New California Republic

The New California Republic is a large nation in the post-apocalyptic United States.

Background
The NCR is an entity spanning portions of the American southwest, dedicated to values of democracy and the rule of law. The flag of the New California Republic features a bear with two heads, based on an old world symbol.

Founding
The nation was founded by individuals who emerged from a vault, starting a small settlement named Shady Sands. The leaders of Shady Sands, Tandi and her father Aradesh, first proposed the idea of the Republic, and three years after, five states were combined into the NCR by vote. The states include Shady, Los Angeles, Maxson, the Hub, and Dayglow, consisting of a population of 700,000. Shady Sands was renamed NCR and established as the capital, outlawing slavery, gambling, and drugs. Aradesh served as president of the NCR at its inception, and Tandi afterward.

Characteristics
The NCR's large military force protects developing institutions such as law, currency, healthcare, representative and government. Citizens are employed at mills or farms.

All citizens have access to the nation's court system and vote for representatives to sit in the Hall of Congress. The states' elected representatives select the president and vice president to lead a council who in turn guide the president's decisions.

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Equality
The NCR prohibits persecution and discrimination on the basis of sexuality but some servicemembers still attempt to hide their orientation in order to avoid any potential scrutiny from peers. The Courier: " [Confirmed Bachelor] You didn't tell me your name." Knight: "Oh - Knight. You must not be from around here. If so... it doesn't do to get too friendly." The Courier: "What do you mean?" Knight: "This isn't the Republic. Oddly enough, Legion's a little more forgiving about... friendships. Out here, it's not as accepted. Not that I mind being friends, it's just being open about it in the Outpost... well, I have to work here." The Courier: "Didn't realize NCR was so spineless." Knight: "Now wait a minute - Republic's a sight better than... other alternatives. Women are serving here, after all. The rest... well, might take some time. And they're more accepting back West, like I said. In the meantime..." The Courier: "Forget it, then, you're a waste of time." Knight: "Wait... wait a minute. Look. Some things in the NCR are... aren't ideal. But I want to help. If you need something repaired... let me know, I can sign the work order. As long as caps change hands, I can put them back in yours." The Courier: "So is that a "no," you don't want to be friends, or..." Knight: "I... would, perhaps some other time. When my orders take me to Vegas, perhaps. Wish things were different, but might take some time. If you need something repaired... let me know, I can sign the work order. As long as caps change hands, I can put them back in yours." (Knight's dialogue)

Economy
The NCR's free market economy is based on two resources, ever since its inception: Great brahmin herds and vast swaths of land restored to arable condition. Providing meat, leather, milk and other foodstuffs, which are the backbone of the economy of the Republic. As a result, ranchers and farmers hold great sway. During Tandi's presidency, anti-cartel regulations were implemented to limit the acreage and brahmin head one man could control. However, with her death, pressure from the Stockmen's Association and the Republican Farmer's Committee certainly helped erode them, until President Kimball overturned them completely.Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide Collector's Edition p.456: "Controversy over Economic Development ''The NCR's economy is based on two resources: its great Brahmin herds, and swaths of land that have been restored to arable condition. These provide the nation with meat, leather, and starchy vegetables. During President Tandi's presidency, regulations limited the number of cattle head and the acreage of fields that could be owned by a single person. Despite constant pressure from the Stockmen's Association and Republican Farmer's Committee, such regulations loosened only a little so long as Tandi was in office. Following her death, however, they eroded until President Kimball overturned them completely. As a result, the past 12 years have seen the rise of the Brahmin Barons and Agri-Barons: captains of industry who are, by post-apocalyptic standards, spectacularly wealthy. This has given birth to a number of cottage industries, from the rebirth of luxury goods production to "journalism" that reports on the latest purchases, commissions, and "life lessons" of the newly rich and famous.'' ''The past 12 years has also seen a change in attitudes towards collective welfare. Citizens of the NCR rarely face significant dangers on a daily basis, and survival is an assumption rather than an aspiration. Citizens are far more reluctant to share food and other resources, and the person who provides services free of charge, whether it's something as quotidian as sewing or as rarefied as surgical expertise, are now the exception rather than the rule.'' ''An added economic strain is the scarcity of salvageable goods. Sixty-five years of scavenging has done a good job of picking clean the wastes of what was once Southern California. Rare are those individuals who can make a living by scavenging and hunting what they need.'' ''A consequence of these economic and cultural transformations has been the rebirth of wage labor. Whereas one's labor was until recently seen as benefitting [sic] and belonging to a collective (whether a family or small town), it has now become a commodity. To earn their keep, many citizens must seek an employer and trade the sweat of their brow for Caps.'' ''Citizens of the NCR hold a variety of opinions about these developments. Many boast of their nation's economic strength; others decry what they feel has been lost. Many curse the selfishness of their fellow citizens, usually while pursuing aims that will benefit only themselves or their families. Here in the Vegas wastes, however, nearly all citizens will agree on one matter: opportunity has dried up back home, and to earn a fortune, one must come East."'' (Fallout: New Vegas Official Game Guide; Behind the Bright Lights & Big City)

