Dilemmas are events, opportunities, and crises that have a chance of occurring each turn. Dilemmas present the player with two options which will temporarily affect statistics such as voter relations.
| Dilemma | Description | Chance of Occurring | Influences | First Option | Second Option |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airport Expansion | Planning permission has been requested for the expansion of some of our country's largest airports. There is simply not enough capacity for the number of flights that want to land here. | 20% to 40% | Up to +60% from a high GDP | Allow Expansion Plans Our tourism industry is very dependent on air travel, and if we are to expand tourism, providing more jobs and growth in GDP, we must make more air capacity available. We need to act now to ensure we have the increased capacity in time. -8% Environmentalist relations +11% Air Travel +2% GDP |
Reject Plans Air travel is a pollution nightmare, both air and noise pollution cause problems, we should not be encouraging air travel. Also, the plans would mean the demolition of countless homes and vast inconvenience to people living near the airports. Reject the plans! -7% Capitalist relations +2% Environmentalist relations -5% GDP |
| Appoint UN Ambassador | Our ambassador to the UN retires this year and we need to name a successor as soon as possible. Much will be made of whether we appoint a hardliner who sticks up for the country or someone more able to compromise. | 90% to 100% | Appoint <random female name> <Name> is well known as a patriot who will fight tooth and claw to get our interests represented at the UN. Seen as a popular choice amongst patriotic and more conservative citizens, she is historically against foreign aid and a supporter of import tariffs. She is not popular internationally. -5% Liberal relations +9% Patriot relations -4% Socialist relations -10% Foreign Relations |
Appoint <random male name> <Name> is a popular figure on the international stage with a reputation for solving difficult problems through compromise and understanding. A true internationalist, he is popular with the liberals and socialists in our society, as well as foreign leaders. +5% Liberal relations -9% Patriot relations +4% Socialist relations +10% Foreign Relations | |
| Appoint Senior Judge | One of our most senior and respected judges has died, and we now need to make a choice for his replacement amongst the nominated candidates. This individual will sit in our courts for a very long time so we must make the right decision. | 20% to 90% | Appoint <random male name> <Name> has been a strong supporter of human rights, making many landmark rulings in favor of individuals rights and liberties. He is also seen as being strongly pro-consumer, and not afraid to challenge large corporations. +10% Liberal relations +4% Socialist relations +9% Trade Unionist relations |
Appoint <random female name> <Name> is a household name thanks to her many famous rulings concerning violent crimes and her often outspoken views on the harsh sentences that she feels should be applied to thieves, muggers and shoplifters. +11% Conservative relations -5% Liberal relations +11% Patriot relations -8% Crime -5% Violent Crime | |
| Bail Out Company | Inter-Speed Autos Inc, one of the largest Car companies in the country has run into serious financial difficulties and is on the verge of going under. The company executives think they can get new orders in and keep the company going if the government will provide an interest free loan to keep them running for the next few months. | 90% | Up to -70% from a high GDP Up to -15% from high Productivity |
Help The Company This company employs thousands of people and there are a lot of other companies that manufacture components for them who will also be affected if the company goes under. Just think of the effect it will have on the local economy if we let this company close down. We should provide a tax-free loan. -8% Capitalist relations +12% Trade Unionist relations |
Do Nothing This is called the free market. The Company is going under because it is not profitable. If it was sensible to lend them money the private sector would be doing so. This is just throwing good money after bad. Sure there will be short term unemployment, but you can't fight the free market. +6% Capitalist relations -18% Trade Unionist relations +13% Unemployment |
| Ban Alcohol Adverts | There is a proposal for a law to outlaw the advertising on alcohol on television. Although it would remain legal to advertise on radio, billboards and other means, a TV ban is seen as a potential way to reduce alcohol intake by our citizens. | 30% | Up to +50% from low Lifespans Up to +12% from high Crime |
Reject Ban This law is crazy. Either you have a ban on a product or you do not. Alcohol is perfectly legal and enjoyed by millions of citizens without ill effect. Banning advertising of a product on a particular medium is a token gesture for the anti-alcohol zealots which does nothing but interfere in the free market. +2% Drinker relations +13% Liberal relations |
Approve Ban It might not stop alcoholism overnight, but a TV ad ban is a step in the right direction. Advertisers have been increasingly aggressive in their advertising, with a worrying tendency towards marketing their products at the youth market. Anything we can do to reduce alcohol consumption is worth trying. -10% Drinker relations -19% Liberal relations -19% Drinker membership +9% Lifespan |
| Ban Animal Testing | A proposal to ban all animal experimentation has been placed before government by pressure groups. We currently have quite a few people working in industries that use animal testing, but it is also a highly unpopular practice. | 42% to 90% | Ban It In this day and age there is no good reason to test any products on animals, especially cosmetics. The practices used are often incredibly cruel, and a ban would have widespread public support and little real impact on industry. +8 Environmentalist relations -2% GDP +1% Unemployment |
No Change Products are only tested on animals in order to ensure there is no chance of danger to humans, and it's only done as a last resort under controlled conditions. If we impose such a drastic ban it will hit our cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries badly. -7% Environmentalist relations -2% Liberal relations | |
| Ban Fox Hunting | After years of debate a law is now before parliament concerning the banning of Fox Hunting. Opponents of hunting claim that the sport is cruel, but those defending it claim that its a traditional rural pastime and attempts to ban it are based on the class divide. | 40% to 90% | Ban Fox Hunting Nobody disputes that fox the population needs to be controlled, but chasing them with hounds and ripping them to pieces cannot be the most humane way to do this. This is an outdated and barbaric sport that cannot be tolerated by a civilized society. Ban it now! -11% Conservative relations -18% Farmer relations +14% Liberal relations +6% Socialist relations +4% Unemployment |
