Civil War OnLine

Constituents, Legislation, and Policy

Rule Book

Last modified May 24, 2018

This document provides the rules of Constituents, Legislation, and Policy (CLAP), the political module of the Civil War OnLine (CWOL). A player who has read and understood these rules should be able to serve in a political role in CWOL; President, Vice-President, Secretary, Congressman, or Governor.

The rules are divided into three sections: Congress, President and Cabinet, and Governors.

1. Congress

1.1. Each nation's legislative branch is composed of a one-house Congress. Rather than have one player from each state (which would result in a very large Congress with unfilled seats), each nation is divided into blocs of states, and each bloc elects one Congressman. The blocs are:

Union blocs	Confederate blocs
Upper New England: Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine Lower New England: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut Garden Empire: New York and New Jersey Mid-Atlantic: Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware Border States: Kentucky, Missouri, Kansas Lower Northwest: Ohio, Indiana, Illinois Upper Northwest: Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota	Upper East: Virginia and Maryland Carolinas: North Carolina and South Carolina Upper West: Kentucky and Tennessee Deep South: Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida Trans-Mississippi: Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas

1.2. Before the start of the game, there is an election for Congress. Any player can run for Congress to represent the bloc in which his or her home state falls. Each player votes in the election for his or her home state's bloc. A majority is required to win. If no player wins at least 50% of the vote in the first election, there is a runoff election featuring the top vote-getter from each party. If either the first election or the runoff results in a 50/50 vote, then the candidate of the same party as that nation's President wins. (In future there might be a mid-game election for Congress, after the third campaign, but not yet.) If only one candidate runs, then no election is held and the one candidate automatically receives the seat.
1.3. The members of Congress shall elect one of their members as Speaker. Any member can run; the GA will call for the election; the member receiving the most votes wins (a majority is not required). In case of a tie, one of the candidates with the most votes is randomly selected by the GA to serve. The Speaker shall be responsible for organizing the agenda of Congress, providing for discussion among its members, and for calling for votes on specific issues. (See rule 1.4 below.) Any member of Congress can call for the election of a new Speaker at any time; if a majority of Congress calls for a new Speaker, then a new one is elected. The old Speaker can run for re-election if he chooses to do that.
1.4. Congress shall take actions in the following way. Any member of Congress may make a proposal for Congressional action. The Speaker opens debate on the proposal by sending an email to all members of Congress asking for discussion. Debate must remain open for at least 48 hours; there is no upper limit. Proposals may be amended during debate by whatever mechanism the Speaker chooses to permit. The Speaker then closes debate and calls for a vote, by sending an email to all members asking for votes and setting a specific time for a voting deadline. This email should be copied the GA. [ Note - this provision is not currently being enforced. It will be removed after CWOL-9 if its absence does not cause problems.] At least 48 hours must be allowed for votes. Once the voting deadline has passed, the Speaker records the vote. If the proposal has been approved, the Speaker emails the GA with the proposal, the list of all votes cast (including abstentions and members not voting), and the GA takes appropriate action to implement the policy. Proposals sent to the GA more than 48 hours prior to turn deadline will be implemented for the coming turn; proposals sent less than 48 hours prior to deadline will be implemented for the following turn. No action shall be taken by Congress except in ways that conform to this rule. There will be no exceptions.
1.5. Congress shall have the power to set national tax rates and set national borrowing limits. See SLAG rules sections 2 and 3 for details.
1.6. Congress shall have the power to authorize a specific number of appointments its nation may make to the ranks of Major General, Lieutenant General, and General, and to appoint players to those ranks, the number of players appointed not to exceed the number of appointments authorized. The number authorized by Congress may not exceed the following limits: One full general for every 20 units in the army, including Q units but not militia (rounded up: 50 units in the army allows 3 positions), one lieutenant general for every 12 units in the army, one major general for every 6 units in the army. Once authorized, ranks may remain available even if the size of the army subsequently falls. Congress shall also have the power to authorize a specific number of appointments to the ranks of Rear Admiral and Commodore, and to authorize the promotion of players to those ranks, the number of players appointed not to exceed the number of appointments authorized. The number authorized by Congress may not exceed the following limits: One rear admiral for every 20 ships in the navy, not include RT or TR groups (rounded up: 30 ships allows 2 positions), and one commodore for every 12 ships.
1.7. Congress shall have the power to approve special policies, as follows. All policies may be undone except as noted.

Declare draft - make draft manpower available, hurts national morale, good for party in power and bad for opposition
Pay bounties - make bounty manpower available, costs money - may be undone subsequently
Declare blockade - reduce enemy income from ports and foreign trade, causes international opinion to move 50 points in opponent's favor if ships are in place, paper blockade moves it 100 points
Commandeer cargo (CSA only) - require blockade runners to carry government cargo - raises revenues but bad for national morale and international opinion, good for Nationalists, bad for States Rights
Embargo trade with Europe - reduce own income but gain international opinion. Good for USA Republicans and CSA Nationalists, bad for USA Democrats and CSA States Rights. More effective for CSA than for USA
Issue cotton trade permits - allow trading in cotton across the lines. If both sides authorize it, raises Union morale and Confederate income; reduced effect if only one side authorizes it
Authorize income tax - raises government revenues, hurts national morale, good for USA Republicans and CSA Nationalists, bad for USA Democrats and CSA States Rights
Authorize in-kind tax - raises government revenues, hurts national morale, good for USA Republicans and CSA Nationalists, bad for USA Democrats and CSA States Rights
Emancipation Proclamation (USA only) - hurts national morale, good for international opinion, good for Republicans, bad for Democrats - may not be undone
Privateering (CSA only) - hire foreign ships to raid enemy commerce - bad for international opinion but lowers enemy income as long as CSA ports are open
USCT (USA only) - make black manpower available, bad for national morale, may reduce white manpower available in border states? - may not be undone
Black military labor - make construction cheaper, reduces income, good for USA Republicans and CSA Nationalists, bad for USA Democrats and CSA States Rights
Send Commissioners (CSA only) - raises international opinion if USA does not interfere or does not succeed in interfering, bad for morale if USA does interfere - may not be undone
Halt Commissioners (USA only) - raises national morale and international opinion if successful, lowers them if unsuccessful - may not be undone