The ever-expanding trade routes led to the rise of powerful merchant houses, such as the Crimson Caravan, the Far Go Traders and the Gun Runners, which continue to all but completely dominate all trade within New California. Lucrative government contracts for weapons, ammunition, armor, and other necessities fueling the Republic's expansion solidify their position in the economy.

Divisions

 * New California Republic Army
 * New California Republic Rangers
 * Office of Science and Industry
 * Thaler Act
 * NCR sharecropper farms
 * Stockmen's Association
 * Republican Farmer's Committee

Organization

 * New California Republic Congress
 * Republic courts
 * Assignments office
 * Hall of Congress
 * Relations Advisory Panel

Politics
The executive branch is the Council, headed by the president of the New California Republic and their vice president, elected by the Congress. When elected, the president and their cabinet serve a term of 5 years before elections are to be held again. Effectively, a president can serve for life as there are no term limits to the presidency as there was with the United States.

The Congress, also known as the Senate, forms the legislative branch and is staffed by representatives elected in popular elections by citizens of each state that the Republic is comprised of. Apart from legislation, Congress also acts as an advisory body to the government of the Republic. While the general term for representatives is "congressman," the states themselves use a variety of titles: "councilor," "counselor," "councilman," "representative" and "senator." The Hub refers to their representatives as "governors." The terms are used interchangeably and used widely outside the chambers of the Council and Congress, but within them, they can be used as insults and spark furious debates. Each state represented in NCR Congress sends one representative to Shady Sands. Courts and judges rule in accordance with NCR's law and each citizen has the right to vote for a representative of their choice to sit in the Hall of Congress.

Presidents

 * Aradesh
 * Tandi
 * Joanna Tibbett
 * Wendell Peterson
 * Aaron Kimball

Locations
In New California:

In Arizona:
 * Arizona Spillway (formerly)
 * Bullhead City (formerly)
 * Willow Beach (formerly)

In Baja:
 * Rattletail (formerly)

In the Mojave Wasteland:

In indeterminate locations:
 * Fort Aradesh (formerly)

Civil law
As mentioned above, NCR citizens have the right to vote for their representatives to sit in Congress. Both citizens and non-citizens enjoy the protection of NCR's courts (although courts tend to favor citizens in disputes). Freedom of religion is considered a right within the NCR, as long as the religion is not violent or psychotic. At the same time, it enforces a strict separation of church and state thanks to Tandi's policies. Equality legislation is a prohibition of discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, sexuality or aforementioned religious beliefs. Mutants are also protected since 2205, but enforcing this part of the law has been spotty.

Intellectual property laws have been enacted and remain a source of ongoing controversy, particularly patents. The Followers of the Apocalypse are particularly staunch critics of the latter. Marriages and divorces are likewise handled by the courts.