Leave Hunting Alone Approximately 7,000 people in rural communities are directly employed in hunting, and the knock-on effect on jobs will be far greater. The Fox population will still need to be controlled, and as for animal cruelty, this is a bigger problem for factory farming than for hunting. This is nothing more than class warfare and an attack on rural communities. -7% Conservative relations +9% Farmer relations -10% Liberal relations -3% Socialist relations | |
| Ban Livestock Imports | One of our neighboring countries has had a publicly announced case of 'foot and mouth' disease in it's cattle. Although the chances of the disease being spread to us is very low, you are being lobbied by farmers groups to ban the import of cattle from that country as a precaution. | 20% to 90% | Reject Ban There is no statistical or scientific basis for a blanket ban on livestock imports from that country. The outbreak is highly contained and poses little real risk. This will be an unpopular move overseas, which will be seen as blatant protectionism. This would be an unfair and unjustified embargo of foreign goods. -11% Farmer relations |
Approve Ban It's just not worth the risk, however slight it may be, of us importing this disease to our country. The only way to deal with it is the mass slaughter of cattle, and our agricultural industry would not survive that. This may seem over cautious, but better to be safe than sorry. If the situation was reversed, they would do the same to us. +16% Farmer relations -13% Foreign Relations -5% International Trade | |
| Ban Tobacco Adverts | There is a proposal for a law to outlaw the advertising of tobacco on television. Although it would remain legal to advertise on billboards and other means, a TV ban is seen as a potential way to reduce smoking by our citizens. | 30% | Anywhere from +50% to +0% from Lifespan | Reject Ban There is no direct 100% proven evidence that tobacco is anywhere near as harmful as some pressure groups claim. Millions of our citizens enjoy a smoke without any serious ill effects, and this is an example of the 'nanny state' trying to tell people what to do. It's their bodies, and their decision! +13% Liberal relations +2% Smoker relations |
Approve Ban Smoking kills millions of people prematurely every year, and is highly addictive. Any steps the government can take towards reducing the number of people suffering smoking related illness is welcome. People will still have the right to smoke, but this reduces the chances of the next generation taking it up. -19% Liberal relations -10% Smoker relations -19% Smoker membership +9% Lifespan |
| Blasphemy | A book has been published which is highly critical of a religion followed by a cross section of our society. Religious leaders have described the book as blasphemy and demanded that it be removed from sale. There have been violent protests outside bookstores where copies of the book have been burned. | 80% | Ban the Book This book is highly offensive and we should take into account the views of our ethnic minorities. Its entirely reasonable to restrict the sale of material like this which is likely to cause a public disturbance. Ban the book. -13% Liberal relations +13% Religious relations |
Take No Action You cannot give in to the demands of a small group of extremists demanding that we ban a book. Before we know it there will be capitalists wanting to ban the works of Karl Marx. Freedom to express peoples views, even if those views are controversial is one of the basic freedoms of our society. +10% Liberal relations -21% Religious relations | |
| Child Labor Law | Too many of our younger citizens are leaving school early in order to take up low paying jobs. Some are even skipping school to work full time when they should be learning. The law is currently very weak with regards to preventing companies from employing under 16s in full time positions. This proposed law would make it a criminal offence to knowingly employ someone under 16 for more than 5 hours a week. | 90% | Up to -40% from a high Average Income | Criminalize Child Labor We can make speeches about how children should be in school until we are blue in the face, but unless we back up our words with legislation and the threat of criminal action, our children will continue skipping school to earn money. We must back this law for the sake of the children! +10% Liberal relations +13% Parent relations +9% Socialist relations +8% Trade Unionist relations -1% GDP |
Leave Law Unchanged This law is unnecessary. The children who are skipping school are unlikely to be those who would pay attention in class anyway, and they are contributing to the economy by working instead. Also we are running the risk of criminalizing small businessmen who may not know the age of the people they employ on a casual basis. -2% Liberal relations -11% Parent relations -6% Socialist relations -5% Trade Unionist relations |
| Children's Food | A law has been proposed to regulate the fat content and nutritional value of food sold to children, including food sold in fast food restaurants and of course, food served in schools. This is likely to incur costs for the food retailers. | 0% to 30% | Anywhere from +80% to +20% from Lifespan | Leave Law Unchanged You cannot interfere with the free market. This is the state interfering in peoples lives. If kids want to eat fatty junk food and the parents do not mind, then who are politicians to tell people not to eat hamburgers? +10% Liberal relations -6% Parent relations -5% Lifespan |
Regulate Children's Food Obesity is a major problem, which has a severe impact on peoples health. Marketing unhealthy food to people at such an early age is unacceptable and we should pass the law now to safeguard the future health of our citizens. -4% Capitalist relations +19% Parent relations +7% Lifespan |
| Controversial March | An extreme right wing political group is planning a march through our capital city. The group has strong racist tendencies and the police are convinced that if the march goes ahead there will be violent confrontations between the marchers and people who will show up to oppose them. The police recommend banning the march. | 30% to 80% | Ban the March The police have given us a good enough reason to ban this march. We must take into account the views of the vast majority of our society who do not want or need the violence and trouble this march will cause. Freedom of speech does not mean freedom to riot. Ban this march. -23% Liberal relations |
Allow the March One of the basic freedoms in our society must be the right to freely assemble and put forward a political view, even if it is an unpopular or minority view. The marchers are only expressing their views, and opponents are free to make a peaceful protest. It is an awkward situation but banning a political demonstration is a very dictatorial thing to do. +15% Liberal relations +7% Crime +31% Racial Tension | |
| Corporate Manslaughter Bill | A new bill is proposed that will allow a corporate entity to be prosecuted for manslaughter when they have been found guilty of negligence resulting in loss of life. | 10% to 90% | Pass the Law This law is necessary to deter companies from cutting corners when it comes to the safety of their employees and members of the public. Too many people die every year in industrial accidents, and often there are no lessons learned and no blame apportioned. This law will be a step forward for corporate responsibility. -5% Capitalist relations +3% Liberal relations +6% Trade Unionist relations |
