Congress has the power to enact legislation of following types:
- Admission of a New Territory: Congress may vote to admit a new Territory to the Republic.
- Amendments: Congress may amend the Constitution.
- Declare War: Congress may declare War as a result of a Crisis!
- Defense: Congress may purchase, maintain or disband military units.
- Finance: Congress may pass Bills to create, alter or abolish taxes, tariffs, and pensions.
- Monopolies: Congress may award, reassign, or abolish monopolies.
- Proclamations: Congress may issue proclamations.
- Regulations: Congress may regulate Factions by seizing their Treasuries or by creating a Minimum Wage.
- Subsidies: Congress may award a permanent or temporary subsidy to a Faction.
- Supreme Court vacancies: The President nominates a Faction to hold a vacant Supreme Court seat. The seat is not filled unless the Chamber of Deputies approves the appointment by a majority vote.
- Surrender: Congress may surrender during the course of a War.
All Legislation must be drawn from the following lists. Information in brackets identifies those details (and the permitted range) that the Sponsor must specify as part of his proposal. No other part of the legislative formula can be altered. Note that Legislation can apply only to a Faction if that Faction is in play.
Example
A Bill template:
A Bill of Finance: Congress hereby levies a Tax of [1-99%] on the Income of [named Faction].
A finished proposal:
"A Bill of Finance: Congress hereby levies a Tax of 33% on the Income of the Plutocrat."
Legislation
Admission of a New Territory
A new Territory can be admitted to the Republic only as the result of a Crisis!
A Bill to Admit a Territory: The Territory of [name of Territory] shall be admitted to the Republic, with full rights and responsibilities, at the beginning of the next Game Turn.
Amendments
All Amendments can only be made directly to or in addition to the text of the Constitution. No Amendment may violate any of the Rules set forth in other parts of the game. Wording of each Amendment is entirely at the discretion of the player who proposes it.
Declare War
A war can be declared only as the result of a Crisis!
A Declaration of War: Whereas [casus belli] and pursuant to the report of the Minister of War, Congress hereby Declares that a State of War exists between the Federal Republic of Mylantium and [Territory].
Defense
Only the following military units can be created. Once created and maintained they cannot be duplicated. Disbanded units may be reconstituted by Legislation.
A Defense Bill: Congress hereby appropriates $20 to outfit the 1st Fava Bean Regiment (Inf.) and shall hereafter appropriate in each fiscal year $15 to maintain this Regiment, which contributes +2 battle points in time of War.
A Defense Bill: Congress hereby appropriates $20 to outfit the 2nd Fixed Baloney Squad (Inf.) and shall hereafter appropriate in each fiscal year $15 to maintain this Squad, which contributes +2 battle points in time of War.
A Defense Bill: Congress hereby appropriates $20 to outfit the 3rd Rubber Nipple Brigade (Inf.) and shall hereafter appropriate in each fiscal year $15 to maintain this Brigade, which contributes +2 battle points in time of War.
A Defense Bill: Congress hereby appropriates $20 to outfit the 7th Army Specialists--Fig Avoidance (Inf.) and shall hereafter appropriate in each fiscal year $15 to maintain this Regiment, which contributes +2 battle points in time of War.
A Defense Bill: Congress hereby appropriates $10 to outfit the 34th Mounted Bernaise Division (Cav.) and shall hereafter appropriate in each fiscal year $5 to maintain this Division, which contributes +3 battle points in time of War.
A Defense Bill: Congress hereby appropriates $10 to outfit the 12th Mechanized Eggbeaters Division (Cav.) and shall hereafter appropriate in each fiscal year $5 to maintain this Division, which contributes +3 battle points in time of War.
A Defense Bill: Congress hereby appropriates $10 to outfit the 5th Armored Meringue Unit (Cav.) and shall hereafter appropriate in each fiscal year $5 to maintain this Unit, which contributes +2 battle points in time of War.
A Defense Bill: Congress hereby appropriates $10 to outfit the 12th Light Crepe Airborne (Cav.) and shall hereafter appropriate in each fiscal year $5 to maintain this uit, which contributes +2 battle points in time of War.
A Defense Bill: Congress hereby appropriates $20 to outfit the fast destroyer FSS Sergei Bellum (naval) and shall hereafter appropriate in each fiscal year $5 to maintain this destroyer, which contributes +1 battle points in time of War.
A Defense Bill: Congress hereby appropriates $25 to outfit the armored cruiser FSS Dewey Dare (naval) and shall hereafter appropriate in each fiscal year $5 to maintain this cruiser, which contributes +2 battle points in time of War.
A Defense Bill: Congress hereby appropriates $40 to outfit the battle cruiser FSS Ezra Gumm (naval) and shall hereafter appropriate in each fiscal year $10 to maintain this cruiser, which contributes +3 battle points in time of War.
A Defense Bill: Congress hereby appropriates $60 to outfit the battleship FSS Cartesian Dualism (naval) and shall hereafter appropriate in each fiscal year $15 to maintain this battleship, which contributes +5 battle points in time of War.
A Defense Bill: Congress hereby disbands [name of one or more military units].
Finance
Finance Bills levy, alter or abolish taxes and entitlement programs. They remain in force until they are abolished.
A Bill of Finance: Congress hereby levies a Tax in perpetuity of [1-99%] on the Income of [a Faction].
A Bill of Finance: Congress hereby levies an Income Tax in perpetuity of [10-90%, in increments of 10%] on the National Income.
A Bill of Finance: Congress hereby institutes a Tariff in perpetuity of $10 on Imports of [some commodity that has not got a Tariff on it]. This Tariff is in addition to any other Tariffs already in effect.