Immigration laws
Immigration into the NCR is open to both humans and mutants, provided they are law-abiding and peaceful. The process is simple. The person in question moves to an NCR territory, presents their claim for immigration, undergoes citizenship training and once their application is processed, is granted the status of a provisional citizen (PC). Full citizenship is granted shortly afterward. All registered citizens are required to pay any appropriate and associated taxes.

Criminal law
The Republic dedicates itself to bringing peace, security and justice to the people within and without their borders. When the NCR can excise rule of law on criminals, it is done so according to the severity of their crimes, with the death penalty being reserved for serious offenses. Murder does not automatically translate to a capital sentence. Punishment for criminals inside NCR proper means serving prison time at any number of correctional facilities and performing manual labor for the NCR's work-release program. However, outside the NCR's territory and entering into the Mojave Wasteland is a different story. The NCR Army isn't keen on peacekeeping activities and usually swiftly punishes crimes committed in and around New Vegas with death.

Part of this includes the setting of bounties and delegating the responsibility of capture to able civilians that can bring in criminals that have eluded NCR lawmen or military. At least for the military, bounties require proof in the form of an intact head; anything less conclusive results in a fraction of the bounty being rewarded.


 * A ban on open carry of weapons (although concealed carry is permitted)

Although they are rigidly enforced in major NCR population centers, they tend to become more relaxed on the frontier. On the road, bylaws of the Republic allow for dismissing caravan members suspected of theft without pay.

Military law
This same rule of law also applies to prisoners of war. With laws enacted during President Tandi's administration, the NCR recognizes the rights of prisoners of war and approaches their care humanely and free from abuse. Most officers find these laws to be constricting, but resourceful officers find ways around it by employing the service of outside consultants.

Laws pertaining to soldiers are quite severe. Cowardice before the enemy, especially desertion, is punished with death by hanging or to be shot on sight. Dishonorable conduct usually leads to a court-martial and may result in execution by firing squad for particularly severe crimes.

Internal conflicts
In theory, this is a sound and well-balanced system, but in practice, every state tries to assert its independence and work towards furthering its own agenda. There is much friction between the states of Hub and Shady Sands, usually related to trade rights and caravan routes. Significant pressure is exerted on the political and economic direction of the NCR by a variety of private interests; in particular, the brahmin barons whose wealth gives them great influence at the ballot box and whose needs are often placed first by officials seeking support in their political ambitions. With the armed forces, the Gun Runners gain special dispensation and influence as they are the primary contributor to NCR's weapon arsenal. Elsewhere, monopolies like the Crimson Caravan and similar trading families dominate the trade routes and use their wealth to gain influence with the NCR government and extort large amounts of money. Smaller competitors who are unable to compete with both the larger competition as well as the high taxes are inevitably muscled out.

The president is the biggest factor in deciding on the course the Republic should take. For example, under Tandi (who served over ten terms as president; something Caesar mocks as indicative of monarchy, rather than democracy), The Courier: "What do you think of the NCR?" Caesar: "Do you want my opinion as a former citizen, or future conqueror? Actually, my opinion's the same either way. As a young man I was taught to venerate President Tandi of Shady Sands. "The Founding Mother of the New California Republic." Did you know her Presidency lasted 52 years? And that her father, Aradesh, was the Republic's first President? Does that sound like democracy to you, or a hereditary dictatorship?" The Courier: "President Tandi was voted into office each time." Caesar: "Because the council didn't dare oppose her. She was too popular. She had the people's love. So things ran smoothly, more or less. And as soon as she was gone, as soon as there really could be "democracy" - what happened then? Ever since losing its queen, the NCR has been weaker, more diffuse. Democracy has been its weakness, not its strength." The Courier: "How is the NCR weak?" Caesar: "Greed runs rampant. The government is corrupt, accepting bribes from Brahmin barons and landowners, to the detriment of citizens. The NCR is a loose conglomerate of individuals looking out for themselves. It's lost virtue. No one cares about the collective, the greater good. It's not built to last. I'm just hastening the inevitable." The Courier: "Surely, the NCR is a powerful foe?" Caesar: "Of course. The most powerful my Legion has faced. Also the first to which I am ideologically opposed. Until now, every tribe I've conquered has been so backwards and stunted, enslavement has been a gift bestowed upon them. My conquest of the Mojave will be a glorious triumph, marking the transition of the Legion from a basically nomadic tribe to a genuine empire. Just as my namesake campaigned in Gaul before he crossed the Rubicon, so have I campaigned, and will cross the Colorado." (Caesar's dialogue) the NCR has grown substantially, focusing efforts on rebuilding the pre-War infrastructure and restarting technological development, while under Aaron Kimball, the NCR became more imperialistic and expansive, overextending itself in the process thanks in no small part to General Oliver's incompetence and bureaucratic red tape.

