Commentaries on Regime section

by Matthew Wheeler

The first critique I noticed when reading through the regimes section is the limits on terms on parliament members. With 20 regions having five members each, you have 100 different members at any given time. This means that on average you are losing about half of the members of parliament in each voting cycle. This means that progress could really be halted when trying to pass a law that is tightly contested. It also opens more possibility for corruption as the voted members would have little drive to try for reelection i fon their second term already. Might I suggest rather imposing an age limit on electees that could help ensure the consistent need for change and progression mentioned. Another change could be a two year cycle of voting with the same 8 year limit, which would alleviate losing on average half of the parliament members.

Also mentioned is that for the government to make any decisions they must have a majority vote of the members of parliament. As a majority of people fit into one of two schools of thought on how a country should be ran, (IE the two party system) would it be fair to assume that usually one of these two parties will make up the majority, making it virtually impossible to stop the party in power from imposing their will on the rest of the country. And your regime structure is missing the balance of power that would be the president having the ability to veto. Rather having the president be ceremonial in nature leaves the country vulnerable to fluctuating in political extremes. With this and the constant revolving door nature of elections, the laws and systems of the country may be forever fluctuating and the country may see horizontal movement of policy rather than progress.

by Alexandra Nera

Amuria is known to be diverse and ever-expanding country that highly emphasizes on its capitalistic framework, but also upholding equal opportunity through its social democracy. Despite this landmark having the liberty to hold free and fair elections, how does it maintain its progress towards central community and nationalistic values or even the improvement as a whole country when there is no focal political party representing Amuria itself? In a democracy, majorities are very important. They are needed to get things done. How may Amuria propel itself forward and claim to strive for change when there is no stability in the values, policies, and goals within each other? Having such a diverse nation with many political parties hinders Amuria’s ability to have a common ground and encourage advancement by setting the standards for organization and unity beyond the guaranteed social programs that are included within the constitution. Moreover, since the Amurian government is influenced by the Nordic Model, it is proven that there is a high taxation on the native companies here in Amuria. But how does Amuria plan to ensure that these businesses do not choose to conduct their business elsewhere? Is there going to be a heavy taxation on the citizens of Amuria? As neighboring economies start to grow, the competitive market wages could deeply affect the businesses who put their trust into their nationalism into Amuria. Corporate tax rates need to be in favor with the businesses although Amuria’s steep rates are not incentives, but rather hinderances (Jieru, 2013). Another contributing factor to the economic welfare in these social-democratic parties are the successes depending on building trans-class electoral coalitions. The working class in Amuria may not be able to sustain this regime if people do not want to work, and therefore destroy the social aspect of Amuria in which it highlights the importance of these social programs being funded through taxation methods.

Jieru, X. (2013). Learning from the Nordic welfare model: what and how? EUC. WP16-Nordic-welfare-model.pdf (pitt.edu)

Rebuttals to Regime Commentaries

by [Guy Kinder]

Alexandra,

To respond to the first critique you could see it as a disability to have this style of rotating elections and the need to change often, however it is an honor and duty to be a civil servant you could easily see the argument the opposite direction in that having multiple terms doesn't incentivize change as politicians can just continue to be elected and create power an influence while sitting in office for prolonged periods of time. Additionally, the second portion of this comment is incorrect as Amuria is not a "Two-Party" State. Amuria is a multi-, or many- party State, one would not be prone to the usual conditions that plague a two-party system as you have described.

Jieru,

Amuria has a strong unifying value structure that they are hardened and ready to die for. While there is competition and heavy regulation from the government into some of the countries biggest producers those companies would have to vacate Amuria to utilize resources outside of our country as the resources are a national asset rather than a corporate's asset. That ensures companies that are interested in doing business internationally certainly can however, if they wanted to shift operations to avoid taxation they would need to find a competitive modern country with access to the same resources. That is correct often the multi-party system is built off of multi-coalition networks which is why we have an ever rotating legislature with strict term limits to ensure we have a swift transfer of power to the next session and often do not see any one power in charge for very long. People long to be a apart of something while Amuria has a strong social safety net its people are more so driven by science than greed, this allows the social programs to continue and allows Amurians to follow jobs they are passionate about leading to higher retention, and employment rates.

