The Niagara Republic/Republic of Niagara is a democratic dictatorship located in the city of Niagara.
Government[]
The Republic is headed by the President (first and currently Nathaniel Greene), who, while democratically elected, holds a life term and has unilateral legislative power. He is kept in power through strict crackdowns on dissent (under the guise of protecting Niagara from being thrown into chaos by raiders and Brotherhood spies), and by the Order and Safety Party, the majority political bloc made up of his supporters, who range from Tribal immigrants to moderate Dwellers. The opposition party, the Vault Party, is mainly comprised of conservative Dwellers who are opposed to Greene's open immigration policies - and for some, the very fact that a tribal is running Niagara. Dissent from the Vault Party is heavily discouraged, and they are outnumbered significantly by the Order and Safety Party. The actual government of the Republic is divided into three categories: the Mechanists, the Physicians, and the Niagara Defense Force. The Mechanists are the repairmen, engineers, scientists, and R&D team of the Republic - they keep the equipment up and running and figure out new, exciting ways to blow people up. The Physicians oversee the health of the city - an incredibly important topic to a Niagara that remembers all too well The Plague. They distribute and create chems, give medical aid, and advise the President on matters relating to health and disease. The Niagara Defense Force is the combination police force and army of the Republic. Lead by _____, they are known to hassle and shakedown non-citizens (though they are harsh but fair to citizens), and have become a melting pot of mercs and brigands who are held together with an iron-fistful of caps.
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Foreign Issues ==
The Republic is engaged in a Cold War with the Brotherhood thanks to the Overpass Incident (see below), though the fighting has been limited to a few small skirmishes. There are rumors that Brotherhood spies have been trying to infiltrate the Republic, leading to greater governmental scrutiny. The Republic's official stance on slavery is one of condemnation - however, there has been very little open interaction, violent or nonviolent, between the Republic and the various raiders and slavers of the Wastes. There are, however, rumors that deals are being forged with the Slaver groups where political dissidents will be made available for capture in exchange for a ceasing of the enslavement of upstanding Republic citizens.
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Domestic Issues ==
The Republic is and has for some time been divided on the subject of 'race'. The Vault-dwelling population (known as Dwellers, or in more offensive slang, 'Vaulties') are angry at sharing their nation with the Tribals (the slur for which is 'Savage') who were purposefully courted to immigrate the city after The Plague (see below), in the hopes of increasing the nation's population. While Greene seems to hold some degree of consideration towards the Dweller's concerns, some of them are upset with what they see as the usurpation of their homeland, and criticism of Greene has grown noticeably in recent years, especially with the death Officer Odell in the Overpass Incident, a well-known and well-liked member of the Dweller community. The general consensus among the Vault Party is that Greene's foolish outreach program was what caused Odell to be put in harm's way. However, Greene still holds favor among the majority, with the tribals infatuated with the rights he has given to them and more moderate dwellers glorifying him for his actions in helping the nation recover from The Plague.
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History ==
The original inhabitants of the state were Vault-dwellers from the control Vault 96, located inside the city. 96 was a control Vault which, oddly enough, was notably undercapacity when it was sealed during the Great War. In 2200, they left their vault and began settling the city's ruins, which was dubbed 'The Falls', in honor of the area's famous geographical feature. They were mostly concentrated in the vault itself, and retained the close-knit culture that had grown within it - they were ruled, as they had always been, by an Overseer, who at the time was Jacob Ross. They managed well, their defensive and wary attitude saving them many times from destruction, as well as their massive numbers. Their attitude towards outsiders bordered on xenophobic, and few tribals were accepted into the population.
The Plague
In 2242, Overseer Ross died, and was replaced by his son, Vincent Ross, who was by all accounts an incompetent, though not willfully malicious leader. Though the quality of life in the settlement fell noticeably, there was little opposition - Vincent was Overseer, and the people of the Falls had always been lead by an Overseer. This mild discontent continued normally until 2251, when a mutated virus that had evolved post-War infected some of the citizens living aboveground. It spread like wildfire, with an almost total infection rate. Many died, and many more fled the city to avoid infection. There were an estimated 459 people in the city of Niagara before the Plague; when it finally ended, there were only 104. Overseer Vincent panicked and locked down Vault 96, locking those inside away from the diseased outside. This state of affairs continued for years, with the expectation being that the virus would burn itself out.
Republican Coup and the Greene Regime In 2268, long-simmering tensions came to head when the botany lab malfunctioned and caused a food shortage. A group of insurgents, foremost among them the ostracized tribal minority, stormed the Overseer's office, lead by a second-generation tribal named Nathaniel Greene. Tired of the incompetent, chosen-by-birth Vincent, the Vault held elections for their new Overseer, in which Greene won with 90% of the votes. Greene, in an unprecendented move, renounced the title of Overseer and declared the Republic of Niagara, with himself as President. Two weeks later, Vincent Ross was found dead, apparently having been shot by Bill Weathers, Greene's main political opponent. Oddly enough, Weathers was also found dead, apparently having committed suicide a few hours after killing Ross. The Botany Lab was eventually fixed, and Greene began building up what he called the "Reclamation Plan". Supplies were gathered, soldiers trained, operations planned, medical research done, all with the goal of reclaiming the surface city. After three long years, the Plan came into effect in 2271. The war to reclaim the area was hard-fought - raiders, decaying corpses, and the possibility of infection all battered at the people of Niagara - but in one year, a solid area had been reclaimed, and Greene enacted a new plan, the "Strengthening Plan", in which he created the policies and organizations so integral to Republic society today. It was at this time the various branches of government were founded, outreach to potential immigrants began, and the state-run farms, clinics, and purifiers were established, ensuring that everyone in Niagara had water, food, healthcare, and employment. The Republic has grown by leaps and bounds over the last seven years under the careful and measured hand of President Greene.
Overpass Incident
In 2277, a squadron of NDF officers were sent into the town of Overpass to eliminate a local raider group and strengthen ties with the community. They came into contact with two power-armored men, known as 'Digits', and his companion, 'Bulkhead', who claimed to be the founders of the the settlement, and threatened them with violence should they infringe on his territory. After speaking with the locals to gauge his popular appeal, the decision was made to assassinate him. A message had been sent to the BoS during inquiries to check if he was a member of their organization - when they learned of him, they mobilized their troops to capture him. The joint BoS-NDF task force was on rocky ground - the BoS accused them of deception and threatened and abused the officers. Eventually, two NDF members, Commander Rodrigo Salamanca and Officer Lyla Odell, were kidnapped and taken to Brotherhood headquarters, where they were tortured. The Brotherhood gave the Republic an ultimatum - give up all their technology, or their soldiers would die. In a rousing impromptu speech, President Greene denied them, saying, "We don't negotiate with raiders.". Both of them were summarily executed. The Republic declared war on them, but did not mobilize. The Brotherhood refrained from attacking the city due to their low numbers, preferring to skirmish against NDF scouting parties. President Greene made the anniversary of Salamanca and Odell's deaths an official memorial day, with the inaugural celebration soon to come.