Military
Subordinated to the president and the Congress, the military of the Republic is one of its most distinguishing elements. The core component, the NCR Army, has thousands of servicemen, either volunteers or draftees, organized into divisions and battalions, equipped with standardized weapons and armor, and with varying degrees of training and competence. They are the proverbial sledgehammer, a tool used to crush enemies of the Republic and build order in the lands under its control, and a shield, protecting it from harm that may come from its numerous enemies, such as the Caesar's Legion. Supported by the industrial might of the Republic and unique technologies reclaimed from the wasteland (like Vertibirds confiscated from the Enclave), they are the foundation of the security policy of the Republic. On the civilian side of the spectrum lie marshals and police formations, responsible for enforcing the law of the Republic within the territory of the NCR.

The premier unit is the New California Republic Rangers, who grew out of a paramilitary abolitionist militia dedicated to the eradication of slavery in New California. They have grown into one of the most professional and deadly military outfits in the wastes and were folded under the military command of the army. Commonly respected for their valor and skill in battle, the rangers are folk heroes and enjoy an unblemished, heroic reputation and access to top of the line weapons and armor, often coming from recovered and restored pre-War goods.

The Republic practices what it preaches and the military, like society, makes no distinction between the genders when it comes to serving in the military. Super mutants and ghouls are also known to serve in the elite Rangers. In addition, military honors are awarded for valor, such as the Star of Sierra Madre.

Foreign relations
Many people in the western wastelands have mixed feelings about the NCR. Some people strongly support the Republic's goals of spreading democracy and the rule of law, and others vehemently oppose their methods of "controlling" everything they come into contact with. With wastelanders who were used to having no more than a mayor or sheriff now suddenly being part of a complex political structure and having to pay taxes, some view it as a loss of the frontier lifestyles that once defined them. As the NCR's power and territory grew, it made progressively stronger enemies who would test the resolve of the Republic.

Under President Tandi, the NCR made slow but sustainable territorial expansion, allowing towns and other small communities, who were impressed by the principles of the NCR, to join of their own volition while defending their borders from hostile raiders like the once legendary Vipers and Jackals, who would be ravaged by the NCR's military until they became broken shadows of their former glory. Eventually taming southern California, these achievements would garner such respect for President Tandi that the people would come to adore her, and tribals outside the NCR's borders would refer to her as the "Great Mother."

Viewing the NCR's growth and success as a threat to their already stagnating power and influence, the Brotherhood of Steel would launch a military campaign with the goal of pacifying the NCR and asserting its dominance over the wasteland and its technology. The NCR would ultimately prevail and force the Brotherhood into retreat and hiding. The NCR had defeated their strongest opponent yet.

After the death of President Tandi, her successors would gradually change the direction of the NCR. Rapidly expanding the Republic's borders in every direction in a more imperialistic fashion, they sacrificed some of the NCR's principles and moral high ground in the process. Tribals that once revered the "Great Mother" began to become "domesticated" as the nation swept through tribal lands. Under President Aaron Kimball, the NCR's expansion has led it to the Mojave Wasteland, where it would encounter the impressive city of New Vegas, and the even more promising Hoover Dam. However, it would also encounter its greatest enemy to date, Caesar's Legion, across the Colorado River.

