I've got an idea for a Populist style party. I hate being one of those people who just post "I'll put something up later!", but I'll work on it tonight after I get home from my job. EDIT: I was able to bang a quick Party sheet out. I'll expand upon it as soon as I can. Party Name: The Progressive Party Party Acronym: PP Party Motto: "A Square Deal for Everyone" Party Logo: Party Ideology: -Government Involvement: Social Welfare must exist as a safety net for those who cannot make it on their own. We must have those institutions which help those who cannot help themselves. While they need to exist, there must be tight control and reform over how the money is allocated to prevent fraud and abuse of the system. -Economy: Privatization of all industry. The job of the government is to regulate industry and make sure it plays fair, but it cannot take the place of industry. As private industry goes, so too does the fate of the nation and we must make sure both prosper. -Taxes: There must be a progressive income tax on every person making over a certain amount. That would mean that those who make the most would contribute more money for taxes, taking their place as the leaders of the country. While it is unfair to unjustly tax those who do not make much, it is equally unjust to tax those who use their skills to amass more wealth than the unfortunate. As such, the Progressive Party is against reinstatement of the Mansion Tax or the Millionaire Tax. -Military: Military Reform is essential. A slight increase in military spending is called for, only to modernize the armed forces and make them an effective deterrent to global conflict. It's not a big army that can scare war-mongers, but an effective one. -Environment: Increase regulation and stiff enforcement of environmental laws. Cut off all loopholes used to exploit the law and make sure everyone plays fairly. The keyword for the Progressive Party is conservation. A wise and well-thought-out use of our natural resources is key to the further use of those resources. -Citizen Rights: Lower the voting age to 18. If you are old enough to serve in the military and decide the global fate of your country, you are old enough to vote and decide the political fate of your country. -Education: In education, we need to make sure that all levels of our educational system are up to standards and are equipping the next generation of citizens with the tools they need to accomplish anything they wish to do. -Health-Care: Increase funding to the national healthcare system in the name of improving standards of living, as well as an increase in jobs and financial security to the people. -Emergency Services: We seek to balance the emergency services by cutting spending for fire and sending those badly needed funds to the police force. In addition, there should be a further federalization and tighter control of police services. A national director of all police services should be created to provide better cooperation and work between the states. -Immigration: Immigration is an important source of future citizens, but it has been disabused by those who wish to cheat to get ahead. Stronger border control, stricter immigration standards, and clearly defined path to citizenship can make sure that those who join the country and take advantage of its services are only those who can contribute to its wellbeing. - Other: The Progressive Party stands as a conservative alternative to the party in power. They believe there should be change, but it should be slow and incremental. Socialism and Communism are not the way of the future. Instead, pragmatic and steady political change is the way to improve and revitalize the country. [b]Leadership[/b] MP Name: Mary Westall MP Age: 52 MP Appearance: Mary is a normal middle-aged woman. Heavyset and short, she stands right at 5 feet tall. She has brown hair streaked with gray that she wears in a shorter hairstyle. MPs Party: Progressive Party MPs Position in his/her Party: Leader Home Territory: UTC Southeast Bio: A pit bull in a housewife's body, Mary Westall is the first female leader of the Progressive Party. She originally came into office as a member of the conservative party currently in control of the government. As time went on, she began to feel a ideological split with them and eventually jilted them in favor of the Progressives. After standing in numerous elections and rising in the party ranks, she became Party Leader two years earlier after her predecessor was run out of office in the general election that gave the conservatives control of the government. MP Name: Seymour Lindsay MP Age: 45 MP Appearance: Bald and fat, to many Lindsay looks to be the stereotype of the career politician. He tops the scales at nearly three hundred pounds and waddles wherever he goes. His thick thighs rub together with each step, his pants making noise with the movement and giving him the nickname "Whistle Britches" MPs Party: Progressive Party MPs Position in his/her Party: Deputy Leader Home Territory: UTC Central Bio: A former lawyer turned politician, Lindsay is a rare breed in politics in that he is well liked by nearly everyone he encounters. He is good-natured and polite, even to his political enemies, and does not rely on anything but facts and sound logic to make his arguments. He has no desire to ascend to the party leadership and hopes to someday parlay his career in politics into an appointment as a judge. MP Name: Everett Rolston MP Age: 40 MP Appearance: Rolston is tall and lanky with jet black hair that has begun to recede and form a sharp widow's peak above his forehead and a hook nose. MPs Party: Progressive Party MPs Position in his/her Party: Chief Whip Home Territory: UTC North Bio: The enforcer for the party, Rolston has a reputation of being an expert vote counter and vote getter. Unlike Lindsay, Rolston is a man who craves power and wants to see himself at the top of the party and in charge of the government someday. Considering himself more pragmatic than the two leaders, Rolston is not above going behind the leadership's back to cut deals with the other parties.