Patrica C. Wrede's Worldbuilder Questions

Government

• How has the presence of magic and magicians affected law and government? Are wizards barred from certain kinds of government jobs or offices? Do some positions require that their holder be a wizard?
• How has the presence of non-human races affected law and government?
• What is the basic form of government in this country--feudal aristocracy, oligarchy, absolute rulership, democracy, what? What forms of government are used in neighboring countries, and why are they the same or different?
• what services does the government or head of state provide: schools, wells, courts, an army to protect people from the Vikings? What services are provided locally or privately?
• Who has the right to levy taxes? For what purposes? On what or whom? Can taxes be paid in kind, or do certain things require money?
• Who provides support services for the head of state? What are they called: King's Councilors, Cabinet ministers, Secretary of State? Are these hereditary offices, appointees, career civil servants, or elected officials?
• Is the relative power of a country or king usually measured by the size of the army, the number and ability of the wizards, or the amount of money/trade flowing through it?
• What are the easiest/most common ways to advance in status--amass more money, marry well, get the king's eye, etc? How much resistance is there to someone advancing in social status?
• Who will take over running the government if the current head of state is incapacitated? How is this determined? Is there an heir apparent (either actual or political)? What happens if the heir is a minor?
• Who is responsible for protecting the king or head of state? His personal guard, the Secret Service, an elite group affiliated with the regular military? What safeguards have they got against assassins, poisoning, direct assault, magical attack?
• Who can give orders (to military, to tax collectors, to servants, to ordinary folks on the street)? How are such people chosen?
• Who is responsible for coinage: the king, local barons, merchant guilds, someone else? Are there generally acceptable standards for coins? How easy/common is counterfeiting?
• Is there an organized system of education? If so, who provides it: government, temples, private persons? How is it supported?
• Who can call up men for an army, and how? Does the king ask his lords for men, who in turn draft their peasants, or can the king go straight to the bottom?
• How much formal spying and intelligence gathering is normally done by governments? The military? The merchant guilds and wealthy tradesmen?
• Do relations between countries depend mainly on the relations between the heads of state, or can two kings hate each others' guts without being able to just declare war and drag their countries into it?

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