Federation Leader Voting Idea

[Arkangilos]

Sorry if this is the wrong place or has already been said.

Do you all think Federation Leadership could be determined by having a pool of leaders to choose from that everyone votes on?

Basically, you have one candidate from member. It isn't their national leader. Each one will have Leadership traits that provide Federation wide benefits. Each member of the federation then votes for the leader they want. The winner means that the empire that the leader came from is the "president" of the federation. (Essentially their empire has the most influence to say where the fleet goes).

Thoughts?

 

[milesfromordnry]

I like the concept of having elections for the federation leadership. Your idea isn't bad at all, but a problem I can see with it is that it would serve to further empower the most powerful empires in the federation. Not necessarily a bad thing, it just depends on if you see a federation as something to benefit smaller members vs seeing it as a tool to empower large empires.

An alternative format building on your idea could tie in to the 1.5/Utopia faction system.... have each empire present a candidate from a particular faction represented in their empire (or maybe from the faction currently in power in their empire). There would then be a popular vote among all the pops in the entire federation. This could hypothetically still give larger empires an advantage, but only if their ethics are reflective of the federation population as a whole. For example, if the federation overall has many Spiritualists, but the largest empire in the federation is predominantly Materialist, the overall election might swing away from a candidate from the large Materialist empire because the other smaller federation members' pops would rather a Spiritualist.

Maybe there could even be a rule-set in the game where the empire who currently holds the presidency cannot run again (term limit) to ensure that one empire does not continually have their candidate elected.

 

[Emraldis]

I really enjoy this idea. Though I'd like to see it more as a "Federation council" where each empire commits a leader to be a representative of their empire's interests on the council. As for federation leadership, each time the federation leadership changes, the federation holds an election, each member of the council can vote for a representative to be elected the "leader" of the federation. All council members can vote, as well as every empire who has federation association, though more weight is given to council member votes. Each council member contributes a bonus (based on trait) to all federation members and associates. Federations would all each act as their own independent "Space UN" akin to the UN from CIV, with the ability to enact policies that affect all members and associates. Policies could do things like enact trade embargoes with other federations or empires, force certain empire policies/ethics, ban or encourage the harvest of strategic resources. Different federations could have different policies enacted, all dependent on how their members vote for different policies, meaning there would be interesting variety between larger political groups, rather than just being large defensive pacts.

 

[Arkangilos]

it is that it would serve to further empower the most powerful empires in the federation.

Now I'm not asking this because I think you are wrong, but because I want to know where I messed up XD

How so? The idea (and the reason why it isn't your ruler) is that it is a level playing field in terms of skill level (so they are all skill two or three or whatever). Since each empire only gets one vote, population won't be a factor. (Unless the federation chooses pop vote as a policy?).

Basically, let's say there are five empires:
1) Cedric has benefit a (like how rulers have different campaign promises or directives).
2) Joe has benefit b
3) Gnarlli has benefit c
4) Grak has benefit d
5) Pari has benefit e.

Empires one through three all decide that benefit c is more important to them at this time, so they vote for Gnarlli.

Empire four decides benefit E is more important, and votes for Pari, and Empire five is selfish and also votes Pari.

Gnarlli wins with 3 out of five votes. The entire Federation receives benefit c. Empire 3 controls Federation fleet.

Emraldis- I do kind of agree with that! Especially the part with the policy making (in SE V, for example, you can ban certain tech and actions). The problem with having bonuses for each individual would be that Federations would get way too many benefits. Though I guess a trade off would be losing the freedom to continue doing policies.

 

[milesfromordnry]

I really enjoy this idea. Though I'd like to see it more as a "Federation council" where each empire commits a leader to be a representative of their empire's interests on the council. As for federation leadership, each time the federation leadership changes, the federation holds an election, each member of the council can vote for a representative to be elected the "leader" of the federation. All council members can vote, as well as every empire who has federation association, though more weight is given to council member votes. Each council member contributes a bonus (based on trait) to all federation members and associates. Federations would all each act as their own independent "Space UN" akin to the UN from CIV, with the ability to enact policies that affect all members and associates. Policies could do things like enact trade embargoes with other federations or empires, force certain empire policies/ethics, ban or encourage the harvest of strategic resources. Different federations could have different policies enacted, all dependent on how their members vote for different policies, meaning there would be interesting variety between larger political groups, rather than just being large defensive pacts.

Great idea as well. Reminds me of the United Planets in GalCiv.

Now I'm not asking this because I think you are wrong, but because I want to know where I messed up XD

I think I misinterpreted your original post, my mistake. In my head I had that each members vote would be weighted depending on power which essentially allow a dominant empire to pick each time, essentially making smaller empires vassals. Makes much more sense now that I see how you fleshed it out in that previous post where 1 empire = 1 vote. I like your idea.