The NCR initially had great success in the Mojave Wasteland, setting up bases and an embassy on The Strip. The front line of the new conflict between the NCR and Caesar's Legion moved towards the Colorado River. The Legion attacked the NCR with its full strength during the First Battle of Hoover Dam. The NCR successfully repulsed the Legion's assault on Hoover Dam, devastating the Legion's elite forces by luring them into a trap at Boulder City in the process. After their defeat, the Legion regularly conducted raids on the west side of the Colorado River, even creating permanent bases at Cottonwood Cove and sacking towns like Nipton and Nelson with little response from the NCR. Known wars and military conflicts in which the NCR was involved include those with the Enclave, Brotherhood, Great Khans, Legion and raiders.

Technology
Overall, the Republic can be readily described as the most advanced entity in post-nuclear North America. While smaller organizations do possess more advanced weapons, armor or tools (like the Enclave, Free Economic Zone of New Vegas or the Shi), no one can rival the Republic's agriculture, industry, economy and military, with the sole exceptions of the Caesar's Legion and Brotherhood of Steel. The keystones of the Republic's economic might are its brahmin herds and arable land painstakingly recultivated with primitive tools they had at their disposal. Aided strongly by the Followers of the Apocalypse, the Republic thrived. When the shift in foreign policy occurred with Kimball's election, the relations soured and the Republic eventually lost the Followers' support. However, disillusioned Followers flocked to the government and formed the Office of Science and Industry in 2275, becoming a dedicated, NCR-aligned research and development house. By 2281, their achievements include implementing computer simulations to aid with agricultural planning and cultivation, maximizing the output of Hoover Dam and restoring the power grid between the Mojave and Shady Sands, and even begin developing solutions for a famine projected to affect the Republic in 2291.

However, the technology is not limited to just agriculture. The Hoover Dam powers every city and major settlement in New California, while the OSI continues to (re)develop and implement new technologies in fields such as medicine, engineering and biology. Building on the strong infrastructure built during the 52 years of President Tandi's rule, which includes roads, railways, transportation, manufacturing, forts and more, the OSI increased the NCR's technological advantage over its competitors. That edge is nothing if not immense: By 2281, the Republic's powerful merchant companies have access to facilities and materials allowing them to manufacture standardized armaments, weapons and ammunition to fully outfit the largest standing army in the wasteland, to the point of different companies actively competing with each other for supply contracts (such as the Crimson Caravan and Far Go Traders) or even considered an unofficial branch of the Army (the Gun Runners).

Advanced technologies are also harnessed by the Republic for the benefit of its citizens. The annexation of Vault City granted the Republic access to advanced medical and scientific technologies, including organ cloning, performance-enhancing implants, armor grafts and other refined procedures. Other advanced technologies utilized by the Republic include satellite communications, power armor taken from the Brotherhood,   and even global positioning system satellites. The NCR also has the ability to construct concrete bunkers on vital frontlines, such as the Colorado River.

Infrastructure is also a prominent success of the NCR's technology, as the Republic is known to have used railroads and uses refurbished Vertibirds salvaged from its war with the Enclave. One example of this is Bear Force One, the vehicle that Aaron Kimball arrives in to make his speech at the Hoover Dam in 2281.

Appearances
The New California Republic was first mentioned in the Fallout ending cutscenes for Shady Sands and first appeared in Fallout 2. It was mentioned in Fallout 3, Fallout 4, and appears in Fallout: New Vegas.

Behind the scenes

 * In Chris Avellone's Fallout Bible 6, a version of the NCR flag has a one-headed bear.
 * Joshua Sawyer stated that the NCR is both self-interested and willing to protect New Vegas, having sacrificed much already to do so.
 * Sawyer described the inspirations behind the economy of New California including their dependence on gold reserves.
 * The NCR was planned for inclusion in the canceled Van Buren project and appears on the anti-materiel rifle from the Creation Club content "Anti-Materiel Rifle."