Political Topics in a campaign

[fusangite]

He's elected by everyone in the region. There's the main city of Gate Pass, and then five smaller farming/foresting communties ranging from 100 to 500 people.

In a scene like this where everybody, women, men, children, demi-humans can all vote, I would imagine the big thing in the election will be mobilization. The election is going to be defined by the groups that can turn out voters and control how they vote.

If the farmers are tenant farmers the obviously, the landlords are going to have a lot of power but, if they are yeomen, voluntary associations, cults and the major merchants are going to be major actors in the campaign.

In the city itself, I'm guessing that guilds, cults and other voluntary and quasi-voluntary associations are going to be the main political actors.

If I were running this election, I think it would mostly centre on the awarding of guild privileges and commodity price controls. Obvious fault lines are going to emerge between food consumers in the city and food producers in the countryside.

But of course, the biggest issue will be the parallel spending, spending promises and threats of reprisals by local notables seeking to corral and control votes.

There is also going to be a significant disconnect between what candidates publicly say and the deals they strike with powerful guildmasters, landowners and other vote brokers behind the scenes.

Who are the major wielders of economic power in the region? Where does their wealth come from? And how do the main patronage networks work?

 

[DonTadow]

In a scene like this where everybody, women, men, children, demi-humans can all vote, I would imagine the big thing in the election will be mobilization. The election is going to be defined by the groups that can turn out voters and control how they vote.

If the farmers are tenant farmers the obviously, the landlords are going to have a lot of power but, if they are yeomen, voluntary associations, cults and the major merchants are going to be major actors in the campaign.

In the city itself, I'm guessing that guilds, cults and other voluntary and quasi-voluntary associations are going to be the main political actors.

If I were running this election, I think it would mostly centre on the awarding of guild privileges and commodity price controls. Obvious fault lines are going to emerge between food consumers in the city and food producers in the countryside.

But of course, the biggest issue will be the parallel spending, spending promises and threats of reprisals by local notables seeking to corral and control votes.

There is also going to be a significant disconnect between what candidates publicly say and the deals they strike with powerful guildmasters, landowners and other vote brokers behind the scenes.

Who are the major wielders of economic power in the region? Where does their wealth come from? And how do the main patronage networks work?

I'm using the election system from the dynasties and demogogues book, which echoes out a system very similiar to your last paragraph. In it there are two ways to get votes, either public campaigning or meeting with a faction leader. There are 12 major factions in the city, I"m in the process of statting them out now and adding some more meat to them. (as oppose to the name they hve been from the beginning of the campaign.