Commentaries of Ideology section

by [Casandra Pederson, Security Chief of Donethal]

Though social democracy may bear fruit during its initial implementation, how does Amuria plan to ensure that the entire tree does not eventually become rotten to the core since the only difference between socialist policies and capitalist policies is that one actually works. Democratic socialism does not take into account the nature of human behavior and is merely an idea that did not develop organically in the market like capitalism ultimately has. Capitalism has developed organically in the world economy because it productively harnesses human creativity, spirit, and enterprise to create a system of incentives that rewards efficacy, efficiency, hard work, and the vast production of wealth because economic competition in a privatized industry creates higher levels of innovation and economic output. Though the aim of social democracy is to create a more free and equal society that is collectively prosperous to all, there are numerous real world examples where social democracy has led to citizens being merely equal in their own misery because in the long run, democratic socialism can lead to tyranny from the pitfalls of central planning. The leading principles of social democracy are faulty and unsustainable at their core because the ideology is flawed in the sense that the premises of social democracy are not consistent with observed human behavior throughout the entire history of the world because humans are driven by incentives. Democratic socialism is a system that lacks incentives and therefore adamantly rejects a capitalist economy despite the fact that there is ample evidence to conclude that the structural power of capitalism is what leads to global hegemony and the ultimate prosperity of a nation. In other words, when incentives are largely ignored, so is human nature because social democracy is merely an idea that has never worked and is doomed to eventually fail. When individuals give away their freedom for an increase in collective security, individuals end up losing both their freedom and security because social democracy is not a prosperous ideology that creates wealth, innovation, or societal motivation. Instead, a social democracy leads to slower economic growth, less incentivization for an entrepreneurial spirit that advances innovation, and less motivation to work hard since individuals do not receive the economic reward of hard work. Though socialism in its pure form is equally as bad as capitalism in its pure form, social democracy is still not a happy medium between the two because it fails to implement the naturally occurring process of market exchange being the determinant of price signals and the meeting of the minds in the market. How does Amuria plan to uphold their values of freedom and liberty in a system where the government is in control of every asset of the Amurian citizens’ lives? How does Amuria plan to ensure that their centrally planned economy does not stagnate their innovation and contending GDP when there is no incentive to work hard because there are no rewards? Has Amuria considered that their nation’s wealth comes from nature itself and the internal industries it possesses and not their democratic socialist system that constrains the output and production of wealth in spite of the presence of natural resources and green technology? Numerous modern day democratic socialist states have moved away from socialism and have implemented systems with free market regulation and increased private ownership because they have realized that large welfare systems stagnate the economy. How does Amuria plan to proceed in terms of generating wealth when this is the stark reality of a centrally planned economy?

Resources:

Perry, M. (2019, August 28). Why socialism always fails. American Enterprise Institute - AEI. https://www.aei.org/carpe-diem/why-socialism-always-fails/

Sanandaji, N. (2019, July 8). The Myth of Democratic Socialism. Foreign Policy. https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/07/08/the-myth-of-democratic-socialism/

Berman, S., & Snegovaya, M. (2019). Populism and the Decline of Social Democracy. Journal of Democracy, 30(3), 5-19.

by Matt Meyers, Polyarny Base Oligarch, Kurgan

I write this as the representative of the Polyarny Base of the great nation of Kurgan. Often there is a belief that the Amuria “Nordic Model” of social democracy is the embodiment of a utopia where everything is great and this system works all the time. I’m sure your citizens regurgitate the same old talking points of how Amuria is amazing and Kurgan is run by ruthless oligarchs. Yet behind the curtain we will see this so-called utopia is nothing more than a tu quoque fallacy.