Block This Law This law is unenforceable. With large companies employing many subcontractors, the legal complexities involved in applying blame for accidents are considerable. This law may be well intentioned, but in practice it will be an expensive waste of time that serves to line the pockets of lawyers whilst failing to achieve any real change in corporate behavior. +5% Capitalist relations -3% Liberal relations -7% Trade Unionist relations | |
| Countryside Access Law | Much of our countryside is still privately owned, with access to walk on the land restricted by the landowners. There is a strong campaign to bring in laws forcing landowners to make their land accessible to ramblers and walkers to enjoy the countryside within certain guidelines. | 80% | Up to -40% from low Equality | Block this law Private land is private land. This is the very basis of private ownership and capitalism. If the owners wish to restrict access to their land, this is entirely up to them. This is nothing more than a thinly disguised class war attempt by disgruntled socialists. +10% Farmer relations -12% Socialist relations |
Support the law It's crazy to have so much open and often entirely unused land in private hands while our cities are so overcrowded. This law will allow all citizens to enjoy the beauty of our countryside, whilst retaining the final property rights and ownership privileges of the landowner. It's a good compromise. -15% Farmer relations +11% Socialist relations +5% Equality |
| Debt Protection Law | Debt collection agencies have been in the news because of the methods they are using (sometimes quite aggressive) to extract payment from people who owe large sums of money. These debt collection agencies provide credit to people whom larger more respectable companies will not lend money. A law is proposed to limit the ways in which such agencies can operate. | 90% | Up to -40% from a high Average Income | Limit Agency Activity These agencies are preying on the weakest and poorest in our society, often tricking them into borrowing money at exorbitant rates that can never be repaid. This is little more than extortion and the government should act at once to limit severely the activities of such unscrupulous companies. -6% Capitalist relations +19% Poor relations -8% Self Employed relations +9% Socialist relations |
Allow Agencies to Operate Nobody forces people to borrow money they can't repay, and to restrict the rights of debt agencies to recover legitimate debts would be counter productive. People need to learn to live within their means and not expect the state to bail them out of trouble if they cannot learn to do so. +4% Capitalist relations -13% Poor relations +4% Self Employed relations -9% Socialist relations |
| DNA Database | Police chiefs are requesting that they be allowed to build up a global database of everyone's DNA to assist them in fighting crime. DNA evidence allows many previously unsolvable crimes to be tracked to the perpetrators, although there are privacy concerns. | 50% | Up to +40% from widespread Internet Access | Allow Database This is likely to be an invaluable weapon in the fight against crime. For too long, criminals have been able to deny responsibility for their crimes, and with DNA evidence we can substantially cut police time used to locate criminals such as murderers and rapists. Unless people have something to hide, they cannot possibly oppose such a measure. +9% Conservative relations -10% Liberal relations -3% Crime -5% Violent Crime |
Prevent Database This is a fundamental breach of our citizens human rights. We have to maintain an individuals presumption of innocence till proven guilty, and building up a 'big brother' style database of everyone makes us all feel like criminals. Are we really going to 'force' our citizens to provide DNA samples to the state or face jail? -9% Conservative relations +10% Liberal relations |
| Euthanasia | A once famous citizen, age 66 is suffering from a terminal disease and living in constant severe pain. Although modern medical techniques can keep him alive for many more years he has expressed a repeated desire to be allowed to take his own life. | 20% to 90% | Legalize Euthanasia It is incredibly cruel to keep people living in permanent pain when there is no hope of recovery and they have already expressed a will not to carry on with their life. As modern medical technology advances this is going to be more common as we are able to keep people alive in pain or in a coma for many years. -5% Conservative relations +5% Liberal relations |
Leave Law Unchanged Everyone has sympathy for those involved in these situations but changing the law is the wrong decision. This would be the thin end of the wedge, once the principle of helping people to die is in law the pressure will be on anyone with a terminal condition, especially where medical care is expensive. Don't change the law. +5% Conservative relations -5% Liberal relations | |
| Extradite Terror Suspect? | A middle east country with which we have no formal extradition treaty has requested that we extradite an immigrant living here to them to face charges of terrorism. They accuse him of being responsible for car bombings in their capital city, but the only evidence they have of this is the confessions of other terror suspects, which may have been made under 'duress'. | 20% to 90% | Extradite Suspect e should send this terrorist back to his home country immediately. There may be some minor concerns about the justice system in his home country, but they are fighting terrorists, and if the situation were reversed we would be outraged at any refusal to send terrorists to face trial. This is no time to be squeamish about interrogation methods. -13% Liberal relations +9% Patriot relations |
Keep Him Here If we extradite this man there is a chance he will face the death penalty. We have no way of knowing if he will get a fair trial, and we cannot be sure that he is the right man. We cannot extradite people just on the say-so of foreign governments, we need to see evidence of criminal activity before we possibly send a man to his death. +10% Liberal relations -12% Patriot relations | |
| Factory Farming Law | A campaign for the tightening of animal welfare standards on farms is gaining momentum. A law has been proposed that would set higher minimum standards for the space, food and access to outdoors that is available to animals in intensive farming establishments. | 10% to 90% | Set Tougher Standards It's about time we did something to ensure animals are not suffering in intensive farming. Most people would be horrified if they saw the conditions some animals are kept in. These standards would lead to more expensive food, but people would be happy to pay more if they knew the conditions in which animals are currently kept. -3% Capitalist relations +8% Environmentalist relations -23% Farmer relations +5% Liberal relations -3% GDP -20% chance of a Mad Cow Epidemic |
