North American Union

The North American Union (or NAU) was a political and economic union of nations located primarily in North America. It was founded on April 9, 1994 with help from the Romans and Arameans in response to the collapse of North America's dominant power, the United States of America, which created a multitude of successor states. The purpose of the Union was to ensure that the old economic, political and cultural framework of North America could be preserved as much as possible, but sovereignty disputes- both between nations and between the nations and the NAU as a whole- disparities in the wealth of member nations and the meddling of outside powers in NAU affairs have meant that the NAU is still far from being a smoothly-run entity.
In 2017, following the collapse of Aram, Iceland took over in assisting Rome in administering the Union. In 2018, it was reconstituted as the Imperium Romanum Borealis ("Northern Roman Empire") under the administration of Empress Eva Avita (formerly the North American Prefect), and based in Dallas, Texas, but the rise of The Virus has limited her actual control to the Gulf Coast region. In 2021, an update to the Treaty of Buffalo between the Roman Empire and the Virtue Federation saw the NAU (except for Texas and Roman Columbia, which were already Roman provinces) essentially "traded" to Virtue for Australia, although previous trade deals and border protocols between the various NAU nations were maintained.
==At A Glance==
Nation Name: The Union of North American States
Demonym: North American, American
Capital: Anaheim, California
Charter Date: April 9, 1994
Population: (see list of countries by GDP)
Official Language(s): None
Most spoken Language: English
Government Type: Federated Constitutional Republic
Head of State: President Kim Barhaven
Head of Government: President Kim Barhaven
Official Religion: None
Largest Religion: Christianity
Economy Type: Mixed
Currency: American dollar (US$)
Constitution: Yes
Summer Time: Yes
Calling Code: +1
Internet TLD: .nau
Maritime Boundary (nm): 24
Aircraft Code: NA
Military Strength: Fluctuates, but it stays mostly at 5% of the entire population
Military Capability Score (out of 100, rating by Worldwide Defence Trade Association (WDTA)): 85 (Good)
Technological Innovation Score: Military (WDTA): 80/100 (Good), Scientific (University poll): 80/100 (Good), Other (University poll): 60/100 (Average)
Economic Rating (by Standard & Poor): 80/100 (Good) (See list of countries by GDP)
Economic Freedom Index (by Standard & Poor): 85/100 (mostly free- some government regulation, mostly in terms of anti-monopolism and providing some assistance to the poor)
Health Care Rating (by Doctors Without Borders): 70/100 (Average)
Health Care System: Two-tiered, with support only going to impoverished individuals who qualify.
Political Freedom Index (by Reporters Without Borders): 80/100 (Good; most freedoms are upheld, though governments have at times suppressed dissent)
Drug Laws: Only drugs allowed are coffee and alcohol, all other substances are banned.
Gun Control: No restrictions placed on firearms.
Environmental Policy Rating (by Greenpeace): 65/100 (attention is paid to environmental concerns, but it can take a back seat from time to time)
== Governance ==
The NAU is composed of nine member states- California, Canada, Carolina, Ontario, Mexico, New York, Quebec, Upper Columbia and Utah- colloquially known as "The Nine Nations of North America". They are all states recognized worldwide as fully sovereign states, with the ability to set their own internal laws and foreign relations. The terms of the NAU Charter do require member states to give up some portions of their sovereignty to the Union Congress, created to represent the NAU's interests on the worldwide stage. The dividing line between Union responsibilities and national responsibilities are not always clear and are often in dispute, but generally it is held that across the Union there is a continguous economic zone with free trade across all nations as well as fully open borders, with the Union responsible for administering policies that concern the Union as a whole, such as continental security, trade, communications, inter-state infrastructure, healthcare administration and other areas of inter-state concerns. The Union Congress also acts as an avenue for dispute resolution between member states, and can also project a unified foreign policy response on the international stage if need be. 
The Union Congress sits in Anaheim, California inside the Congressional Palace Complex. It is divided into two executive branches- the House of Representatives and the House of Lieutenants. Overseeing both levels of Congress is the President, who serves as the NAU's ultimate executive and its chief administrator. The President has ultimate authority to veto any legislation passed by the lower levels of Congress, but his ability to pass laws unilaterally is restricted only to a select few functions, almost all of which pertain to "conditions of national emergency" (a measure that must be passed by Congress first).