Social democracy is a system founded and based on exploitation of the working class (Andrei S. Markovits, 1978). You may think your citizens have no issues with a perceived social class standing, but you’ve ostracized them. While you preach of little distance between state owned and private owned businesses, it is still a mixed economy. In the end, the capitalism of private ventures will win out every time (Lawson, 2019). I’m sure this comes from set wages and the guarantees of employment rights. Yet, this system does nothing to end the oppression of the working class by another. Your workers still don’t control the means of production, which means the state controls the production and the economy. Wealth inequality still exists and will continue to grow as the working class ends up paying the tax bill (ÖSTBERG, 2019).

To put it bluntly, social democracy is still capitalism with capitalists in power. However, they made a few compromises along the way to appease the working class. Believe it or not, social democracies are compatible with forming oligarchs on their own as oligarchs can coexist within a system of elections (Acemoglu, 2008).

Needless to say, Kurgan and Amuria are both very much alike. Profits and wealth are our religion, and our methods are not so different as you pretend. Kurgan is the shadowy reflection of Amuria. Kurgan acknowledges what you merely whisper in the shadows. These shadows betray you as the belong to Kurgan. Take note, it will only take a little push to make Amuria like Kurgan.

References

Acemoglu, D. (2008). OLIGARCHIC VERSUS DEMOCRATIC. Journal of the European Economic Association, 6(1), 1–44. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40005150. Retrieved from Journal of the European Economic Association.

Andrei S. Markovits, &. S. (1978). Class Conflict, Capitalism, and Social Democracy: The Case of Migrant Workers in the Federal Republic of Germany. Comparative Politics, 10(3), 373–391. https://doi.org/10.2307/421710.

Lawson, R. A. (2019, Fall). Capitalism is (Slowly) Winning Around the World. Retrieved from The Catalyst: https://www.bushcenter.org/catalyst/capitalism/lawson-capitalism-is-winning-around-the-world.html

ÖSTBERG, K. (2019, AUG 25). Was Sweden Headed Toward Socialism in the 1970s? Retrieved from JACOBIN MAG: https://www.jacobinmag.com/2019/08/sweden-1970s-democratic-socialism-olof-palme-lo

by John Shiver, Environmental Science Officer/Joint Chief Economist, Orissa

I think the safety nets you propose to avoid hardships may instead cause them. The “significant portion” is not stated specifically but if one must pay a significant portion of their income to be a citizen that leaves less of their income to pay for things not covered by safety nets. For example, SNAP benefits (aka “food stamps”) for low-income families cannot be used to buy such necessary goods as laundry soap, toothpaste, toilet paper, or diapers but those are still needed goods. (FDA)

The social net needs a lot of money to function which is not an issue directly, but tying taxes to basic social rights and voting rights, as it is currently, is equivalent to a poll tax and leads to an unrepresented portion of the populace that is either passively unrepresented or actively damaged by not having their rights guaranteed. Poll taxes specifically were used to prevent black people from voting after it was legal for them to vote. (Albiges)

Labeling science as an equivalence to “state religion” may also make it perceived as dogmatic science rather than true science. This can be something is simple as insisting, against new evidence, that the Sun does not revolve around the Earth or something far more sinister, such as falsifying data that does not lead to science your country “wants” to have, for example, stem cell research. This may not be what you intended, but if your society is consistent and, in general, a monolith it can easily end up becoming a problem when “Science” leads to something that may be considered immoral or “evil”, even if the results are truly beneficial. (Loeb)

There also appear to be some minor inconsistencies with the representation of your ideology. “The people hold many views towards each other and how society should operate”, but “it is important for the citizens to have a consistent ideology so they can work together well to increase equality and prosperity of [Amuria]”. Does this mean that Amuria does not need or want to increase the equality or prosperity of their nation or that the views are not as diverse as previously stated? I suspect your commitment to diversity is true and this may just be a case of a misunderstanding.