Leave Unchanged Nobody forces people to buy processed meat from the cheapest source. There are organic and free range foods, but the free market shows clearly that people aren't prepared to pay more for a change in animal welfare. This is the government interfering in the market to appease a few campaigners. +1% Capitalist relations -4% Environmentalist relations +8% Farmer relations -2% Liberal relations +10% chance of a Mad Cow Epidemic | |
| Fishing Quotas | Marine conservation groups are pushing for us to sign international laws restricting the quantity of certain fish that can be caught by our fishermen in any calendar year. This is an attempt to preserve the viability of fish stocks for future generations. | 0% to 85% | Agree to Quotas This is just common sense. Modern technology has meant it has become far too cheap and easy to catch huge numbers of fish, reducing prices and causing a dangerous depletion in supply. It might be unpopular with the fishermen in the short term, but in the long run, we have to think of the marine environment. Environmental groups recommend signing the law. +8% Environmentalist relations -22% Farmer relations -4% GDP +3% Unemployment |
Reject Quotas In theory it all sounds very sensible, but in practice do we want to sign away control of our fishing economy to some international body? And although we can be sure our fishermen will abide by the deal, how can we be sure foreign fishermen will do the same? Signing this law is just going to be another nail in the coffin of the fishing trade, and its going to cost jobs! Reject the law! -3% Environmentalist relations +12% Farmer relations | |
| Flag Burning Law | A proposal has been made to make it a specific criminal offence to burn the flag of our nation. Patriots are concerned that people are whipping up anti-government hysteria by burning the flag of our nation in public, with the police powerless to act. | 0% to 80% | Ban Flag Burning Many people are insulted by the thought of people burning the flag of their nation. The flag does not represent a specific political party, it represents the country itself. Burning the flag is a deeply unpatriotic act and anyone who would do such a thing should not be in this country in the first place. -8% Liberal relations +13% Patriot relations |
Allow Flag Burning We cannot claim to be a free society whilst at the same time denying the right of people who oppose our government to express that view, even if that means burning the flag. At the end of the day, the flag is just a peace of cloth and how can we make it a criminal offence to burn a piece of cloth? +8% Liberal relations -22% Patriot relations | |
| Investor Tax Break | There are a number of large foreign companies considering setting up factories in our country, but they are looking for tax breaks in order to do so. These are true multinational companies that could locate anywhere in the world, and persuading them to locate here will bring lots of high tech jobs. | 10% | Anywhere from +20% to +10% from a high GDP Up to +25% from a low Average Income |
Give Tax Break These companies could place their factories anywhere in the world, so we shouldn't attempt to call their bluff. Its important to get highly skilled jobs here rather than overseas with our competitors. If it means a cost to us in the short term, then so be it. +15% Capitalist relations -5% Patriot relations -18% Trade Unionist relations +5% Foreign Relations +2% GDP +15% High Earnings |
Refuse Tax Break These companies aren't the future of this country. They will squeeze every penny in subsidy they can, then relocate anyway. We should be subsidizing home grown high tech companies, not begging for work from multinationals like a third world country. -15% Capitalist relations +5% Patriot relations +18% Trade Unionist relations -5% Foreign Relations -3% GDP |
| Foreign Presidential Visit | The president of a nation with a fast growing economy has invited you to an official state visit. The visit could be an excellent opportunity to encourage trade with that country which would be great for jobs, but the countries record on human rights is highly questionable. | 30% to 80% | Turn Down Offer This foreign leader has an appalling record on both human rights, and attitudes to non-whites within his country. There will be widespread anger amongst both ethnic minorities, and human rights campaigners in this country, and the international community if you carry out the visit, which is effectively an endorsement of this mans brutal policies. +4% Liberal relations -4% Foreign Relations |
Accept Offer The visit should go ahead. Firstly it would be great for the economy, potentially creating jobs amongst the very minorities who oppose the visit, secondly we cannot possibly influence the behavior of other nations if we refuse even to meet with their leaders. -1% Liberal relations +2% GDP | |
| Freedom of Information | There have been calls for a law to increase the availability of information held on databases about citizens without their knowledge. These include the records held by private medical companies, insurance companies and debt collection agencies, as well as information held by government departments. | 50% to 100% | Reject Proposal Nobody likes the idea of the government holding information about them, but in some circumstances this needs to be done. The government isn't out to spy on everyone, but passing this law will just make it harder for the intelligence services to keep a watch on serious criminals and terrorists. It will also affect a large number of businesses who have customer databases, who will be swamped with yet more bureaucracy. -13% Liberal relations +5% State Employee relations +10% Security |
Propose Freedom Act It's essential that we have this law passed as it is one of the checks and balances required in any truly free society. The average law abiding citizen should not be spied on or monitored by multinational corporations with computer databases, and the potential for abuse by government agencies if the citizens cannot view what data is being stored is huge. +10% Liberal relations -7% State Employee relations -4% Security | |
| Gangsta Rap | A new album has been released by a 'gangsta-rap' band which has highly controversial lyrics, especially concerning gun crime. There are calls to ban the album and prevent live appearances by this controversial band. | 20% | Up to +60% from high Crime Up to +40% from high Poverty |
Allow Music We should be very careful about banning this music. Banning it will only add to its appeal amongst young people, and lead to calls of censorship. Its not the states job to decide what kind of music young people can listen to, and we risk alienating them with such a move. +10% Liberal relations +12% Crime |
Ban Music Freedom of speech is all well and good, but we can't let our children listen to songs about gun crime and hatred. No wonder we have street crime, this music should be banned without hesitation. -5% Liberal relations +10% Religious relations -3% Crime |