A Bill of Finance: Congress hereby introduces a Pension of $20 to alleviate the suffering of [some worthy group in the Sponsor's estimation], and mandates that this Pension shall increase each fiscal year at a rate of 5% compounded, rounded up the nearest whole dollar. This Pension cannot be cut, only revoked in its entirety. Money spent on this Pension shall go into the Game Bank.
A Bill of Finance: Congress hereby alters the Tax on the Income of the [a Faction] to [1-99%] until such time as as it shall be revised.
A Bill of Finance: Congress hereby alters the Income Tax, changing the rate to [10-90%, in increments of 10%] until such time as as it shall be revised.
A Bill of Finance: Congress hereby repeals a Tariff on Imports of [a commodity currently with a Tariff on it] until such time as it is reenacted.
A Bill of Finance: Congress hereby eliminates the Tax on the Income of [a Faction] until such time as it is reenacted.
A Bill of Finance: Congress hereby eliminates the Income Tax on the National Income until such time as it is reenacted.
A Bill of Finance: Congress hereby repeals and abolishes the Pension for [a group currently receiving a Pension].
Monopoly
Monopolies are chartered companies that give their holder certain revenues. The money generated by a Monopoly is subtracted from the National Income and drawn from the Game Bank. Income from Monopolies is subject to taxation.
A License of Monopoly: Congress hereby licenses a Monopoly on Thumbtacks to [Robber Baron; Plutocrat; the Government], such that the holder of that Monopoly shall receive income of 5% of the National Income (rounded down to the nearest whole dollar) every fiscal year, subject to taxation if held by a Faction.
A License of Monopoly: Congress hereby licenses a Monopoly on Goosefeather Down to [Robber Baron; the Government], such that the holder of that Monopoly shall receive income of 5% of the National Income (rounded down to the nearest whole dollar) every fiscal year, subject to taxation if held by a Faction.
A License of Monopoly: Congress hereby licenses a Monopoly on Gouda Cheese to [Granger; Plutocrat; the Government], such that the holder of that Monopoly shall receive income of 5% of the National Income (rounded down to the nearest whole dollar) every fiscal year, subject to taxation if held by a Faction.
A License of Monopoly: Congress hereby licenses the Customs Office to [Plutocrat; the Government], such that the holder of that Office shall receive each fiscal year income of $5 for every port in operation in the Republic, and an additional $1 per port for every Tariff in effect. This income is subject to taxation if held by a Faction.
A License of Monopoly: Congress hereby licenses a Monopoly on Railroad transport to [Robber Baron; the Government], such that the holder of that Monopoly shall receive each fiscal year income of $10 for every city in the Republic. This income is subject to taxation if held by a Faction.
A License of Monopoly: Congress hereby creates and licenses the Federal Bank of Mylantium to [Plutocrat; the Government], in line with the appropriate Charter.
A License of Monopoly: Congress hereby licenses the National Syndicate of Duck Trainers to [Prole; Granger], such that the holder of that Union shall receive each fiscal year income of $1 per temple, payable by the SnakeHandlers out of their Treasury.
A License of Monopoly: Congress hereby licenses the International Union of Peach and Apricot Pickers to [Prole; Granger], such that the holder of that Union shall receive each fiscal year income of $1 per city, payable by the Robber Barons out of their Treasury.
A Bill of Reassignment: The License to operate [name of Monopoly in effect] is hereby stripped from [current owner] and reassigned to [another eligible operator of the Monopoly in question].
A Bill of Abolishment: The License to operate [name of Monopoly in effect] is hereby revoked and the Monopoly trade abolished.
Proclamations
Proclamations are useless fun.
A Proclamation: Whereas [some list of asinine reasons] Congress hereby declares [some calendar period] to be [name of worthy event, idea, person, cause, etc.].
Regulation
Regulations are ways that the government can seize or reapportion some loose cash.
A Bill to Regulate Trade: The Federal Government hereby seizes all available cash in the Treasury of [a Faction] in the name of [some worthy goal related to the Faction's activity].
A Bill to Regulate a Minimum Wage: Federal Government hereby orders that [0% - 100%, in increments of 10%] of the pre-tax income of the Robber Baron be diverted to the Proles in perpetuity, with all fractional amounts rounded in the Proles' favor.
Subsidy
A Faction can be assigned only one Subsidy at a time. Only one Faction may receive income from a Subsidy.
A Bill to Subsidize Trade: Congress hereby grants a subsidy of $10 per fiscal year to [a Faction] in order to further [some worthy goal related to the Faction's activities]. This subsidy is non-taxable and lasts in perpetuity until such time as it is repealed.
A Bill to Subsidize Trade: Congress hereby grants a one-time subsidy of [$10 - $100] to [a Faction] in the coming fiscal year in order to further [some worthy goal related to the Faction's activities]. This subsidy is non-taxable.
Supreme Court vacancies
The President nominates a Faction to hold a vacant Supreme Court seat. The seat is not filled unless the Chamber of Deputies approves the appointment by a majority vote. Note: The President can nominate to fill multiple seats in the Supreme Court in one single Bill.
A Nomination to the Supreme Court: [Vacant seat] on the Supreme Court shall henceforth be filled by [name of Faction] until such time as that seat falls vacant.
Surrender
Congress can surrender only if a war is being waged.
Peace Treaty : Whereas we are getting our butts kicked and have decided that the whole thing is a total waste of time and probably the result of someone lying to us, and pursuant to the report of the Minister of War, Congress hereby declares the cessation of hostilities the between Federal Republic of Mylantium and [Combatant] and begs only that the armies of [Combatant] not march into our capital and string us up from the lampposts.
