United States

The United States is a federal presidential republic — the original country in A House Divided and the baseline against which all other countries are compared. It has 50 states, a bicameral Congress, a directly elected President who serves as both head of state and head of government, and sub-national elected offices at the state level.

Government Structure

The Federal Reserve Chair is a player-appointable position. The appointment action is available to the President (or an executive with the correct delegated authority) and triggers a 24-hour confirmation vote in the Senate. The chair serves a 4-year term and can be reappointed.

The Congress consists of two chambers:

• U.S. Senate — 100 seats, six-year staggered terms (one-third of seats contested per cycle, split across 3 classes). Senators confirm federal judges, cabinet members, and the Federal Reserve Chair.
• U.S. House of Representatives — 435 seats, two-year terms. All revenue bills originate in the House. All seats are contested each election cycle.

Electoral System

The US uses First Past the Post (FPTP) for all federal and state elections. There is no proportional representation — whoever gets the most votes in a district wins.

Presidential elections use an indirect electoral college. The President is not chosen by national popular vote; each state casts electoral votes as a block. Win a state, win its electoral votes.

Primaries are held before general elections. Only one candidate from each party advances from a primary to the general. In a multi-candidate primary, vote-splitting between similar candidates is a real risk — the spoiler effect applies.

Career Path for US Players

Most players start at the state level. The typical ladder:

1. State Senator — Cheapest race to enter. Builds favorability and Political Influence in your home state.
2. Governor or U.S. Representative — Either a sub-national executive role or a step into federal legislature.
3. U.S. Senator — Longer terms, more actions per turn (+2), and confirms federal appointments.
4. President — Top of the ladder. +4 actions per turn. Serves as both head of state and head of government. No coalition required.

There is no parliamentary confidence vote in the US. The President cannot be removed by Congress mid-term through a standard vote — the executive is fixed for four years regardless of which party controls Congress.

Key US Mechanics

No coalition government. The President is directly elected and serves a fixed four-year term. There are no confidence votes, no government formation process, and no snap elections. Once elected, the President governs regardless of congressional composition.

Divided government is common. One party can hold the presidency while the other controls one or both chambers. Bills require passage in both chambers and presidential signature. A President can veto legislation; Congress can override with a two-thirds supermajority.

Federal Reserve Chair. The Fed Chair controls the prime interest rate, which affects GDP growth, inflation, and borrowing costs nationwide. The chair is appointed by players holding the correct executive action — an in-game contest separate from elected offices.

Party creation routes through a charter. Founding a new third party requires drafting a Party Charter co-signed by 3 human founders. Until all three sign, the party doesn't materialize. The charter system is the same in every country.

Staggered Senate. Only one-third of Senate seats are up per cycle (3 classes). You may need to wait for your state's Senate class to become available before running.

State Senators. In addition to federal offices, each state has its own State Senate. State senators earn +1 action per turn and vote on state-level legislation. Bills passed at the state level have regional policy effects.

Currency and Economy

The US dollar is the global reserve currency in-game. The Fed's prime rate influences borrowing costs for corporations and bonds across all countries, not just the US.

Key US Links

• Election Mechanics — Primary and general election rules
• Primaries — How US primaries work and spoiler effect
• Campaign Strategy — Fundraising, ads, canvassing
• Core Systems — Turn structure, action economy
• Player Progression — Career ladder details

Living history

The timeline below is written by the turn processor whenever a head-of-state transition or national-scope bill enactment happens in-game. Each entry is a real event from this save.