What do you think ?

edit:

Monarchy and Empires

edit:

EDIT:

7109251
Well, it's surprising that people think it's surprising - fantasy has always been that way, with the exceptions being, well, exceptional. Whether it should be is another question, but I think it's probably too ingrained to change easily. Especially since most readers and such live under heavily flawed democracies - the idea of someone in power who can and does do the right thing without being a "politician" about it is enthralling.

For narrative purposes, concentrating power in a few people helps in the same way it tends to be a few people who save the day. The reader can only remember so many characters, the story can only fit so many in. How many members of your country's government or legislature do you know by name?

Regarding Equestria, power is concentrated becuase it isn't a series where politcs is important. It's not like kids live in a democracy anyway, even if they do - rather they are ruled almost totally by hopefully benevolent dictators for their own ostensible good. The authority figures in a child's world derive said authority through their age and ostensible wisdom, so why shouldn't grown-ups be ruled by an ancient figure that's mother, teacher and goddess all in one? Given that the country is portrayed as a semi-utopia, she must be doing it right - right?

7109471

Well, it's surprising that people think it's surprising - fantasy has always been that way, with the exceptions being, well, exceptional. Whether it should be is another question, but I think it's probably too ingrained to change easily. Especially since most readers and such live under heavily flawed democracies - the idea of someone in power who can and does do the right thing without being a "politician" about it is enthralling.

Which one would you like to live under ?

For narrative purposes, concentrating power in a few people helps in the same way it tends to be a few people who save the day. The reader can only remember so many characters, the story can only fit so many in. How many members of your country's government or legislature do you know by name?

Good, point,
But.. how about... Prime-Minister/President that is So good, that ever elections he/she gets re-voted in.

Regarding Equestria, power is concentrated becuase it isn't a series where politcs is important. It's not like kids live in a democracy anyway, even if they do - rather they are ruled almost totally by hopefully benevolent dictators for their own ostensible good. The authority figures in a child's world derive said authority through their age and ostensible wisdom, so why shouldn't grown-ups be ruled by an ancient figure that's mother, teacher and goddess all in one? Given that the country is portrayed as a semi-utopia, she must be doing it right - right?

Mhm... do you think that the Princess are aloso... you know
Spliting the power
Mayor_Mare...

7109560
Theoretically, a democracy is preferable. But seeing the state so many of them are in now - well I technically do live in a monarchy, and I admit to occasional hopes the Queen might exercise some of her vast theoretical power and fix everything the elected governments have broken. Of course given her silence on political matters, no-one knows if she'd be for or against their favoured polices - so it's very easy to convince yourself she'd take your side, because any reasonable person would, right?

A very popular elected leader can work too, but in some ways is even more suspicious than a monarch - I mean, the first one I can think of off the top of my head is Putin, and he probably wins his votes more honestly than most of those sort.

And precisely because the show wasn't political to start with*, it could be vague about things. the Mayor exists mostly for the reasons in my second paragraph - somepony needs to speak for Ponyville and fill the role of authority, and mayors are type of town leaders we're used to. Is it even confirmed in the show she's elected?

*the problem in a way is that it got more so over time, culminating in the final season. Although Twilight turning down the throne in favour of a Republic would have been an interesting ending. Of course, they would probably just turn around and elect her President...

Disregarding narrative reasons and the convenience of having a relatively simple political system with few actors, there's the fact that most of the fantasy genre occurs in the equivalent of the middle-ages (and in some cases the early modern era -faith steel and gunpowder style-.

Democracies were pretty rare in those times, and in many cases they simply disappeared because external influences inserted an oligarch in the mix whose dinasty eventually became nobles like the rest. Off the top of my head there are two larger cases I can think of in the middle ages: the Low Countries (and Flanders with revolts of the peasantry), and the Italian Merchant Republics (in that case most of these city-states devolved into oligarchies down the line anyway).

What made them possible in the first place was the nobles realizing they gained more from granting wealthy cities more sovereignty and letting them pick local leadership on their own.

That being said, in Equestria and Fantasy as a whole you also frequently have immortal rulers that tend to form their own microcosm at the top of the social ladder. In the worldbuilding around the series and the comics there have been stories implying the rulers of other nations like King Bramble, Queen Novo and even the Abyssinian Royal Couple were just as immortal as the Celestial Sisters.

Hard to argue an elected mortal could make a better ruler than someone who's been on the throne for the better part of a thousand years.

7109602

Theoretically, a democracy is preferable. But seeing the state so many of them are in now - well I technically do live in a monarchy, and I admit to occasional hopes the Queen might exercise some of her vast theoretical power and fix everything the elected governments have broken. Of course given her silence on political matters, no-one knows if she'd be for or against their favoured polices - so it's very easy to convince yourself she'd take your side, because any reasonable person would, right?

Ya, jest look at the last 3 2 rulers in the U.S. and Canada !

A very popular elected leader can work too, but in some ways is even more suspicious than a monarch - I mean, the first one I can think of off the top of my head is Putin, and he probably wins his votes more honestly than most of those sort.

How so ?
I could see
group 1: Loves Mr. A, are ok with Mr. C, HATEs Mr. B
group 2: Love Mr. B, are ok with Mr. C, HATEs Mr. A
*Mhm.. should I vote for Mr. C, like by ever one, or vote for the one that I love, but is hated by the other half, and risk getting the one that I hate.

And precisely because the show wasn't political to start with*, it could be vague about things. the Mayor exists mostly for the reasons in my second paragraph - somepony needs to speak for Ponyville and fill the role of authority, and mayors are type of town leaders we're used to. Is it even confirmed in the show she's elected?

I don't know
hope G5 goes into this !

*the problem in a way is that it got more so over time, culminating in the final season. Although Twilight turning down the throne in favour of a Republic would have been an interesting ending. Of course, they would probably just turn around and elect her President...

Funny thing , is that I had a story ideal like that

Bad guy kills the king, Princes(s) runs away, ... they kill the bad guy, the citizens asked to change it to a Republic, the Princes(s) becomes the first Prime-Minister/President

7109813

Hard to argue an elected mortal could make a better ruler than someone who's been on the throne for the better part of a thousand years.

3:45-4:50

7109832
Well when someone always win the election, in reality it usually means they're rigging it rather than actually being that popular.

7109835

Simpson's paradox

7109602
I just imagine Putin personally goes to voters houses, stares at them for ten minutes without blinking and says "you vote for me, yes?" And they say yes to make the red laser go away.

7154157

Vote

animal Vote

7109251
The Royal Sisters have a bit of an odd relation there, because their Right, Divine or otherwise, is never actually laid out for the audience. Their rule simply is, with any justification beyond "they run the sun and moon!" left to the fans. And succession is at first irrelevant, and then conferred by nomination of the prior ruler.

...huh. Didn't realise this was an old thread I already answered. Still a point, though.

As for the new vid... the first method seems to have a flaw. If people are supposed to answer "Troll" on heads regardless of their preference, than writing off all the projected heads-flippers would seem to inevitably lead to a substantial underestimate. I suppose you could call it a rough minimum...

7109251
Think about it. When was the last time you read a story of the handsome Senator saving the governor's daughter from a dragon?

Besides, it gave us (in G5) the Pegasus Royal Family.

7109251
Fantasy is pro-monarchy because it's simple, it's logical (as seen in how it's massively overrepresented in history), and magic/fantastical elements allow for some flexibility in its failings.
In Equestria, for example, the reigning monarch is literally immortal and benevolent to boot. This already removes like, 80% of the drawbacks of that system.