References:

Albiges, M. (2020, February 21). The poll tax kept Black Virginians from voting. Half a century later, it's finally being stripped from the books. pilotonline.com. Retrieved March 28, 2022, from https://www.pilotonline.com/government/virginia/vp-nw-poll-tax-20200221-dclwpj7hkreftgwqzyvj3xibvq-story.html

FDA. (2021, April 14). What can snap buy? Food and Nutrition Service U.S. Department of Agriculture. Retrieved March 28, 2022, from https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/eligible-food-items

Loeb, A. (2021, May 17). When scientific orthodoxy resembles religious dogma. Scientific American. Retrieved March 28, 2022, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/when-scientific-orthodoxy-resembles-religious-dogma/

Rebuttals to Ideology Commentaries

Introduction:

It seems the main issues that people have with the socially democratic system Amuria has in place is the lack of incentives to produce, low growth potential, and high taxes limiting the economic freedom of citizens. These are easy things to misunderstand when taking a surface view of a socially democratic system.

Lack of Incentives:

While a communist society would lack proper incentives for hard work and innovation, Amuria’s ideology and governance allows for hard work and competitive innovations to increase a citizen’s quality of living by significant amounts, providing proper incentive. We still have a consumer influenced market that is subject to market forces, allowing for private firms and private citizens to make large amounts of money. Not all means of production are owned by the state.

Low Growth Potential:

With the incentives for hard work and competition that are inherent to a socially democratic state, there is almost as much potential for growth as a capitalist society. The only limiter for personal and private growth is comparably high taxes to other societies, which is the price people pay for strong safety nets and social programs. These ensure that each citizen has the opportunity to work hard to improve their life. While the highest growth observed in capitalist countries is seen in giant firms that take an almost monopolistic position in the market, Amuria caps these companies and ensures they pay their share of taxes. This lowers the bar for growth for the highest level of firms but ensures that competition is healthy, and that wealth is distributed more evenly.

Limited Economic Freedom:

Through the smart policy creation and tax laws Amuria can ensure that while each citizen contributes a proper amount of taxes no citizen has to pay more than they can. The poor are provided with resources to help them recover economically and get back on their feet. Those who make moderate amounts of money are provided with basic services and health care but still have a strong portion of their income left to buy whatever they want. The rich pay high taxes and are still able to live at a higher quality of life than other citizens.

by [Noah Sullivan]

Commentaries on Education Policy

by Andrew Slade

My main concern with the Amurian education system is that it is a very on-size-fits all approach. Amuria puts a major focus on the stem fields including their standardized testing that seems to have a major influence on the success of students. My concern is that Amuria might not see much value in other areas of education such as the arts, literature, history, agriculture and many other areas of study that aren't math or science centered.

To expand on this, I’m concerned that regional officials somewhat have their hands tied when it comes to funding with, “The primary and secondary school districts receive yearly funding and are tasked with allocating it properly, with certain percentage delegations being made mandatory.”. Certain areas of Amuria likely have students that have very different educational goals or abilities than other areas. For instance, students living in the Amuria regions where things like lumber or fishing are large business industries might want an education that helps with this. Compared to a student closer to the Power corridor of Amuria where students might be more inclined for STEM fields of education. Considering this, these students' education systems should be tailored more to their region's needs and wants for education. While STEM and other core classes should obviously still have their place, I don’t believe the system should be the same throughout with the idea that equality in education means having the exact same system of classes.

In conclusion, I believe the nation of Amuria does have a good system for education but I think another look at this aspect of it could make it much better and more in line with the nation’s goal to have an inclusive education system.

By: Kyle Van Newkirk, First Cardinal/Diplomat, UN Representative of Donethal

While reviewing your education policy pertaining to the state of Amuri, my main concern is the priority based on the education policy for STEM rather than other fields of studies. As I understand, people within Amuri, are focused on more than one field of education rather than in STEM. As such, while the concern for people’s wellbeing and the future of your nation, please take into consideration about the fact that people within your nation have other intentions and different ideologies pertaining to education standards especially pertaining to the school system

As children, especially of the younger generation focus on different subjects and specialties, your country needs to focus on diversifying your school/education system to promote art, science, education, business, politics, sociology, etc. So, the focus that should be presented in your policy is a more inclusive education system that focuses on the future of growth within education. As it is mentioned of “STEM programs are the highest funded programs within public University’s” you are not focusing on the possibility of other systems that are within the social democracy. As this does go against the ideology of a social democracy, please consider the aspect of how this policy does affect children who appreciate art, sociology, business, etc. since it is not only one field to be considerate about but multiple other subjects that are required within the education system within the real-world example of the USA. Since understandably, funding only one subject within the university comes with a cost, consider the fact of the teachers of multiple types of disciplines that can help your people to promote art, education, and other specialties, as there is no specific legislation increasing funding but promoting a more “STEM” based teaching for everyone. This comes as a major concern for your country, and I hope you understand the point of view of diversifying your education system through your universities and even primary and secondary school systems.

