates are ranked by the number of "yes votes". When tied, candidates with the least no votes take precedence. If there is still a tie, candidates with the least neutral votes take precedence. If there is still a tie, candidates with the most "later" votes take precedence. If there still is a tie flip a three-dollar coin. [/size]

[table][tr][td]Name[/td][td]Yes[/td][td]No[/td][td]Neutral/No Opinion[/td][td]Later[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][nation]Reno Sheriffs Department[/nation][/td][td]7[/td][td]0[/td][td]0[/td][td]0[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][nation]New United Carolinas[/nation][/td][td]7[/td][td]0[/td][td]1[/td][td]0[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][nation]North Italian Union[/nation][/td][td]6[/td][td]0[/td][td]2[/td][td]1[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][nation]Celestiam[/nation][/td][td]6[/td][td]1[/td][td]2[/td][td]0[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][nation]Twelve Titans[/nation][/td][td]6[/td][td]2[/td][td]1[/td][td]0[/td][/tr]
[/table]

When asked to express their preferences for a potential GA President, citizens rank Reno Sheriffs Department, the incumbent, and Secretary of Administration New United Carolinas on equal standing, with Reno having a slight advantage. This is consistent with the high rate of approval towards the current GA Presidency. 
This top duo points to the fact citizens appreciate Reno’s presidency, but would also be appreciative of the documentation and dispatch keeping skills of the Secretary of Administration, who has consistently updated the Constitution, showing their skill and interest in legislative affairs. 

On the second tier, with six votes each, New Italian Union, Celestiam, and Twelve Titans stand. Twelve Titans’ presence makes sense given his previous run for President, though his acquisition of the High Court bench makes a Titans Presidency unlikely in the immediate future. Celestiam, who has shown some GA activity, is also a classic choice. 
New Italian Union’s high position on the polls delineates the wish by some citizens for freshness in the GA, as North Italian Union has shown involvement to some degree (consistent voting) while lacking activity in proposing and debating. Importantly, North Italian Union is not part of the traditional politician line-up and could be a popular candidate or kingmaker in December, or more likely in a future GA election. 

[b]Most promising in the near future[/b]
[size=75]Candidates are ranked by the number of "later" votes. When tied, candidates with the most yes votes take precedence. If there is still a tie, candidates with the least no votes take precedence. If there is still a tie, candidates with the least neutral votes take precedence. If there still is a tie flip a three-dollar coin. [/size]
[table][tr][td]Name[/td][td]Yes[/td][td]No[/td][td]Neutral/No Opinion[/td][td]Later[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][nation]PotaTown[/nation][/td][td]4[/td][td]2[/td][td]0[/td][td]2[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][nation]North Italian Union[/nation][/td][td]6[/td][td]0[/td][td]2[/td][td]1[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][nation]New Sistonia[/nation][/td][td]5[/td][td]2[/td][td]0[/td][td]1[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][nation]Volirum[/nation][/td][td]5[/td][td]2[/td][td]0[/td][td]1[/td][/tr]
[tr][td][nation]Ventus Prime[/nation][/td][td]4[/td][td]0[/td][td]4[/td][td]1[/td][/tr]
[/table]

[b][u]Policies[/u][/b]

[size=75]The survey also asked many questions of policy. Though there are too many for them to all be treated here, those are the ones that distinguished themselves from the rest. You may, however, request to see any numbers by contacting [nation]Celestiam[/nation] by Telegram or Discord. Requests will be treated equally regardless of the chosen means to communicate.[/size]

[table][tr][td]Highest Agreement Rate[/td][td]Highest Disagreement Rate[/td][td]Most Controversial[/td][/tr][tr][td]
😍 It is a responsibility of the Regional Attorney to be reasonable in sentencing requests ([color=teal]100%[/color]  [color=red]0%[/color])
😍 Our roleplay would be better if more people participated in it  ([color=teal]90.9%[/color]  [color=red]0%[/color])
😍 I am excited by the increase of potential cultural events for our region ([color=teal]81.8%[/color]  [color=red]0%[/color])
😍 The negotiation of treaties with regions like Alvaria is exciting and should happen more often ([color=teal]81.8%[/color]  [color=red]0%[/color])
😍 We should be proactive rather than reactive in Foreign Policy ([color=teal]81.8%[/color]  [color=red]0%[/color])

[/td][td]
💩 Standards for citizenship need to be tightened ([color=teal]9.1%[/color]  [color=red]63.6%[/color])
💩 Some regions are out of our league for interregional cooperation ([color=teal]36.4%[/color]  [color=red]54.5%[/color])
💩 The RMB Future-tech nation RP should be the only Roleplay in the New West Indies ([color=teal]18.8%[/color]  [color=red]36.4%[/color])
💩 The farther the government stands from roleplay, the better ([color=teal]27.3%[/color]  [color=red]36.4%[/color])
💩 The Secretary-General should be less hands on than he currently is ([color=teal]36.4%[/color]  [color=red]36.4%[/color])
[/td]
[td]😡 The Secretary-General should be less hands on than he currently is ([color=teal]36.4%[/color]  [color=red]36.4%[/color])
😡 The high number of Discord polls is beneficial ([color=teal]36.4%[/color]  [color=red]36.4%[/color])
😡 The Secretariat is not held into account strongly enough ([color=teal]27.3%[/color]  [color=red]36.4%[/color])
😡 We rely too much on Discord these days ([color=teal]45.4%[/color]  [color=red]36.4%[/color])
😡 The current Secretariat is not multipartisan enough ([color=teal]27.3%[/color]  [color=red]36.4%[/color])
[/td][/tr][/table]




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[background-block=black][hr][size=115][center]❂ [url=https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1160883][color=gold]Constitution[/color][/url] ❂ [url=https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1161549][color=gold]Mega-Dispatch[/color][/url] ❂ [url=https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1166578][color=gold]Regional Government[/color][/url] ❂ [url=https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1165580][color=gold]Census[/color][/url] ❂ [url=https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1159655][color=gold]Roleplay Information[/color][/url][/size] ❂[/center][hr][size=90][center][color=gold][img]https://i.imgur.com/GROMNHf.png[/img]
[i]Produced by the New West Indies Press Corps[/i][/center]
[center][i]Published: November 2, 2019[/i][/color][/size][hr][url=#top][color=gold]⇫ Back to Top ⇫[/color][/url][/center][/background-block]