Addendum

Similarly, while you could adjust the level or XP by the age of the candidate, why shouldn't age be an advantage? Unless there are age-based stat penalties, which there probably are. That means we have to consider stats etc. as well, making this an impossible calculation. Considering all this, it's no wonder everything in politics comes down to a fight in the end.

Apotheosis Dawn

For assorted reasons, some of them exciting in their own right, a traveler wandered untracked lands, lonely and anxious about his prospects. When he came across a stone building that resembled him in its solitude, a suspicious sight, he reckoned the risk of disaster better than the certainty. There he found succor.
"Welcome, traveler, to Yulril Abbey. You may stay here one day and night and then go away provisioned."
"Thank you. To what god is this abbey dedicated, that I might thank him?"
"We're waiting to find that out ourselves. Perhaps we erred in our order, but we trust one will come to us. Hm. You are the first layman to visit; are you perhaps the very god?"
"How could I be confused for a god?"
"No, of course that's impossible. Please come this way."
At the time the traveler thought nothing of having someone agree with him, but after he recovered his place in society, the abbot's tone became in his memory somewhat excessively firm. Nettled, he embarked on a course of greatness in both the political realm and in feats of personal courage, succeeding so well that the great admiration he earned during his life tranformed into a hero-cult after his death which justified itself to the priestly community through numerous confirmed miracles and prophecies. Yulril Abbey's cenobites never heard of it so far as anyone knew.
Finis

Official Positions

When a fantasy country has an official archmage, lord high wizard, conjurer supreme, archon thaumaturge, etc., what are the chances he's actually good at it, and what are the chances he's the best? That's what you have to consider. The default is probably that his skills are decent but not extraordinary whereas his ancestors were extraordinary but far from decent.

The Second Accord

Nobody was quite sure what to call the celebration, but that one should be held was a matter of galactic consensus. Referring to "peace" seemed inappropriate since there had never been a war; indeed, the determination of every analyst and computation on both sides that there never would be was what prompted the present relief. Till the moment itself, none could be honest in claiming he knew whether an encounter between intelligent species would result in the extermination of one as many predicted against the theories of approximately as many.
The formal ceremony to confirm eternal non-agression took place in a space installation constructed for that occasion, a trifling endeavor for a pair of interstellar civilizations. Numerous heads of state attended (the investigations following first contact provided another point of reassurance in that neither species had united into a single nation, a cause of anxiety). Lesser politicians considered themselves either lucky to be invited or else took it as a portent of a continued rise, but as for the deal-makers whom few of the public knew for all that everyone there did, they regarded their inclusion as nothing exceptional. A smattering of celebrities enlivened the event, less from their charm and more from the attempts of either species to explain the sources of their fame.
That procedure as well as much additional conversation impinged on the main disappointment of the historic encounter. Just as the two species had no cause for conflict, neither did they have any for less-violent intercourse.
"This music, I am sorry to say, is discordant to my human ears."
"Your 'pineapple' is not displeasing in shape, but it is quite inedible for us."
"Humor barely survives differences in language. I am unsurprised that none of yours makes it across."
"I have no reason to denigrate your archery, nor any to prefer it over our own."
"I expect you have no culinary use for this garlic. It is only a shame you have no vampires!"
Amid laughs, the other party requested an explanation, out of politeness merely until he heard it.
"Those exist among you?"
"They do. It was once thought they were fiction, but the fact has become unpleasantly evident. There is some speculation that colonization of the moon has led to an increase in their power and numbers."
"How curious that we have a similar monster! It can transfix a man with its horrible eye before feeding." "That is, it can transfix a man of your species. Is that not so? Likewise for ours, I believe."
"An experiment does suggest itself."
Vampires and other unsavory creatures had cause to lament the swift creation of the monster hunter exchange program.
Finis

Addendum

The secret is that I just wanted to roll out "thaumatocracy."

Against Thaumatocracy

Given that being capable of magic is better than being incapable, what are some reasons mages might not be in charge?

- There aren't enough of them
-- It requires innate talent which few have
-- It takes too long to learn
-- They keep dying
-- Numbers are limited by the need for some external resource. For example a mage has to bathe in dragon's blood or make a contract with a manticore
- There are too many of them. Being a mage isn't a big deal, and hiring some is less of one.
- Magic isn't that good
- The kinds of people who learn magic are bad at maintaining political power
-- They're too busy with magical studies
-- Magic is linked to certain characteristics such as lack of ambition or gullibility
-- Magic alters mages, for example removing the need for food and replacing it with an insatiable urge to visit places of power
-- Magical expenditure requires long periods of isolation or hibernation
- The kinds of people who learn magic don't want to maintain political power
-- Magical talent isn't hereditary. Ensuring your family will be passed over for some genius discovered in a village is distasteful.
- The kinds of people who learn magic can't maintain political power
-- The gods who give them power forbid it
-- The terms of their contracts forbid it
-- The dragons who rule the world forbid it, and they do check regularly
-- Magic circulates through the bonds between people, so that the more subordinates one has, the more his magic is divided among them - The rulers are capable of preventing it
-- They aren't mages, but they have magic
--- Divine sanction
--- The approval of the land itself
--- Contracts with manticores
--- A store of artifacts
--- Hereditary talents
--- They're the source of magic
-- They're above magic
--- Gods rule directly
--- Dragons/manticores/basilisks etc. rule directly
--- Aliens rule directly (they came to research magic)

There are a few reasons. As for how mages might become an oppressed minority, they can't, cut that out, your allegory stinks.

Addendum

The ultimate goal is banning all forms of entertainment aside from books and movies based on books, but progress on that needs to be gradual. Overton windows and all. You understand.

