New California Republic

WIP

The New California Republic (NCR) is a federal presidential republic founded in California.

The NCR emphasizes and strives to support a myriad of old world values, such as democracy, personal liberty, and the rule of law. It also aims to restore general order to the wasteland, the improvement and development of infrastructure and economic systems, and overarching peace between people. Similar to institutions of the old world it seeks to emulate, continued expansion has created challenges with territorial control, loyalty, and corruption that plague the Republic and serve to hinder its goals.

Society
Abstractly, the NCR represents progress; while tribals and other wastelanders scratch out a meager existence, citizens of the NCR enjoy the wasteland luxuries of a steady economy, healthcare, laws and legitimate government, not to mention a large military to ensure they have a shot at more than just survival. The large population of the New California Republic means it is composed of a highly diverse number of individuals, from highly refined inhabitants of the Republic's grand urban centers, through merchants and frontier settlers, to the large numbers of farmers and ranchers responsible for its economic might.

That economic power was one of the key factors in the transformation of society. As survival ceased being a major concern for the vast majority of NCR citizens, the problem of collective welfare has been largely superseded by concerns about individual prosperity. People providing services free of charge are now the exception, rather than the rule, with skilled workers routinely charging for their services, from tailors to surgeons. Moreover, after over 80 years of scavenging, the wastelands of New California have been largely picked clean of salvageable goods. NCR citizens who can still make a living exclusively by scavenging and hunting are an uncommon sight. The combination of these cultural and economic factors led to the rebirth of wage labor: Most citizens have to seek an employer at a mill, factory or farm and work to earn their keep and earn money necessary to survive. But these jobs are easy to find in one of the many mills and farms in New California.

The citizens themselves hold a variety of opinions on these developments. While many praise the economic strength hammered out in the furnaces of the wasteland, many other decry the loss of communal spirit. Some will even curse the selfishness of other citizens, usually while pursuing goals that are just as selfish. One thing is common: The belief that opportunity has largely dried up at home and real fortunes await further east.

Equality
The Republic prohibits persecution and discrimination on the basis of gender, ethnicity, sexuality, or religious belief (so long as said religion does not advocate violence), also protecting ghouls and mutants. In general, the republic is successful in its enforcement of equality laws, however there is some bigotry some citizens perform. The reactionary undercurrent, especially among males, led to a disproportionately high number of promotions for male military officers, while discourse arguing the differences between males and females has reappeared. Regardless of the setbacks, slavery is outlawed in all NCR territories. Homosexuality is generally accepted in the core states of the Republic, though frontier territories away from the more civilized center tend to show prejudice.

Economy
The NCR's free market economy is based on two resources, ever since its inception: Great brahmin herds and swaths of land restored to arable condition. Providing meat, leather, milk and other foodstuffs, which are the backbone of the economy of the Republic. As a result, ranchers and farmers hold great sway. Their success also led to the emergence of cottage industries, such as the rebirth of luxury goods manufacture and pseudo-journalism reporting on the latest purchases, commissions and life lessons of the new rich and famous.

Other branches of industry have also developed. Light industry, including tools, clothes making, mills and other manufacturing, form a significant part of the Republic's industrial output. Another notable element of the Republic's economy is its ordnance workshops, producing standardized weapons and armor for the New California Republic Army and Rangers.

Currency
The NCR uses bottlecaps for external trade. However, internal trade mainly uses NCR Gold Coins.