civics
H. Hilburg | Civics 101 | 804 | Lecture 1
Take notes! Þese pamphlets may provide overview plans for þe lecture, it’s up to you to fill þem in.
Self introduction:
- Henry Hilburg PhD
Summary of curriculum:
- Why we need government (cooperation beyond a small tribe requires organization)
- Definitions of monarchy, democracy, anarchy, hive mind, þeocracy
- Functions of government: collecting taxes, printing coins, defending borders, creating and enforcing laws.
- Levels of government: National, provincial/territorial, municipal
- Possible branches of government: Military, executive, judicial, foreign affairs
- Where legitimacy comes from: divine right, force, will of þe people, mind control
- What is a law?
- History and survey of governmental systems: Ilthumia, Laria, Byþrusia, Urm, Caprace Collective, Brune
Grading scheme and weights:
- 15% attendance
- 50% assignments
- 35% final
It was a piece of paper, printed and placed on each desk. They could afford to print disposable itineraries! Joan had manually transcribed orders in Penbarrow! The Vanguard Guild had full-time, dedicated scribes!
“Welcome to th—”
“Hi, Samantha Day, princess, I see your list doesn’t include some important functions of government, such as technological innovation and infrastructure development. Is there a reason these are elided?” ‘Elided’ was also a good word, thanks Scala.
“Another Day, huh?” said the lecturer, bemused. Weird reaction if it had only been Anisa, wonder who else took his class…
“It often is,” muttered a man in Samantha’s periphery, with a black suit, black pants, a black wizard hat, and an itinerary-white complexion. “Sun and all.” Samantha was still awing at the itinerary (though she was paying enough attention to be irritated at the uncreative remark).
“Please act your station, Your Highness. In my class, speak only after raising a hand, or you may be disciplined. However, to your question, these are only some of the functions of government, and in fact are the primary functions of the Brunian federal government.”
“Yeah I saw that. I suppose you’ll avoid normative statements here?”
“Yes, now quiet.”
She was quiet. The rest of the lecture barely elucidated beyond what was printed. She learned nothing that she didn’t already know, besides that Brune wasn’t really a monarchy, it was an oligarchy (she more or less knew that already), that she wasn’t really a princess (shut up! (she didn’t say that, but she thought it)) and that the guy in black thought he was really clever whenever he muttered a snarky comment under his breath.
Why bother having a lecture if you’re just going to have it all printed out!? Just skip to the first lecture! And why print this out? This was worthless! Organize better! Is this what happens when the proles think they know better? They waste time and resources? Shiron. O Shiron…