| GM Food Proposal | A number of large agricultural companies are interested in growing Genetically modified food (GM) on our soil. Some food can be genetically manipulated to allow for longer shelf life and both disease and herbicide resistance. Opponents are concerned about the potential risks associated with altering the food chain. Farmers are divided on the issue. | 0 to 10% | Allow GM crops GM crops have huge potential benefits. Not only do they increase shelf life and thus reduce costs for the sellers, but they can also reduce the need for pesticides, thus meaning less harmful chemicals in use during their production. It's also possible for foods to be created with other benefits such as improved vitamin content. +3% Capitalist relations -14% Environmentalist relations +1% GDP |
Ban the sale of GM food There simply is no need for GM food. The benefits are great for the producers, but not for the consumers. We simply do not know enough about the long term effects of genetically modifying the food chain. Scientific research is all well and good, but once released into the environment, these organisms cannot be recalled. We should act now to protect the food chain from GM. -3% Capitalist relations +13% Environmentalist relations -3% GDP | |
| Hostage Situation | A group of religious extremists have taken some hostages at gunpoint and are threatening to kill them unless demands regarding foreign policy are not met. The demands they make are not that extreme, but it might be dangerous to be seen to negotiate. | 30% | Up to +40% from high Crime | Give in to demands The best thing we can do here is to be reasonable and give in at least partially to their demands. That way we can ensure nobody gets hurt, and the situation doesn't spiral out of control. Taking extreme action against these people could only cause racial tension. +15% Religious relations +30% Terrorism |
Send in the police There is no negotiating with hostage takers. To do so would open the floodgates to total chaos. Its unfortunate for those citizens taken hostage, but we need to storm the building right now and try and get those people freed. If that means shooting the hostage takers and losing a few hostages, that's the price we have to pay. -15% Liberal relations -15% Religious relations |
| Housing Expansion | There is a shortage of homes in our country, and the government is under pressure to relax planning laws and allow previously restricted 'green-belt' land to be built on. | 20% to 60% | Up to +60% from a high GDP | Relax Planning Law House prices are rising far faster than earnings, due mainly to the shortage of supply. In the long term, the only solution is to build more housing. It's no good providing housing where there are no jobs, and if that means building on a small proportion of 'green-belt' land then that's a price we have to pay. +6% Capitalist relations -9% Environmentalist relations -13% Farmer relations +2% GDP -8% chance of a Homelessness situation |
Keep Planning Restrictions There is always pressure to build new homes on 'green field sites', because housing companies find it cheaper and easier to build on them. There are plenty of urban sites that should be reused before we resort to carving up the countryside. A sudden expansion into the green belt would have a dreadful impact on the rural communities. -4% Capitalist relations +7% Environmentalist relations +9% Farmer relations +8% chance of a Homelessness situation |
| Hunger Strike | A convicted terrorist has gone on hunger strike demanding he be allowed visits from people thought to be associated with terrorist groups. We do not have the evidence to arrest his colleagues, and are currently banning all visits for this prisoner, but it looks like he will go through with his hunger strike threat and may well die in his cell. | 30% to 80% | Allow Visits We might not like this man or what he stands for but we cannot allow him to die in a cell. Doing so would only reduce us to the level of the terrorist, and would also almost certainly make a martyr out of him. We should let him have visitors whilst in prison +22% Liberal relations +15% Religious relations |
Prevent Visits You do not negotiate with terrorists. Its as simple as that. They will only perceive any negotiation or relaxation of the rules on our part as a sign of weakness. If he dies in prison, then that's his decision and we should not be concerned. -15% Liberal relations -15% Religious relations | |
| Land Mine Ban | An engineering company in our country has just won a contract to manufacture and supply land mines for foreign countries. At the moment there is no specific law that prohibits the company from making these products, but there is widespread public debate that we should ban the production of land mines within our borders. | 30% | Up to +50% from high Crime Up to +50% from high Violent Crime |
Ban Land Mines Land mines cause so many civilian deaths that there really is no way we should condone the manufacture of such weapons. They are a crude weapon dating back to the first world war and there is no justification for their use today. If banning these weapons costs us a handful of jobs then that's a price we should be happy to pay. +11% Liberal relations -9% Patriot relations -1% GDP |
Reject Law Its very easy to say we should ban the manufacture of land mines, but what next? stop making guns? handcuffs? This would be a step towards dismantling our whole arms industry which would cost jobs and hurt investor confidence. It's not the job of the state to interfere in what products a company manufactures. +8% Capitalist relations -11% Liberal relations |
| Minimum Wage | At the moment we don't have a minimum wage and there is a proposal to introduce a limit below which it would be illegal to employ someone. This is designed to prevent people working for slave labor wage levels. | 30% | Up to +60% from high Poverty Up to +50% from a high Average Income |
Introduce Law We should introduce a minimum wage immediately. There are far too many cases where small companies are employing people to work in the construction or food industry for appallingly low wages. By setting a minimum wage we can ensure all working citizens have a good quality of life. -8% Capitalist relations +19% Socialist relations +22% Trade Unionist relations +16% Average Income -10% Poverty +16% Poor Earnings +20% chance of a Cheap Imports situation |
Reject Law This is free market interference at it's very worst. Nobody is forcing people to work for these wages, they are the wages that the market has settled on. Making it illegal to pay these levels will just destroy jobs and hurt the smaller companies in particular. The government should not interfere in the market. +10% Capitalist relations -18% Socialist relations -18% Trade Unionist relations |
| Nuclear Power Station | A large energy company wants to construct a new nuclear power station. The power station is needed as our economy grows and the company has built similar plants before so there shouldn't be any problems with its construction. | 30% to 80% | Build Power Station We should give the go-ahead immediately. Nuclear power stations are in use all over the world without problems and it would be mad to turn our backs on such a clean source of energy. Nuclear power emits no greenhouse gases so it's far preferable to expanding an existing coal-fired power station. -23% Environmentalist relations +6% GDP -8% Oil Demand -3% Unemployment |