Adekanmbi, & Ukpere, W. (2021). Influence of minimum wage and prompt salary payment on teachers’ effectiveness in public secondary schools. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 19(1), 116–126. https://doi.org/10.21511/ppm.19(1).2021.10

Ball, & Tyson, C. A. (2011). Studying diversity in teacher education. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Commentaries on Energy Policy

by Rowan Bittner of Cavan

Greeting Amuria, I would like to start this off by condoning your push for a greener for of energy and in turn a healthier planet for all of us. As we all know global surface temperatures have been increasing exponentially over the years (NASA, 2022). This needs to be put to a stop. You have outlined very positive forms of alternative energy production with solar, wind, and hydroelectric. I would like to ask if Amuria believes that if renewable energy, if executed properly, would become the only form of energy for the entire world, or if nonrenewable sources would still be required in some industries.

While reading through your energy policy I have noticed that the talks of nuclear energy was absent. Is this because Amuria does no currently have the resources to properly run a plant like this, or could this be the belief that Amuria does not believe nuclear to be a safe and clean form of energy? Here in Cavan we also strive for a green industry and believe that the wants of the people will lead us to that. We have done some research ourselves into the nuclear options and have found it to be a fairly safe and most efficient way to produce a nonpolluting source of energy, if all is executed correctly. This is mostly to the fact that there is little to no air pollution, a smaller footprint as compared to solar panel fields, and little excess waste (Office of Nuclear Energy, 2021). We have also found that not only is it the most efficient form of energy production it is also the safest to operate and are actually the industry leaders in safety (McPharlin, 2019). Again we are not aware if Amuria is against the idea of nuclear energy sources, but we ask if the opportunity for Amuria to invest in nuclear that the opportunity is taken. of us.

McPharlin, K. (2019, November 22). Is nuclear energy safe? Nuclear Energy Institute. Retrieved April 10, 2022, from https://www.nei.org/news/2019/is-nuclear-energy-safe

NASA. (2022, January 19). Global surface temperature. NASA. Retrieved April 10, 2022, from https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/global-temperature/

Office of Nuclear Energy. (2021, March 31). 3 reasons why nuclear is clean and sustainable. Energy.gov. Retrieved April 10, 2022, from https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/3-reasons-why-nuclear-clean-and-sustainable#:~:text=Nuclear%20is%20a%20zero%2Demission,byproducts%20emitted%20by%20fossil%20fuels.

by Mastaani of IPC

Dear Scientists and Official of Amuria,

Your green and renewable energy based policy is innovative, excellent, and well needed in times of despair environmental conditions. I appreciate how your plans are inclusive of your human population as you explain the potential surge in employment opportunities and recognize how climate change affects people as well. The economic benefits are especially important to point out because U. S. history shows us that environmentalist “public policies ranging from command-and-control regulations to direct and indirect government subsidies, businesses and governments developed and applied technologies…reduced pollution while allowing continued economic growth,” after the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Cohen para. 3). Creating a connection between environmental and economic health is a brilliant strategy, particularly to assure people and businesses.

