Great Oligarchy

The **Great Oligarchy** was a series of events which transpired over the course of 80 years between 2412 and 2492 that saw instability rise within the United States of Earth, terrorism become commonplace across the United States of America, and large corporations gradually become more and more influential over the nation to the point of eventually, in practicality, replacing the US government.

By the time of the Charlemagne Administration, a group of corporations commonly known as the "Owners of America" controlled the military, party primary elections, electoral ballots, voter IDs, and were even the only ones who could speak in Congressional debates. Very few politicians in the United States, during the late stages of this time, challenged corporations, largely due to the fact that they were simply powerless against them; the corporations were what ruled the United States.

Many see the power of corporations during this time as proof that Manuel Bolívar was correct in his ideals; government is not only an entity which derives from a constitution, but is anything which exerts control on the people. And if the balance between governments is disrupted, democracy suffers.

## The Last Good Presidents (2412 - 2429)

The Great Oligarchy's foundation is largely said to have commenced in 2412, with the election of President Teuna Prasad. Although Prasad and his successor, President Chananyah Nathaneel are viewed as the "Last Good Presidents" prior to the true deterioration of the United States, their policies largely saw the federal government become less of a firm force in of itself, and more susceptible to the influence of other entities; leading to the exploitation by corporations.

### Election of 2412 and the Prasad Administration

The Progressive Presidential primaries in 2412 were largely between right-wing Teuna Prasad and left-wing Royce Nolan. Nolan was largely a "Singer Progressive" who advocated for the re-institution of President Singer's publicly funded expansion and land distribution program. This would see him face criticism from the zealous Prasad, who alleged that Nolan contradicted historic Progressive values of free movement, and was a "moderate Boxer under the Progressive banner". Prasad himself was largely an "O'Shaghennessy Progressive", who advocated for limited government action regarding land, and who instead advocated for private citizens to dictate expansion. In acknowledging Bolívar's historic notion regarding the dangers of landlords with excessive power, Prasad advocated to solve this by introducing tax deductions for affordable land renting.

Meanwhile in the Boxer Party, the party was largely unified under President Neptuno O'Ryder's policy and viewed his administration as the perfect compromise between Emesta Kostaguard's relative extremism and those who thought a strong, firmly legitimate government was essential for society. Because of this, Vice President Enoch Longstreet was deemed the Boxer nominee with a landslide, and thus promised to continue the work of O'Ryder.

In the General Election, Prasad criticized O'Ryder's policy of land distribution as "damaging to the rights of property owners" and denounced the incumbent administration as "mildly socialist." Vice President Longstreet responded on the campaign trail that he was upholding the "great ideals of Manuel Bolívar" and that O'Ryder's program within the United States of Earth kept governments in check, rather than granting them power. Longstreet cited how O'Ryder allowed land owners, chosen fairly by the United States of Earth, to determine their own property rules, rather than having the government impose excessive restrictions. Although Neptuno O'Ryder was a popular President for his time and seldomnly criticized as one more harmful than not for the United States of Earth, voters preferred Prasad's vision and largely saw Longstreet as someone with nothing of his own to bring to the table. Thus, Prasad was elected to the Presidency.

As President, Prasad abolished President O'Ryder's land policy and rendered it into law that it was an official affair to transpire between private citizens, and additionally ensured other economic freedoms were present within the United States of America.

### Nethaneel Administration

Following the Prasad Administration's eight years in office, Boxer Chananyah Nethaneel assumed the Presidency with the claims that President Prasad was hypocritical in both his mandate of economic freedom and his tax deductions for affordably renting land. In the policies' place, Nethaneel instated "absolute federalism" and made the land status in states up to each individual state. Additionally, Nethaneel made federal taxes the lowest they've been in history under the logic that "the amount of taxes the people pay should be decided by the individual states."

Although Nethaneel's agenda was more beneficial than not for the American economy, the federal government's revenue significantly depleted, thus causing the United States's debt to increase at a higher rate than usual.

## World War on Terror (2436 - 2444)

### Unrest in the USE

On the repeal of President O'Ryder's Council of Land Distribution, the infrastructure previously aiding the United States of Earth in its land distribution was now non-existent; power vacuums regarding land became present, as those previously guaranteed a home were now guaranteed no protection against rich private entities. Due to this, many nations began facing housing crises and the formation of powerful landlordships.

