In this session of ELF 120-Democracy, we are going to do a game in which we will try and fix crime, taxes and to a lesser extent, the economy, at the expense of groups who hate us and to the delight of those who don’t.

 

  1. Start a new game as the USA.
  2. Wait one turn
  3. Enstate the Flat Income Tax as a policy at 75%
  4. Today we will mainly be scapegoating the Socialists, so it’s fine if they start to hate us now
  5. Next turn
  6. Notice we make a huge surplus, of money, enough to get us out of debt
  7. Cancel the income tax
  8. We can win some easy conservative votes if we end the Antisocial Behavior and Vigilante Mobs situations, so boost Police Force and Armed Police to the max
  9. Next turn
  10. Cancel the Inheritance Tax
  11. Boost Small Business Grants to the max
  12. Next turn
  13. We should be almost out of debt, so cancel Capital Gains and Sales Tax
  14. Next turn
  15. Set School Vouchers to max
  16. Next turn
  17. Around this time, your problems with crime should be ending, but you may be getting the Tax Evasion situation.  That is okay, because it’s almost impossible to evade a Flat Income Tax
  18. Cancel Property Tax
  19. Next Turn
  20. Cancel Corporation Tax
  21. Next turn
  22. Cancel Tobacco Tax
  23. Pull up your income chart.  At this point, the Flat Income Tax should be most of your revenue.  We won’t mess with the other taxes for fear of angering commuters/motorists/environmentalist
  24. Next turn
  25. Set border controls to the minimum.  We are doing this to increase immigration, and we need more immigration because it will help us end the Skills Shortage situation, which is tanking our economy
  26. Next turn
  27. The elections are drawing near, so we should really get going to try and win votes
  28. Let’s make a lot of groups happy by adding university grant to the max
  29. Check the political parties.  How are you doing?
  30. To make sure the youth vote for us, set the minimum drinking age to 18
  31. Next turn
  32. Let’s add Youth Club Subsitise and Public Libraries
  33. Set Foreign Aid to the max
  34. Enstate Free School Meals
  35. We are helping people who absolutely hate us.  Why? If there are large groups of people that hate us, then they will campaign against us.
  36. Next turn
  37. Free eye tests!
  38. Next Turn
  39. Let’s increase Unemployed Benefits, and hopefully bringing the poor into the green and the socialists into the yellow
  40. Next turn
  41. Lets increase State pensions and make sure the retired are campaigning for us
  42. Next turn
  43. If you want, you can be a hack and reduce taxes, or end them
  44. Well, it’s time for the election

 

Tyranny of the majority

In our game, we extensively served the interests of certain groups while ignoring and punishing those who disagree with us.  This principle, known as tyranny of the majority, is one reason we have the electoral college, along with many of the other strange systems we have for appointing public officials.  With the college, any wannabe president has to gain support from those all around the country, not just one group. The game, anticipating this strategy, counters it with the activism mechanic, boosting voter turnout for oppressed people, forcing you to pay a little attention to them

 

Tyranny of the majority