Political Topics in a campaign

[DonTadow]

One of my PCs is running for public office and I'm trying to figure out what common issues the people in a midevil society would have. I've already got a good list of things including increased military and decrease in taxes, what type of issues do the citizens in your campaign think about?

 

[blargney the second]

What level of public office? (ie city, state, or country?)

 

[gizmo33]

One of the common issues that people had in medieval society was not being able to vote.

There are tolls (a certain bridge charges too much). There are religious issues (who should the patron god of the kingdom be?). Certain regions that experience crop failure, famine, plagues, increased bandit activity, weird undead activity, etc. Perhaps there is a famous political prisoner being held, and some think he should be freed while others think he should be hanged. Legal Issues - ex. the kingdom wants to ban crossbows or dire flails because they're cruel. Issues regarding weights and measures (the traditional grian measure of the north county isn't the same as the south) and calendars. Certain forests declared off limits to peasants (forests are useful for wood and feeding pigs and such - something like this would hurt peasants) because it's a noble's hunting preserve or druidic sanctuary. In short, most modern issues probably have a medieval equivalent (esp. in Eberron).

So a politician could take a stand on these issues: we're going to... worship Thor only! Feed the starving people of Aquilonia! Free the man in the Iron Mask! Ban crossbows! Fanghorn Forest for Peasants! etc.

 

[Gulla]

Another way to look at thing is not to bother too much with the issues. In many issues what will give the most votees is fairly clear (assuming here that the goalt is to win the vote, not a political crusade. If the PC has a crusade, the issues are largely irrelevant, I guess) Try instead to get the PC (and opponents) to talk about "how" and "why".

Which company of soldiers will you disband if you cut military costs?
How will you enforce the tax-cut on peasants (assuming there are at least 3 layers down to the Tax-man)?
Why should we let those pesky druids keep all the firewood?

Especially when you have to select between two unpopular choises this way of doing poitical episodes gets more mileage out of each issue.

Håkon

 

[Doug McCrae]

Monster attacks. The threat of the dark lord in the East. In Eberron, the status of warforged is a big deal.

 

[Pielorinho]

One of my PCs is running for public office and I'm trying to figure out what common issues the people in a midevil society would have. I've already got a good list of things including increased military and decrease in taxes, what type of issues do the citizens in your campaign think about?

Not to be snarky, but one of their primary issues would be their lack of a franchise . Given that your medieval society has fireballs and raise dead spells, I suppose I can accept a voting populace--but the issues they'll have will depend on who has the franchise. Is it similar to modern democracies, in which everyone over the age of 18 (more or less) has the vote? Or is it closer to 18th-century democracy, in which only landowners have the franchise? The specifics will determine to a large degree the issues that should be confronted.

Consider some fun fantasy issues, though:
-Someone has let the sewer system crumble, and now law-abiding citizens are regularly attacked at night by carrion crawlers that emerge from storm drains to drag them off.
-The assassin's guild is making a move for legitimacy, offering in Pratchettian fashion to protect citizens from unlicensed murders. Where do you stand on this important issue?
-There is a movement afoot to extend citizenship rights to goblins who are willing to swear an oath of loyalty to the republic. Some people think this is outrageous and a ploy by an archvillain to destroy the country; others think that it's outrageous that goblins must swear a loyalty oath that's not required of elves or dwarves. What say you?

Daniel

ETA: Dangit, y'all have already covered most of my stuff already!

 

[fusangite]

One of my PCs is running for public office and I'm trying to figure out what common issues the people in a midevil society would have.

Well, if this is a medieval setting, I'm assuming he's running for something like Pope, Duke of Novgorod, Doje of Venice or Holy Roman Emperor. I can't think of any other elected offices in the medieval period in the sense of there being formal elections in which votes were numerically counted.

With the exception of the HRE job, the voters are a small list of people appointed by the previous holders of the office to some kind of elector position. What would their big issues be? Keeping their power, keeping the system functioning and prosperous and either expanding or defending against external threats.

I think I need more info on what you been by "medieval" and "running for public office."

what type of issues do the citizens in your campaign think about?

The medieval world didn't have citizens. Citizenship is a concept that winked out of existence sometime in the third century AD and re-appeared with a different definition about 1600 years later.

 

[Henry]

In other words, the same issues we deal with in modern times - food, shelter, happiness, and power, and who has it and who doesn't.

 

[heirodule]

Water rights

 

[Storm Raven]

One of my PCs is running for public office and I'm trying to figure out what common issues the people in a midevil society would have. I've already got a good list of things including increased military and decrease in taxes, what type of issues do the citizens in your campaign think about?

If one were historically-minded, then looking at accounts concerning the political arena in ancient Athens (and other Delian League cities) would probably be useful. Basically, the rule of thumb was that politicis of the era was personal, nasty, and oftentimes vindcitive. Mudslinging was not only accepted, but expected. Accusing your political opponent of heresy, impiety, graft, corruption, bribery, and the like was pretty much de rigeur. Athens had a procedure to exile people every now and then for ten years (called ostrakimos or ostracism) pretty much to prevent political feuds from getting out of hand.