Speaking of Political Debates

Here's my proposal for a national campaign: For every thirteen books a citizen of the United States reads, he gets a free pizza. The thirteen is for reasons of patriotism.

The Grim Gramble

All was decadence and dancing in the palace when the Grim Gramble came to ruin the fun. The footmen tried to throw it out but were thrown out themselves. The head butler was buffeted hard. The stiff doors were revealed as primarily ornamental.
"I am the Grim Gramble," the thing declared as it moved to pacify the ballroom. The barons took up arms, the counts saddled up indoors though they were, and the dukes prepared themselves in every way to defend their significant privileges, but it was too much for them.
"The Grim Gramble is the grummiest," all wailed. "We cannot by any means withstand it."
"You're slow to learn," the thing told them, "but at last you know. I am the Grim Gramble, and I will have what is promised."
"We promised you nothing!" So cried the dukes, who kept track of that sort of thing.
"Did I say promised to me? I am the Grim Gramble, and if something is owed and not claimed, I will have it."
Hearing that, the nobles fled the palace all the way to a small estate where the master himself labored. They begged Edwin to take the throne after all, for they regretted what they had done.
Edwin listened and marched on back. When he stated his claim, the Grim Gramble lost its strength to resist and had a beating such as no more than a few deserve. Then Edwin became a king who ruled with less trouble than most, for the fractious nobles remembered the Grim Gramble, for one generation at least.
Finis

Prudence and Preparedness

A terrible evil long forgotten spread its wings of shadow over the city, promising a return of that endless, terrible night mankind thought dispersed long ago if even they believed it ever was. The citizens began to panic, but one had the presence of mind to run to the newly-installed corner phone. He checked the instructions again.
"Let's see. 'Pick up receiver in case of horror awakening from its ancient slumber. Describe the horror immediately. Do not wait for a response. Do not give your name or location. Seat the receiver when you are finished and seek safety.' Got it. Um. Some kind of demon. OK!" He slammed the phone back and took off.
Meanwhile, in the mayor's office, a light beeped. "Would you look at that? Looks like the public menace reporting system is already seeing use." The mayor chuckled. "I'd hate to be all those rumor-mongers who said the project was an avenue for corruption now. I can't wait to tell the CEO of the contractor that installed it for us."
"Yes, sir. His name was Morrison, wasn't it?"
"That's right," said Mayor Morrison. "Have we shot that thing down yet? I'd better call the governor."
Finis

Science Fiction Review

Quick! Look through your scifi collection to find out which authors predicted AI would be used to make current and former presidents argue. Those are the only ones worth reading.

A Holiday Special

That last story was in honor of Presidents' Day. Unfortunately, only the first two American presidents governed in that fashion, but maybe we can get back to that with the proper reforms.

Staid Was Also in There

The representatives met in the capital, bringing with them the dreams and troubles of their constituents. Each, as custom demanded, wrote a single word on the provided paper and dropped it in the jar. The president was then to extract one of the slips. The word chosen would set the tone for governmental policy over the coming year.
Silence was demanded except for the scratches of sixty-two very important pens. The writing was finished, the papers deposited, and the president reached in after shaking the jar with authority.
"The agenda for the next year is . . . 'Dramatic.' Um." The representatives chuckled. "A fine word no doubt, but how do we design a policy around it?"
"Sounds like your problem, boss!" The representatives guffawed and pounded the table. The president grimaced and resolved he would shut them up by his immaculate execution of the task they had imposed by their irreverence. That was the day the world conquest began.
Finis

The Problem With Post-Nuclear Apocalyptic Fiction

Suppose you're writing in, say, 1959, to pick a random year. If a nuclear exchange between the US and USSR fails to occur, your understanding of politics and indeed humanity looks pretty poor. If it does happen, nobody will read your book after it. What a terrible bet.

Non-Human Politics

A dragon who wins election ten times becomes a dracodecagogue obviously, which is twice as good as a demidracodecagogue. But what do adventurers in non-electoral polities do? Level up off of aristocrats and tyrants? That sounds plausibly bloody. The best method is to have a ton of kids so your heir can farm his half-brothers for XP.

Origin Story

You have to win election at least ten times to become a decagogue, of course. Unfortunately, you're usually old by then, which restrains your power. Semagogues require elevation to a naval position, which is pretty specific, but the abilities are generally useful. Nothing's free in a well crafted system, after all.

Political Musings

Who's stronger? A demagogue or a semagogue? They'd both lose to a decagogue, obviously, but there are a lot of unanswered questions here.

I Was Struck by Lightning and Now I'm an Animal Mascot in Another World?!?!

If you've never taken orders from a floating beard guy wearing a pointy blue wizard hat, I can't recommend the experience enough. That's what people mean when they talk about being high on life.
"Here we are in the Half-Baked Honey Hills, Julian. You need to collect 3 Golden Zaboodles, 12 Silver Snoot Coins, and 50 Bronze Snappems to reach the next area. This would be a good time to practice your Scrabble Kick, Badger Step Kick, and the old Croucheroo. Take it from me, the Upper-Middle Supermagetendant!"
"Why not a High Supermagetendant? That sounds better."
His voice flattened. "Office politics."
"Oh. Sorry for asking." I shook my legs to limber up for the Badger Step Kick, which was a double jump you kick during for more distance, and wondered if I would ever get used to my new badger body. Not even a regular badger; a cuted-up mascot badger. I hoped I wouldn't stay in it long enough.
I looked over the green hills, the bees flying back and forth on regular schedules, and the cylindrical hive platforms and rolled my furred shoulders. Those giggly whatchemahoos weren't going to collect themselves.
Finis

History Corner

Speaking of the Hundred Years' War, the English were right. That's why I refuse to recognize France to this day.