The Economic Bill of Rights was a declaration of basic economical rules and goals that was issued by the Republic of Haven around the year 1680 PD.
The bill proclaimed government responsibility for the basic caretaking of all citizens, declaring that all citizens had an unalienable right to a relative standard of living defined by the state.
Honorable as its motives were, it proved to be fatally flawed: an unending spiral of inflation, higher transfer payments, and increasing deficit spending was set into motion. Eventually, the policies started by the Economic Bill of Rights led to the formation of the Dolist block and the creation of the Basic Living Stipend, which in turn led to the further decline of Havenite society and the People's Republic's ultimate turn towards military imperialism in an effort to shore up the economy. (UHH)
Before the expansionist period of the People's Republic of Haven, several other star nations in the Haven Quadrant adopted similar welfare systems and economic nationalization programs. Although they were able to avoid Haven's economic death spiral due to lower levels of government corruption, they were nevertheless forced to cut back military spending, relying instead on the implied protection of the expanding People's Navy. This left them exposed when Haven launched the DuQuesne Plan. (HOS)
External links[]
- David Weber's comment on the origin of Bolthole and the BLS in the Infodump