Low-Tech Democracy.

[William]

Multiplication of direct citizen referenda tends to make governing difficult even in modern-day American states, so if we want an efficient democratic government at low tech levels I think a federalized system of representative democracy is about the only way anything will get done.

You will want a good system of roads and a well-funded post, so that levels of government can communicate with each other. Government communications might have dedicated Pony Express stations. Of course, this benefits trade as well.

Federalization will result in regions being jealous of their prerogatives, but the American experience with the Articles of Confederation (and later, the Civil War) firmly supports the necessity of a strong central government with some taxation power, control over purse strings, authority in well-defined legislative spheres, and a standing army if the nation is to remain a single entity. Lacking any one of these things means they will have either no resources to fight regional entities, no political leverage, no areas in which to use their influence, or no muscle to back up the first three.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by William

Federalization will result in regions being jealous of their prerogatives, but the American experience with the Articles of Confederation (and later, the Civil War) firmly supports the necessity of a strong central government with some taxation power, control over purse strings, authority in well-defined legislative spheres, and a standing army if the nation is to remain a single entity. Lacking any one of these things means they will have either no resources to fight regional entities, no political leverage, no areas in which to use their influence, or no muscle to back up the first three.

Historically that would describe almost every Medieval government. For the matter of that Poland managed to survive the Liberum Veto for a surprising amount of time, considering.

[William]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

Historically that would describe almost every Medieval government. For the matter of that Poland managed to survive the Liberum Veto for a surprising amount of time, considering.

Okay? It largely describes any cohesive single nation, which would be required for the request in the OP. The AoC and the European Union are good examples of what you can't really call a united, functioning country (in the case of Europe, no one does) because it lacks one or more of these elements.