Writing to the Island Prompt! I have actually thought too much about this. I have plans for my world domination.
It's a bit long in places, so I hid it to keep the post short :>
Island:
A large, semi-tropical island populated by a wide variety of edible plants, enough to sustain the population year-round with supplements of fish from the surrounding ocean. Small farms are cultivated on the edge of each of five cities, not including the central, capital palace. Treehouses are the preferred type of building, but larger structures like hospitals have been built. Electricity is provided by ocean current/ wind turbines and solar panels. There is little to no reliance on petroleum products, and anything needed is bought with profits from unique foods crafted by some of the stranger people living here.
Government:
The island is ruled by an Overlord (moi) under whom is a Council of the heads of lesser government bureaus (Commerce, Defense, Transportation, etc.) The Overlord is Supreme Tyrant, but must consult the Council before passing new laws. Thirty minutes of the Council's arguments for or aganst a measure are to be heard in silence by the Overlord, but after that, the Overlord may choose to ignore the Council completely. Members of the Council may call a meeting, and each Member may serve as an ambassador to other countries, but only to the branch of government affiliated with that Councilmember.
In the event of the Overlord's death, any new Overlord candidates must pass a common sense test, and be elected to one of four candidacy spots by the general population. After that follows a debate, and then a gladiatoral battle with weapons provided by public favor- i.e. the most popular candidate has the best weapons. The winner is the new Overlord.
Bureaus: Transportation, in charge of keeping monorails and rollercoasters properly maintained (see below) and making useful roads with little environmental impact; Public works, which includes Sanitation, government assistance in construction, waterway maintenance, and subsidies for hospitals and schools; Defense, the fleet of pirate ships which protect the island and occasionally hijack cruise ships for luxury items and young people willing to join the island to bring new blood to the population; Commerce, in charge of minting money (metallic coins), overseeing the national budget, and regulating markets (because nobody likes unregulated capitalism. Never ends well.); Human Services, in charge of distributing necessary items like food, water, medicine, and clothing, conducting genetic surveys (in conjunction with the Science Bureau) to make sure couples aren't inbreeding, monitoring the population in relation to available resources, and making sure quality of life on the island is good; Science and Weather, who monitor the global and local environment to make sure we don't destroy the island or get destroyed by storms, keeping track of local species to make sure they are all nonthreatened, monitoring climate change and its effect on the island's climate and how we need to rotate or food sources; Agriculture and Nutrition, mostly a subdivision of science, but keeps tabs on what is being used for food, the average national diet and how it affects health, and how farming and hunting/gathering impacts the island.
Public service:
Health care, education, and basic food + water are free. Cheap housing is available. Public transportation consists of rollercoasters, and monorails for those who don't like/ can't use rollercoasters. In every town the Library serves as meeting hall, community center, and supplementary schoolhouse. Libraries are also storm shelters due to the need to keep the books dry.
Justice:
There is only one prison, and it is used only for violent offenders. Punishment is swift and, some would say, cruel. A trial is held within two weeks of the arrest, witnesses must be provided if possible, and the Overlord presides over all cases. After the narrative of the crime is constructed as well as possible, while people with specialized skills like FBI profilers and people who can read micro-expressions are present, the Overlord will deterine punishment, ranging from a period of imprisonment and resocialization (resocialization is necessary unless the offender is in prison for life) to execution. The Overlord is the executioner, as nobody should pass a death sentence and then hand the actual killing to an underling. Method of death is left to the prisoner, with the exceptions of 'old age' and 'disease'.
Religion:
The official religion is a polytheistic practice centered around gods of the sea and sky, but people are free to practice any other religion they please. Fish entrails are burnt as an offering to the gods of the sea, feathers and plants are burnt to the gods of the sky. The god of the island is believed to inhabit the Overlord. (This is where I haven't given much thought.)
Identity:
The island's crest is something like a crescent and an arrow. Possibly also a pirate flag. National anthem is based on themes from various songs, including the theme from Star Trek: Voyager (*no shame*).
It only works every other Saturday.
(I was given this in a creative writing class and I love it.)
