Government and policy systems for newly established countries

Government & Policy

The Joyan Islands

As provisional Prime Minister of the newly independent Joyan Islands, it is my duty to set the example for the future course of the Joyan people. This means forming the island's priorities based on its goals, and following the examples of other island nations before it. A lot of what happens in a country depends on the cultural values embedded in history, but every new country feels it must shape its path in a fresh way from its colonial past. It is important for the Joyan Islands to maintain their unique cultural identity, yet at the same time to modernize and develop strong economy ties around the world as well as any industrial nation can do so.

The Joyan Islands should have a Parliamentary system of government, as it currently exists. A good example is the United Kingdom, which maintains almost all levels of power concentrated in London. This is advantageous because it allows the largest and most influential island to exert influence onto the two smaller islands.

The Joyan Islands need to be arranged as a unitary territorial arrangement in order to maintain the status quo power relationship, yet maintain a strong cultural link to the smaller islands. A federal system would allow for too much division, similar to the Scottish Parliament's separate viewpoints from the UK Parliament in London. No government representatives should be on the islands except for local police and administrative positions like mayor or sheriff.

The best electoral system for maintaining central power will be simple majority. Citizen representation is split 100% Indo-European for the largest island, 50/50 on the middle island, and 100% Amero-Indian on the smallest island. Theoretically, there should never exist a scenario where the Amero-Indian voter bloc can control Parliament. Any other electoral system will give the opposition party power-sharing responsibilities, which is counter to the goals of a newly independent, yet still European dominated country.

I would absolutely pursue an export-heavy industrialized economy. I would follow the model of such countries as Taiwan and Japan, both island nations which leveraged their cheap costs and easy access to cheap shipping methods to grow their markets. Education is a core component of a well developed economy, and therefore education of Spanish language and mandatory 12-year curriculum for all will be instituted on all islands.

A strong business elite has guided Japan and Taiwan well in their economic visions, and therefore I would follow their model. As little unionization as possible is important in order to maintain a low-cost labor competitive advantage against neighbor countries. The state will use its resources to maintain relatively low corporate taxation, possibly even to the extent of drawing in foreign investment simply to increase interaction with the best possible trading partners. The island-nation situation is ideal, as labor problems will mostly be stifled by the fact that commerce will continue on the large island even if the two smaller islands have strikes and union representation. Their source of revenue will entirely depend on what happens in the capital, Dirdam, on the large island of Rubi.

Singapore's model economic development strategy is the most relevant to the Joyan Islands. Singapore's governing powers understood how important it is for small nations to have a small, specialized elite, encompassing the military as well as a technocrat core, in order to remain relevant in such a diverse global economy. It is not possible to imagine closing off the islands to capitalism, as the Joyan Islands would have to do if they were to choose to become Communism. Also, a very liberal strategy like the one that Mexico took after the NAFTA agreements is dangerous to a newly independent state. Extreme liberalization worked well for Mexico because a large and confident Mexico felt like it could benefit greatly from increased trade and labor transfer with the United States, without being pushed around in the agreement, and Canada helped to maintain neutrality. The Joyan Islands, on the other hand, have no competitive edge on the United States or any other large trading power, and therefore must follow the example of Singapore and specialize in very specific and profitable ventures, best managed by the technocratic state.

I will allow DeWine to operate freely on the islands of Zafiro and Esmeralda, but will nationalize mining on the largest island, Rubi. In order to consolidate power in the newly formed state, it is important to completely secure the main power base island from outsider influence. Particularly in this fragile time, foreign interference can set off the relationships of the young state in a weaker than normal position. Ironically, Cuba's isolation allows it to maintain some allure of still being relevant and powerful in the Caribbean, simply because it is the one nation which does not bend its will to the United States. Likewise, The Joyan Islands will create a very strong national identity by nationalizing its mining powers, however not in a violent form as the Cuban Communists had done.

The reason I believe it is acceptable to allow the mining operations to continue on Zafiro and Esmeralda is because the young state is not yet industrialized, and still must raise money some way. As long as power can be projected from the capital, it is acceptable that foreign businesses are mining natural resources in the smaller islands, because the profit is simply too good to resist. Also, foreign companies require infrastructure that is expensive to build, and therefore they will be picking up some of the costs of the state to build roads and ports for example. Having a foreign presence also reminds the Amero-Indian peoples that the Joyan Islands are not alone in the world, and therefore it is better to be controlled from the island Rubi than to be foreign controlled by Spain. Being able to blame the foreign businesses if local unrest is stirred also helps the central government maintain its grip on power, as it can leverage these situations to maximize popularity and power for the long-term.