[b]Faction:[/b] Marquette Commonwealth

[b]Location:[/b] 
[img=http://i.imgur.com/6bRmR2T.jpg]

[b]History:[/b]
2021 saw the electronic world crash and burn. Nuclear fire ravaged whole cities as nations collapsed. Soon riots sprung up in most cities across Michigan. Anarchy spread like wildfire, leaving a trail of devastation. To the relief of those in the Upper Peninsula, most of the chaos lay south of the Mackinaw Bridge. Some county governments continued to linger on, the remnants of broken nation. The winter of 2022 saw thousands flee, entire villages and towns deserted. Starvation and poverty awaited those who decided to stay. When Spring finally came, the situation only worsened. Bandits from the border of Wisconsin, having plundered what they could from their area of operations, decided to trek eastward. Mobs of bloodthirsty vandals struck numerous towns, looting and pillaging. Through Summer the slaughter continued, the raiders coming ever closer to the cities of Marquette and Sault Ste. Marie. Winter eventually struck, halting the bandit horde. The government of Marquette rounded up local police and national guard units, seeing the short window of opportunity to strike. The bandits had taken control over the city of Iron River, having massacred the locals. Badly equipped and trained, they stood little chance against the army sent to eliminate them. The siege of Iron River was brief and bloody, seeing the bandits wiped out in a matter of hours. 

When the army returned to Marquette, many of the officers began to notice the commanding tone of the local government. Instead of bringing order to neighboring counties, the national guard and police were merged and ordered to garrison the city. Disputes between civilian and military officials led to factionalism. Many academics and locals voiced support for the military and police, while those cautious of military perspective sided with the county government. A tenuous balance of power lasted until 2028. Unpopular reforms saw many outlying communities threatening to leave the umbrella authority of the city. In response the government ordered the garrisoned national guard to march on their opposition. Disillusioned with a dysfunctional and corrupt government, the garrisoned guardsmen and police led a coup. The months that followed saw a new government arise.

Many of the people in Marquette felt that democracy was a flawed and weak idea. Elections over time degraded into farcical contests of popularity and not competence. To avoid creating another corrupt administration, the people gave up their voting rights. Instead of elected officials, people would hold office based on their merits and knowledge. Academics took up positions pertaining to the sciences, medicine and engineering. Locals grabbed positions regarding development and social policy. Thirty individuals came to represent the bureaucracy of this new government, Six departments were concerned with legislation, research, security, industry, agriculture and education. One representative from each department would serve on the "High Council", conferring with their peers before making an important decision. New administrators are added to the administration after an intense vetting process, allowing only the most qualified to find a position. To celebrate the establishment of a new government, Marquette County was renamed the "Marquette Commonwealth". 

The first order of business for the Commonwealth was the resolution of domestic concerns regarding hunger and crime. Of the 70,000 people in the Commonwealth, 1,800 were convicted violent criminals. Devoid of local agriculture, Marquette couldn't afford to feed criminals who could not contribute. The police liquidated the criminals in a month. The government realized this measure would not save the nation from starvation, and so food rationing was initiated. By 2030 the Commonwealth's food supply was maintained by constant hunting and fishing. In 2044 the government decided to open all viable mines within the Commonwealth. The labor pool with mining expertise was rapidly diminishing, so the sooner the mines opened the better. Much of the mining equipment in Marquette was unfit for use, so the spare tools left became a precious resource for the Commonwealth. Most of the vehicles left after the flare were scrapped for spare parts, metal and fuel. Communities outside the authority of the Commonwealth soon came to rely on it for rare mechanical components. A brief monopoly developed, allowing Marquette to stretch it's influence to previously isolated villages and towns. Once every vehicle had been scavenged thoroughly, Marquette's economy was now dependent on mining. The economic developments, however, were far less noticeable than the societal. 

The Commonwealth is an authoritarian meritocracy that lauds industriousness, humility and intellect. The people of the Commonwealth are patriotic, motivated by the desire to unite the state of Michigan once more. Instead of class differences, the Commonwealth divides the population based on which department they fall under jurisdiction. In this manner, people are respected for their merits instead of wealth. The government has generally been seen in a positive light by outsiders, but some are quick to point towards perceived flaws. The biggest complaints stem from the harsh penalty of execution bandits and violent criminals face, as well as the authoritarian nature of the government. Some say that the citizens of the Commonwealth appear distant and cold, severely lacking empathy. These opinions seem to contradict the charitable projects the Commonwealth has undertaken to educate and protect communities outside it's borders. Many welcome the Commonwealth as an alternative to anarchy, while others are weary of their expansionist ambitions.