The President is elected via the electoral college, where each member of the Union is given a certain amount of "electors". This number is based on the amount of Representatives the state has. According to the NAU Charter, the electors are appointed by each state on the first Wednesday of November during an election year, with the electors' combined vote across the NAU determining the President. The Charter does not require a popular vote prior to the electors' appointment, but each state holds a popular vote prior to the appointment process anyway. The President is elected to an eight year term, and, as bound by the North American Constitution, no President can serve a second term. The Presidential candidates come one each from registered political parties, with the two most popular parties being the Unionist Party (also known as the POP, short for "People's Official Party") and the Federalist Party. Each party selects their candidate based on a state-by-state nomination process that essentially works like the electoral college, with some differences.
To be elected President, one has to be of at least 35 years of age and born in NAU territory or in a territory the Republic of Canada, the USA, the Republic of California, Deseret or Northern Mexico held on January 9, 1990, the beginning of World War III. No one currently sitting as a member of a state's government may run for President or Congress, they must resign their seat or be at the end of their terms before they can enter the primaries for both contests.
Below the President is the House of Lieutenants and the House of Representatives. Members of both houses may propose legislation, but for any law to pass, it must pass via majority vote in both houses before the proposed law can be passed on to the President. The Representatives are all elected, while the Lieutenants are appointed by the member states.
The number of Representatives is determined by the NAU Census, with the Charter stating that one Representative represents one million people. As of 2021, there are 657 Representatives, each of which represent their own Congressional district (the borders of which are set by each state), with each state given the same number of Representatives as the amount of Presidential electors they receive. The Representatives are selected via a popular vote in their district, with the winning candidate being awarded the position and the candidate serving for three years. Balancing the Representatives are the Lieutenants, of which there are 36 members, four for each member state. All of the Lieutenants are appointed by the state and serve for as long as the state permits them to serve, meaning many serve for life.
Effectively, Congress serves as solely as a place of "dispute resolution" between member states, drafting legally-binding resolutions that outline the agreement the disputers had reached, with Congress rarely enacting laws on its own. This is because Congress' powers are severely curtailed by the Constitution (backed by the Romans), which aimed to protect the sovereignty of the new states as much as possible, although Congress does have the ability to administer continent-wide functions such as the Interstate highway system.
==== Presidential Recall Elections ====
A special provision within the NAU Charter allows the President to be recalled before the completion of their term. Recall requests work just like any other bill in the legislature, with any member of Congress able to put forward the request and a simple majority vote in both Houses required for passage. The only difference is that a recall bill is not subject to the Presidential veto. Once a recall request is passed, the process for a Presidential election is the same as any other Presidential election, only that the Electoral College convenes six months after the passage of the recall request (as opposed to November).
=== Law Enforcement and Military ===
As per the Treaty of Buffalo, is the Mundiali, who have their headquarters in Buffalo. Overseeing the NAU for the Mundiali is the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which merged with the Mundiali via the Treaty. Affiliated with the FBI are the New York Imperial Police (NYIP) who operate in New York and the California Bureau of Investigation (CBI), who operate in Pueblo. The Roman Commonwealth Marquee Patrol (RCMP), who operate in Roman-held territories, are separate from the FBI and the Mundiali, but they provide needed support to both bureaus.
The Treaty also created a united North American Army, drawn from recruits across the continent and with each of the member states represented in important positions within its command structure. The Virtue Federation also maintains a contingent of Protectors, its peacekeeping force, on several bases throughout the Union.
==History==
For more information, see History of North America.
The North American Union was founded on April 9, 1994 by Rome and Aram. It had a tumultuous history as regional differences meant few compromises could be reached. It eventually dissolved and became the American Confederacy in 2017 before Rome (with Icelandic assistance) restored the old Union. In 2021, an update to the Treaty of Buffalo essentially placed the NAU within the Virtue Federation, traded by the Romans for control over Australia.
== See also ==
* The Milner Report
* The Virus
* Juan Castro
* Emeldic people
* Irish Americans
Category:Nations of Vicendum
Category:Political Unions of Vicendum
Category:Economic Unions of Vicendum
Category:Rome
Category:Virtue Federation