A Short History of the Republic of North American Provinces

The Republic of North American Provinces occupies territory previously held by the country known as Canada. Approaching the middle of the twentieth century, trust in the Canadian government had reached sustained record lows as rampant unemployment, income inequality, cycles of recession and austerity, and the mounting effects of climate change swept the nation. In this time of crisis emerged a growing movement on the far left decrying the economically and environmentally unsustainable nature of capitalism, and an accompanying movement on the far right warning of the increasing masses of climate refugees and the liberal degeneracy that had permitted civil society to stagnate and fail the Canadian people. Each of these movements had a political party of their own, and between them the support and power of the established Canadian parties of the centre began to rapidly disappear.

Though many believed them finished, the establishment rallied in the face of oblivion. The parties of old united under a single banner, and after eking out a thin majority electoral win, and with the checks and balances of the government loosened by impending societal collapse, wide-scale reforms began. Public and social services suddenly grew, the wealthy were chased to their foreign bank accounts for their taxes, key industries were nationalized and subsidized, and the economy lurched violently onto a path for sustainability. Some cheered the reforms as a rejection of neo-liberalism and a return to Keynesian economics and social democracy, while others kept a careful eye on what they saw as Dengism without Communism. Regardless, almost all were happy to see serious action taken on reducing and surviving climate change.

In the face of unrest and scarcity, tight controls were placed on the living conditions and civil liberties of the population, but they received enough to eat and live comfortably, and expanded state media broadcasted messages encouraging calmness, social cohesion, and community engagement. Inclusivity and acceptance of others was not just encouraged, but in fact demanded and indoctrinated into the unwilling who threatened the unity of Canadian society. Law enforcement was empowered with vast authority and a proactive approach, but a careful effort towards prioritizing reform over punishment and ensuring transparency helped the public regard their enforcers as saviours.

As living conditions immediately stabilized, support for the radical new parties waned. In response to their rhetoric the government declared that these parties were national security threats. They were quickly banned, and senior party officials were driven from openly engaging with electoral politics and carefully watched. The right cried out against the forceful imposition of foreign values and culture, and the extent to which the government interfered with the free market, which had already suffered under crony capitalism. The left warned of what some called a sort of social fascism, where the governing party justified their hegemony not by blaming select minority groups for the downfall of the country, but by simply reliably providing bread and circuses in the face of collapse, and warning the public of how dissent could cause everything to fall apart again.

The reforms were not completed within a single presidential term, but a bargain was struck to prevent the work from stalling. The government offered the public a referendum. They confessed how they as the establishment had prioritized their own well being and preserving the status quo over their own country. They admitted the failures of the representative democratic system, where lobbying, gratuitous promises during elections, and reversals of government policy every four years had led to chaos and exploitation. They proclaimed that although neoliberal privatization had been a scourge for allowing the profit motive to control public goods, the pursuit of the efficiency of the private sector had been a virtuous goal in the face of government failure. To address this, they proposed that politicians should be treated like employees in any healthy company, and given a job by their superiors based on merit alone. Through technocracy, transparency, and vigilance against corruption they promised a true republic where politicians would be naturally incentivised to do the best they can to act in the people's interests. The public accepted, and so the Republic of North American Provinces was born.

The Present:

The population of the Republic of North American Provinces has ballooned massively as immigrants and refugees seek prosperity and safety within its shores. The economy, environment and living conditions remain stable, and great technological strides have been made, especially in the fields of robotics and artificial intelligence. There are some concerns around recent laws passed that allow for government youth associations to do work usually reserved for adult employees, as well as the sudden reappearance of corporal punishment in select branches of the military. In the face of certain market instabilities, the government moved away from its model of a mixed economy with a private sector subordinate to the will of the state. A centrally planned economy administered by AI was formed. All companies were nationalized, and the former executives of private companies were allowed to keep their jobs and wealth under the direct employ of the state. However, lowered overall economic productivity and lowered wages for the highest level of government officials and corporate executives undermined initial excitement for the new system. Many felt that the government was capable enough to retain adequate conditions for the working class and ensure environmental stability under capitalism. As a result, the AI central planning system was abolished and a strongly regulated mixed economy was reimplemented.