As the United States initially instituted this policy and was considered the leader of Earth, many nations would go to the United States for aid. Because of the loss in economic revenue, however, President Elna Alcantara refused to provide aid. This would spark resentment among the other nations of Earth; as the situation worsened, the United States continued stating that it could not provide aid.

This tension would come to a head in 2436, when terrorism began rising across the world. President Alcantara issued an executive order commanding each nation to stop all terrorist factions they harbored. Because the United States did not aid the other nations during their time of need, however, nations around the world would refuse to aid the United States...

### Commencement of War

Because few nations put a stop to their terrorist factions, the terrorists soon organized into larger entities which would attack the United States. This would commence the World War on Terror in 2436.

In an attempt to appease the terrorists, Boxer Presidential nominee Rumbidzai Borotoros chose Kostaguard Bolivarian Roland Crabtree as his running mate, so as to show them that there was a high-ranking official in the US government that supported the President of Earth being elected by all global citizens. This would backfire against Borotoros, as the terrorists would paint him as a pandering politician who made "weightless decisions" meant to look good. The war would continue, even as Borotoros was elected.

### Corporate Deals

Because the United States did not have the funding for their usual military strength, the terrorists would obtain a great deal of victories against the overwhelmed nation. With the war looking dire for the US, numerous corporations began approaching the US offering it economic aid in 2438. Out of desperation, President Borotoros accepted their deals, thus plunging the United States further into debt.

On taking the corporations' offer, the United States finally began obtaining frequent victories against the terrorists, just in time for President Borotoros's re-election campaign in 2440. For three years (2438 - 2441), the United States's crisis seemed to be ending. This changed in 2441, however, when it was time for the US to pay off its debt...

Due to its dire situation with the war and already-gargantuan debt, President Borotoros stated that he could not pay the corporations back. This would allow the corporations to propose an alternative deal: They would forgive the United States's debt if they received the ability to partake in Congressional proceedings and debates and received permanent advisory positions in the Cabinet. President Borotoros agreed, and thus introduced the "National Favor Payoff Act". Because a sense of urgency was stressed, this bill would quickly pass (albeit to much controversy).

By 2444, the war finally ended in a US-victory. The terrorists were arrested in droves and stability across Earth was restored, albeit in a war-torn condition.

## Economic Consolidation of Power

### Control of the Budget

Come time for the war's end, most of the American populous generally agreed that it was time for reconstruction. Given that the government largely lacked the means to fund reconstruction, however, corporate representatives in Congress advocated for the government to take a laissez-faire approach, and instead let them rebuild the nation. Given that the corporate representatives were the loudest voices both in Congress and in the usage of propaganda, the US government agreed to take a step back and let them take power.

In 2447, however, reconstruction was still not complete. Because of this, corporations began demanding that the government "stop taking up [their] resources" or they would cease their project. This would spark panic across the US government, as Congress met in emergency sessions to discuss how to proceed forward. The corporate representatives once again came up with a plan, saying that to appease the corporations, they should be given control of the United States's federal budget so long as they were helping. Considering themselves reliant on the corporations, Congress agreed and passed the "Thank You For Aid Act"...

### Control of Taxes

Because corporations now controlled the United States's budget, they began alleging that US federal money was "their salary", and that in addition to their own profits, they were "reliant on US taxpayer money". Because of this, the corporations would urge Congress to raise taxes on the American people. As always, Congress would comply with the corporations.

On the raise of taxes, however, some politicians and zealous Americans would finally start to protest their control over the American economy. There would be factions in both the Boxer and Progressive Parties which advocated for a repeal of the Thank You For Aid Act and the National Favor Payoff Act. Corporations would counter this by funding the campaigns of the candidates who supported their power. Because of this, the Presidential Election of 2452 would result in a victory for Boxer nominee Frederick Godreich, who praised former President Nethaneel for "recognizing the unreliable nature of the federal government" and advocated for the continued funding for corporations. Godreich additionally alleged that the corporations were "heroes" for the nation due to their efforts in the war.

## Second War on Terror (2457 - TBD)

### Presidential Election of 2456

In 2456, the Progressive Party nominated Alexander Revolo as their Presidential candidate. Having the endorsement of former President Oren Breedlove III, the two men ran a campaign on how the United States's condition was more dangerous than they thought, and how they needed to undo the influence of corporations. With this, the majority of the Progressive Party finally resolved against the corporations, and demanded that their power over the US government would be repealed. In response to this movement, the corporations began funding Godreich's re-election campaign heavily. While Godreich won the election, the final results were close, and Godreich even lost the popular vote.

Seeing this, the corporations realized they had to