Prevent Construction Nuclear power may be generally safe, but the potential nightmare situation if there are problems means it's just not worth the risk. There are cleaner, safer forms of energy like wind, solar and wave power that we should be encouraging. Turn down this application and we can be certain the power will be found from other sources. +7% Environmentalist relations -1% GDP +5% Oil Demand | |
| Oil Drilling Opportunity | Oil companies are keen to get permission to drill for oil in part of the country protected as a wildlife refuge. The oil supplies under the refuge are considerable but the drilling would have a negative impact on the environment. | 40% to 90% | Allow Drilling There are literally billions of barrels of oil right here on our soil, and current law is preventing us from drilling for it. Instead, we are importing oil from other countries. The environmental impact will be minimal when you consider the gains that drilling makes in terms of energy security. Nobody wants to spoil the environment, but the alternative is reliance on foreign oil. +6% Capitalist relations -10% Environmentalist relations +8% Oil Supply |
Prevent Drilling This valuable wildlife refuge would be devastated by oil exploration. This is one of our nations great national treasures, and it would be criminal to wreck it just to boost domestic oil production. Drilling in this part of the country will not entirely remove our dependence on foreign oil, but it will spoil our natural environment for future generations. -3% Capitalist relations +10% Environmentalist relations | |
| People Smuggling | A large number of people have been caught entering our country hidden inside cargo containers, in an organized attempt at people-smuggling. The criminals who masterminded the scheme have been arrested, but there is debate as to whether those people who are now on our shores should be sent back to their country of origin. | 20% to 40% | Up to +30% from a high GDP Up to +70% from strict Border Controls |
Allow them to stay There is strong evidence that these people were desperate to flee persecution, poverty or even death in their own country. These are desperate people as we can see from the lengths they went to in order to get here. It would be inhumane to deport them now they are here. -5% Conservative relations +5% Liberal relations -8% Patriot relations +8% Ethnic Minority relations |
Deport them Letting these people stay would send out entirely the wrong signal to people who want to come here illegally. We have enough of a problem with illegal economic migrants as it is. Unfortunate though it may be, the only sensible choice is to send them back. +5% Conservative relations -9% Liberal relations +8% Patriot relations |
| Positive Discrimination | There are calls for a law to expressly set quotas for the employment of ethnic and other minorities by large corporations and government institutions. This would put pressure on companies to give higher priority to some job candidates than others on the basis of their race, sex or age. | 30% to 80% | Pass Law We need this law. In economic terms it makes no sense for people below or above a certain age to be rendered unemployable. Also, in human rights terms, this is much needed compensation for years of discrimination in the workplace against ethnic minorities, women, the elderly and the disabled. -20% Conservative relations +10% Liberal relations |
Reject Law This is a deeply flawed law. It makes no sense to fight discrimination by using discrimination. It creates two problems, that of the minority members who feel they may not have achieved the position on merit, and the resentment of the potential employee who was denied the job. +12% Conservative relations -10% Liberal relations | |
| Public Smoking Ban | There are a number of suspected links between smoking and poor heath. Pressure groups have called for a ban on all smoking in public as an encouragement to smokers to give up. | 40% | Anywhere from +50% to -20% depending on the average Lifespan | Ban Public Smoking This is a major step towards cutting the number of people in this country who die from smoking related illness. It is the duty of the state to pass laws like this in the interests of peoples health. +5% Environmentalist relations -8% Liberal relations -10% Smoker relations -10% Smoker membership +10% Lifespan |
Leave Law Unchanged It's not the job of the state to tell people how they live their lives. This is a total over-reaction and an attack on civil liberties. Its legal to smoke, so you should be free to do so in public. People must be free to make their own decisions about health. -5% Environmentalist relations +8% Liberal relations +8% Smoker relations |
| Religious Symbols In Schools | There is pressure for us to introduce a law to ban the wearing of religious symbols in state schools by students. This would include wearing the hijab by female Muslim students, and the wearing of a cross by Christian students. | 30% to 90% | Introduce the Ban School is a place for children to learn, not to display religious allegiance. By ensuring all students dress the same, we can ensure there is equality and integration of all religions, with no discrimination. This is the logical extension of the separation of religion and state. People are free to dress how they like in churches and mosques, but not in state schools. +2% Liberal relations -8% Religious relations |
Reject the Ban This is nothing short of discrimination against Muslims. Nobody really expects this law to be used to prevent the wearing of Christian crosses, it exists purely as an excuse to ban Muslim students from dressing as they wish. This will cause division and segregation, and is a recipe for religious tension in schools. -2% Liberal relations +3% Religious relations | |
| Retail Merger | A large retail chain store has announced plans to buy out one of its main competitors. This merger needs government approval, but if it goes ahead it will create one of the biggest companies in the country. | 20% to 40% | Up to +60% from a high GDP | Allow Merger There is no good reason to prevent this merger. In an increasingly global market, our companies need to grow if they are to compete successfully. The bigger company will be more efficient and effective in the global marketplace. +8% Capitalist relations -8% Self Employed relations -6% Trade Unionist relations +1% GDP +1% Unemployment |
Block Merger The whole idea of the free market is based on competition. Allowing these two firms to merge will reduce both competition, and consumer choice and no doubt lead to redundancies. Its another example of government looking after big business and forgetting the little guy. Small businesses and Trade unionists urge you to block this merger. -3% Capitalist relations +8% Self Employed relations +3% Trade Unionist relations |
| Royal Scandal | A prominent member of the royal family has unfortunately made a comment that could be considered racist if taken out of context. The comment was overheard by press photographers and is causing a scandal. How will your government react? | 89% to 90% | Requires Monarchy | Support the Monarch Nobody expects the government of the day to openly criticize the monarch. It would likely lead to major constitutional 'difficulties' and would be considered deeply unpatriotic and un-British. We should issue a statement to the effect that the phrase was taken out of context, was off the record and clearly does not represent the views of the royal family. +6% Conservative relations -7% Liberal relations +7% Patriot relations |