A concern that I would like to raise is regarding the agency and the part of Indigenous peoples in your programs and resolutions. As scholar John Dryzek asserts, “the historical role of indigenous peoples in constituting ecosystems often went unrecognized;” I would like to know how your nation plans to incorporate Indigenous people in one or more of your specific policy actions (Dryzek 949). In the last section of your policy brief, you do acknowledge that Indigenous populations face negative effects of non-renewable energy. But how do you envision bringing your country’s Indigenous peoples to the table so they can provide input on the current efforts and craft future solutions alongside you? I ask this because Amuria, like other nations in Zemia, is a product of colonization and, consequently, this means that Ukugan people- the Indigenous tribe inhabiting Amuria- are currently a marginalized group. And there are two main reasons why Amuria should involve the Ukugan people in projects such as the “Power Corridor.” The first is that Amuria is a social democracy which publicly has declared being “committed to protecting the culture of the Ukugan natives [people] and helping with their growth in any way they can,” (Sullivan para. 3). In order to help Indigenous people preserve their culture, your nation has to allow them to help you enact energy policies since Indigenous peoples understand the environment of your country best as a result of cultural connections between Indigeneity and earth systems.

Sources

Cohen, Steve. “Economic Growth and Environmental Sustainability.” State of the Planet, Columbia Climate School, 27 Jan. 2020, https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2020/01/27/economic-growth-environmental-sustainability/.

Dryzek, John S. “Institutions for the Anthropocene: Governance in a Changing Earth System.” British Journal of Political Science, vol. 46, no. 4, 2014, pp. 937–956., https://doi.org/10.1017/s0007123414000453.

Sullivan, Noah. “IDEOLOGY AND REGIME STRUCTURE .” Google Sites, 2022, https://sites.google.com/asu.edu/sp22- nations-sim/amuria/ideology-structure?authuser=0.

Commentaries on Immigration Policy

by Matt Meyers, Polyarny Base Oligarch, Kurgan

The general picture painted by Amuria of their beloved Nordic Model is almost always positively biased and cherry-picked. Assimilation into a new culture can be a challenge or even very difficult. A lot of immigrants end up going home or to other countries after having been elsewhere for some time trying to find a job and settling down unsuccessfully. Learning the local language is a condition to securing employment.

Most social democratic nations are enjoying the benefits of strong economies based on implementation of socialistic principles in conjunction with a private market. This yielded a stable economy and the highest rated quality of life in census polling data.

Yet what is not talked about in terms of fiscal impacts are first generation immigrants are more costly to government budgets than native-born. Whereas the second generation immigrants are among the best and strongest economic and fiscal contributors to the entire nation (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine., 2017 ). I’m curious of the impact immigration had on wages of native born workers over a 10 year period.

People are not just numbers or pieces to move around in a mathematical model. Politics is about answering ideological questions, not mathematical ones. There's also a more sinister cultural aspect that isn’t publicly acknowledged. In a homogenous population with a strong ethnolinguistic entity, there is far more willingness to support people they best relate with.

Social democracy seems to be operating from the assumption that there are set of services which government must provide as a moral and/or economic imperative. In Amuria’s case, they proceed with policy on the basis that every 'optional' feature of the economy is a valid sacrifice to ensure that those services are provided.

Let’s use education as an example of this. Most people may disagree with each other about whether a free university education is something that falls within the set of necessary services. For those who think a university education is a necessary service becomes an axiom for policy decisions. Taxes, market/currency manipulations, even infringing on economic liberties may be required to ensure the policy service is funded.

If the price of vegetables triple at the supermarket to collect enough taxes to pay tuition, then it is acceptable (Pablo Beramendi, 2007). If income is taxed to the point where they can only afford a small studio apartment, then so be it. All for the greater good but others will insist that this sort of argument is a strawman on the basis that we can afford university tuition, separate apartments, and vegetables simultaneously. However, that's not the point. The point is the principle of government services on the top and everything else marked as nice or extravagant. Yet if you don't like that then you're some sort of evil greedy antisocial who hates poor people or immigrants.

On the contrary, the Kurgan immigration policy will combat against spatial segregation, formation of ethnic enclaves, and the marginalization of foreigners. Xenophobia against migrants is increasing, but to point it out in Kurgan and to demonize the nation will not be tolerated. With rising nationalism and other polarized sentiments, citizens from all nations in Zemia are slowly becoming intolerant towards other people. The biggest target in immigration is towards “blue collared” workers. However, to continue the development and rebuilding of Kurgan more attractive, these blue collared workers and the special skilled workers are necessary. The Kurgan government has laid down measures to protect foreigners.