1.8. Congress shall have the power to recall the President. This action requires a 2/3 majority vote. If the President is recalled, then the Vice-President becomes President. The new President selects a new Vice-President to fill the space temporarily, and a new election is held to elect a new President and Vice-President. The former Vice-President, now serving as President, may run for either post if he chooses, as may the recalled President.
1.9. Congressmen may resign their positions; if they do, special elections will be called to elect a new Congressman for their bloc as soon as reasonably possible.
1.10. Congressmen may carry out all the powers of the governor of their state bloc.

2. President and Cabinet

2.1. Each nation's executive branch is led by a President, and seconded by a Vice-President. These officers may not serve in Congress.
2.2. The President and Vice-President are elected at the start of the game. Each position is elected separately. If there is more than one candidate for either position from any one party, there is a primary election to select that party's candidate. Each player votes only in his own party's primary. The candidate receiving the most votes wins (a majority is not required). In case of a tie, one of the candidates with the most votes is randomly selected by the GA to run in the general election. In the general election, which necessarily has only two candidates, the candidate with the majority of votes wins; in case of a tie, the Republican candidate wins in the North and the Nationalist candidate wins in the South.
2.3. The President shall have the power to appoint the Secretaries of War, the Navy, and the Treasury. They do not require confirmation by Congress.
2.4. The Secretary of War shall be in charge of the state's activities in ROTD, the CWOL land warfare module. The Secretary of War makes assignments of commanders and deputy commanders for brigades, excluding state militia. The Secretary of War also forms the non-militia units into divisions, corps, and armies, and appoints commanders of these formations. The Secretary of War may appoint a commanding general, or the Secretary of War may command the armies himself or herself. Last, the Secretary of War manages the supplies of the armies, getting them from the home cities to the forward depots in the field. Some of these powers can be delegated to commanders of army headquarters units; see the ROTD rules for further information.
2.5. The Secretary of the Navy shall be in charge of the state's activities in WISC, the CWOL naval warfare module. The Secretary of the Navy makes assignments of commanders and deputy commanders for ships. The Secretary of the Navy forms the ships into squadrons and fleets, appoints commanders to those formations, appoints a commanding admiral or serves in that capacity himself or herself, and manages the naval stores of the nation.
2.6. The Secretary of the Treasury shall be in charge of the state's activities in SLAG, the CWOL finance module. The Secretary of the Treasury controls the national finances as budgeted by Congress, and spends them on armies and navies. The Secretary of the Treasury also controls the nation's debt and borrowing. See the SLAG rules for further information.
2.7. Except as noted in the rules, the President and Vice-President are authorized to carry out any activities that any of the three Secretaries is authorized to carry out.

3. Governors

3.1. Each bloc of states is led by a Governor. Governors may also serve as Congressmen of their bloc.
3.2. Before the start of the game, there is an election for all governor positions. Any player can run for governor of the bloc in which his or her home state falls. Each player votes in the election for his or her home state's bloc. A majority is required to win. If no player wins at least 50% of the vote in the first election, there is a runoff election featuring the top vote-getter from each party. If either the first election or the runoff results in a 50/50 vote, then one of the candidates is randomly selected by the GA to serve.. If only one candidate runs, then no election is held and the one candidate automatically receives the seat.
3.3. The Union President may also appoint a military governor for each of the Confederate state blocs once the Union controls at least two cities in that state bloc and has held them for at least six turns (or since the start of the game). Exception - the Union cannot appoint a military governor of the Upper West bloc unless it controls at least one Tennessee Unionist city (Knoxville, Morristown, Kingsport) and one other city in Tennessee, and has for at least six turns. The governor remains in power even if those cities are subsequently captured by the Confederacy. The Union governor of the Upper East bloc only controls Virginia manpower as Maryland is in the Mid-Atlantic bloc - the Union governor of the Upper West bloc only controls Tennessee manpower as Kentucky is in the Border States bloc.
3.4. State bloc governors shall have the power to form regiments from the manpower of the states in their blocs, and send them to be assembled into brigades. They shall also have the power to form militia regiments and assemble them into militia brigades of their state. They command the state militia, appoint players to command the militia brigades, and may organize divisions or corps and appoint commanders to them. They can purchase supplies in the cities of their state bloc (but not stores, and not outside the bloc) and order supply movements that originate in the cities of their state bloc. Example: the governor of the Garden Empire bloc can order supplies moved from Buffalo NY to Erie PA, but not from Erie PA to Buffalo NY, because supplies in Buffalo are in his bloc, but supplies in Erie are not.
3.5. The governor of a state bloc can act on behalf of the bloc's Congressman in the Congressman's absence. A Congressman may notify the Speaker of Congress that the governor will act on his behalf for a specified period of time, or if the Congressman is not responding to communications, the Speaker can allow the governor to act on the Congressman's behalf.