Criticize the Monarch How can we possibly stand by and let this happen without comment? Nobody expects your government to call for the royal families abolition, but at the very least a strongly worded statement to the effect that such comments are 'unhelpful' and 'out of step with the times' would be appropriate, regardless of what the royalists and patriots may think. -12% Conservative relations +10% Liberal relations -17% Patriot relations |
| Safeguard Oil Supplies | Representatives from oil companies based in our country have requested that the government deploy troops overseas at our oil refineries in the middle east to protect them from attack by terrorists. The governments involved are happy for our troops to be stationed on their soil for this purpose. | 20% to 90% | Send the Troops This is why we have a military, and we should not be afraid to use it. Foreign terrorists need to understand that we are prepared to take determined action to safeguard our oil supplies. This is not a 'foreign invasion', merely the provision of extra security for vital parts of our industry that happen to be overseas. If we do not deploy troops, the oil supply *will* suffer. +13% Capitalist relations -19% Liberal relations +13% Patriot relations -14% Foreign Relations +6% Terrorism |
Do Not Deploy Troops It doesn't matter what our motivation is, the symbolism of our troops landing on foreign soil, heavily armed and prepared to use deadly force, is going to cause a major backlash in some countries. It's likely this will lead to both problems with international relations and the possibility of increased terrorism. Our troops are not the security wing of the oil companies, and this is no job for them. +10% Liberal relations -12% Patriot relations -17% Oil Supply | |
| Ban Same Sex Marriage | Until recently this hasn't been an issue, marriage has been a straightforward issue and a ceremony reserved for heterosexual couples, but increasingly the more liberal ministers have been carrying out same sex marriages. Should we ban this at the constitutional level? | 0% to 10% | Ban It It's crazy to allow this travesty of a religious ceremony to take place. By standing by and doing nothing we are silently condoning the practice. The church will be outraged if we don't move quickly to put a stop to this. +12% Conservative relations +21% Religious relations -17% Liberal relations |
Allow Marriages There are no good reasons to ban such marriages. It's no business of the state to interfere in the relationships between loving couples regardless of their gender. Placing a ban on the kinds of relationships our citizens can form is an unforgivable intrusion into peoples private lives. -12% Conservative relations -16% Religious relations +10% Liberal relations | |
| School Sponsorship | A number of large corporations have expressed an interest in investing in our school system. Everything from free schoolbooks to entire sports centers is offered in return for some branding and promotional opportunities. | 0% to 10% | Up to -20% from high Literacy | Allow Sponsorship It would be crazy to turn down the offer of free educational materials. The government cannot provide the state of the art facilities that these companies are prepared to build in our schools. Having company logos on school books is a trivial price to pay for such large investment in education. -8% Liberal relations +5% Literacy |
Prevent Sponsorship Our schools are places for kids to be educated, not to be brainwashed in buying this or that brand of cola. Advertising is everywhere in society and schools are one of the last places we can escape from it. Keep big business out of education! -8% Liberal relations |
| Speed Limits | A major motorists pressure group has lobbied government to get the speed limits on our major roads raised. These speed limits were set many years ago and both car speeds and braking performance has improved since then. | 40% to 90% | Raise Speed Limits We have moved on since the times when men walked with red flags in front of motor cars. The national speed limits are stupidly low, and the limits are widely ignored. We cannot enforce the limits effectively, and until the limits are set as sensible values its just encouraging people to break the law. We need to raise the limits immediately. +8% Motorist relations -8% Parent relations +2% CO2 Emissions |
No Change Speed limits exist for a reason. Enough people die on our roads as it is, and speed is often a factor in the survivability of car accidents. Its true people break the limit as it is, but raising it now will just encourage faster, dangerous driving. Leave it unchanged. -8% Motorist relations +3% Parent relations | |
| Squatters Rights | A large empty house in one of the best neighborhoods of the capital has been taken over by homeless people. The house has been unused and empty for years, and lawyers are now arguing over whether or not the 'squatters' have a right to remain in the property. The landlord wishes to have them evicted. | 0% to 40% | Up to +40% from high Poverty Anywhere from +30% to -30% depending on Equality level |
Give Property to Squatters If people have become so wealthy that they can own multiple houses and leave some empty, whilst meanwhile we have some citizens with nowhere to live, then it is only right and fair that these homes be put to good use. The landlord has obviously had no need of the property for many years and it should be now legally given to the occupiers. -13% Capitalist relations +9% Poor relations +16% Socialist relations -27% Wealthy relations |
Evict the Squatters Its a dangerous precedent if you effectively hand someone's property to thieves. If the owner is wealthy enough to have empty properties, then this is his decision. Nobody is preventing these 'squatters' from saving up and buying a house legally just like the landlord did. Send in the police and throw these people out. +3% Capitalist relations -8% Poor relations -12% Socialist relations +17% Wealthy relations |
| Stop and Search | There are demands from the police for the power to stop and search people on the street if they believe that individual may be guilty of a crime. Currently our police cannot search someone without formally arresting them. | 30% | Up to +50% from Crime | Introduce Powers This will be a valuable weapon in the fight against crime and should have a noticeable impact on violent and street crime especially. If our citizens have nothing to hide, then they have nothing to fear from this law. -11% Liberal relations -7% Crime |
Leave Unchanged This is a very dangerous move. Its wide open to abuse on racial grounds, and will further distance the police from the community. Our citizens should be free to go about their lawful business without interference from the authorities! +11% Liberal relations |