To make Kurgan more attractive to foreigners, another objective the Kurgan government is commencing is to help foreigners with their entry and settlement. Kurgan will support those who wish to develop economic, business, professional, scientific, cultural, and others ties with Kurgan. The Kurgan government will help these foreigners learn the language, history, and culture so they may contribute to the economic, social, and cultural development of Kurgan.

References

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2017 ). The Economic and Fiscal Consequences of Immigration. Washington, DC https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/23550/the-economic-and-fiscal-consequences-of-immigration: The National Academies Press.

Pablo Beramendi, &. R. (2007). Social Democracy Constrained: Indirect Taxation in Industrialized Democracies. British Journal of Political Science, 37(4), 619–641. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4497315.

by [Sophia Campbell, Democratic Council Moderator ]

Greetings from the nation of Orissa. Firstly I’d like to state, I deeply admire the honor to which Amuria upholds its own values, history, and culture, while dually displaying openness to the fellow people of Zemia. With that said, respectfully instilling the social democratic values on which your nation was founded.

Upon reading Amuria’s position on Immigrantion policy and concerns, a few questions arose from specific policy. As stated within the policy brief Amuria is a nation that recognises both the benefits and potential problems associated with relatively open immigration policy. Amuria has stated that the immigration stance being placed into action is that of the Nordic Model. Unfortunately within the brief this model was not expressed in its fullness, and lacked some clarity on how it would actively be pursued within the legal framework of your nation. But from what I was able to gather it is a system that is meant to work within the framework of your state's regime status of Social Democracy. By which immigration’s primary goal is to bring in successful workers to bluster the economy and help strengthen the system at hand. Further, it was stated the status of accepted immigrants is given to those seeking asylum, higher wages, and those beneficial to the Amurian nation. Is there any other means by which immigrants may enter your nation or is it purely based on the criteria of economic output and humanitarian values? Outwardly it seems as if Amurias main concerns with immigratioin are economic factors. If that is so, is there a kind of merit based system by which immigrants can be chosen to enter into the country, similarly what happens to individuals who wish to singularly move to Amuria for the nation itself. Lastly, the mention of the pathway to citizenship was brief and nondescript. It stated the immigrants must stay in the country for a set number of years to achieve this status. Is there a specific set time, or any other credentials by which citizen status is achieve.

Many of these questions and concerns lie in the absence of specifics or the Amurian immigration policy.I look forward to hearing your response.

by [Bella Sasselli]

One question I have regarding the Amurian immigration policy is what Amuria’s citizenship approval criteria looks like. The policy discusses incentives for immigrating to Amuria—such as a place of asylum, higher wages, and employment/education opportunities—as well as outlining the path to citizenship from establishing oneself in the country, paying taxes, and doing the necessary paperwork to apply to be a citizen of Amuria. However, my question is how will the social democratic government of Amuria go about approving and rejecting applicants for citizenship?

The immigration policy explains that Amuria aims to welcome individuals who seek a better life or better opportunities within their borders as well as the prioritization of the “advancement and protection of our people and tribes that are being supported,” but the policy also acknowledges the past tensions Amuria has with its neighbors, Kurgan and Khulna. Since these are the two nations that are in closest proximity, will the Amurian government be able to put aside past disputes and truly welcome those who wish to immigrate? Additionally, there are two major Ukugan tribes in Kurgan who the Amurian Ukugans have close cultural ties with. Will Amuria accept only immigrants who are a part of these tribes, or will all Kurgans and all Khulnas have the opportunity to become an Amurian citizen?

Lastly, in the United States there has been a lot of discussion about border security in the past few years and we have unfortunately created systems such as detention camps and ICE to try and ensure all immigrants are documented. Will Amuria establish something as harsh and expensive as a border wall, create and fund an agency to police/patrol for undocumented individuals, or will a different measure be taken to ensure immigrants have the necessary paperwork to stay in Amuria? In other words, what action will Amuria take to make certain everyone who enters Amurian borders with the intention of living there does so legally?