| Subliminal Advertising | Subliminal advertising is a series of techniques where adverts appeal to the subconscious mind, often used in TV adverts where quick images are flashed very briefly onscreen, unknown to the viewer but having a subconscious effect. Modern techniques also work with radio adverts. There have been calls to clarify the legal position of such methods. | 30% to 80% | Ban Subliminal Techniques As though we don't have enough adverts in our life already, companies are now using underhand techniques to play with the minds of our citizens! This is outrageous, and a gross infringement of peoples human rights. Not to mention the fact that this will enable advertisers to get people to purchase products they may not be able to afford. +5% Capitalist relations -9% Liberal relations |
Allow Adverts This isn't as simple as it seems, because where do you draw the line on such techniques? Is using a beautiful woman in a car advert subliminal? It's a legal minefield, and we are best off not getting the state involved. Subliminal adverts should be given the go ahead, nobody is really being hurt, so why legislate? -4% Capitalist relations +5% Liberal relations | |
| Nuclear Test Ban Treaty | The united nations is pushing for your country to sign a treaty that would ban us from carrying out any nuclear weapons tests for research purposes. Many other nations have already signed the treaty and are pressuring us to sign through diplomatic channels. | 30% to 90% | Sign the Treaty We have no real need to carry out further tests, it's not like the current generation of weapons do not work, or are not powerful enough. Signing the treaty will keep environmental campaigners happy and will raise our popularity on the international stage. +6% Environmentalist relations -3% Patriot relations |
Do Not Sign Treaty It's vital that we retain the right to carry out limited testing. We live in a dangerous world and our nuclear deterrent is vital to our defence. It's not for other nations to tell us how to defend ourselves. Besides, testing is required to ensure our weapons still remain usable. -4% Environmentalist relations +6% Patriot relations | |
| Torture Deportation | Police officers have arrested a con-man who is a staying in our country illegally. Under normal circumstances, he would be eligible to be deported back to his country of origin. The man claims that if sent back to his homeland, it is likely he will be tortured by the government. | 20% to 90% | Deport Him This man has nobody to blame for his situation but himself. He arrived here illegally, and has operated as a criminal since he got here. If he had claimed political asylum when he arrived and not began a life of crime it would be a different matter. In the circumstances we must take his claims of torture threats with a pinch of salt. -8% Liberal relations +4% Patriot relations |
Keep Him Here It's clear that this man is hardly a model citizen, but no confidence trickster deserves to be tortured. If we truly oppose the use of torture on principle, then despite the man's history, we need to ensure we are not willing participants to torture by sending him back home. If we deport him, it could effectively become a death sentence. +2% Liberal relations -8% Patriot relations | |
| Toxic Waste Dump | A proposal has been put forward to construct a major toxic waste dump in our country. This facility will be very large, potentially creating many jobs in its construction, but there are concerns about its effect on the environment. | 30% to 90% | Allow the Dump Nobody exactly WANTS toxic waste in their back garden, but we would be fools to turn our backs on the economic gains from setting up this facility, not to mention the potential jobs. Besides, we can place the dump in the countryside where the jobs are needed and the risks are low. -23% Environmentalist relations +2% GDP -1% Unemployment |
Prevent Construction It doesn't matter how many jobs and how much money is involved, we cannot just take the attitude of renting out our country as a rubbish pit for other nations. The effects of this toxic waste could last for generations, is this really the legacy we want to leave for our children? +7% Environmentalist relations | |
| Travelers Rights | A local council recently demolished some old abandoned housing, leaving empty land for travelers to park their caravans on, the local people are angry and wish to have them moved, the council are unsure what rights these people have and have turned to the government to clarify national policy. | 0% | Up to +80% from high Poverty | Allow Travelers To Stay Everybody has the right to live somewhere, including these travelers. There is no evidence that they are causing problems, this is just a case of people not understanding the lifestyles of traveling people. -10% Conservative relations +11% Liberal relations +9% Poor relations |
Evict The Travelers You must support the local people. These travelers have intruded on private property and upset local families. This is unacceptable at all cost. You cannot allow a small group of people to cause such disruption to otherwise peaceful communities. +10% Conservative relations -9% Liberal relations -9% Poor relations |
| V-Chip | The V chip bill is a proposal to make it mandatory for all televisions made or sold in this country to include hardware which 'listens' for a signal, broadcast with TV programs which rates that program based on the content, thus allowing parents to block children from viewing such programs. | 30% to 90% | Introduce V Chip This bill will hand control of kids TV viewing back to their parents where it belongs. We already have rating systems for Movies, and underage children are barred from watching films containing sex or violence. This bill simply extends that control to TV, it still gives ultimate control over viewing to the parents. +4% Conservative relations -5% Liberal relations |
Block the V Chip This is an unwanted intrusion of government control into the media. Whatever happened to consumer choice and parental responsibility? it should not be the job of the government to decide what TV programs people should allow their children to watch. Keep government out of the media. -5% Conservative relations +4% Liberal relations | |
| Whaling | A resolution is before the government proposing the re-introduction of small scale commercial whaling in Japanese waters. Whale meat is a prized local delicacy and commercial whaling would create many jobs. | 12% to 90% | Resume Whaling Whales consume an enormous amount of fish, and may be responsible for a drop in fish catches that affect our economy. Whaling would also provide a welcome boost to our economy. Not every species of whale is endangered, and commercial whaling can go ahead without danger of causing extinction. +6% Capitalist relations +5% Conservative relations -9% Environmentalist relations +5% Farmer relations -4% Liberal relations -5% Foreign Relations +2% GDP |
Keep Ban in Place Whales are generally accepted to be amongst the most intelligent non-human species on earth, they maintain a crucial position in the aquatic food-chain and yet have been hunted close to extinction. Restarting commercial whaling would be incredibly destructive, as well as potentially causing a drop in tourism. We should refocus our efforts on whale watching rather than hunting. -1% Capitalist relations -6% Conservative relations +4% Environmentalist relations -5% Farmer relations +3% Liberal relations |