==== Overview ====
Civil Rights: Excellent (70)
Economy: Reasonable (32)
Political Freedoms: Superb (76)
The Free Land of Gogan is a massive, safe nation, ruled by Doctor Marcin with a fair hand, and notable for its anti-smoking policies. The compassionate, intelligent population of 3.199 billion Goganians enjoy a sensible mix of personal and economic freedoms, while the political process is open and the people's right to vote held sacrosanct.
It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent government stops and the rest of society begins, but it devotes most of its attentions to Education, with areas such as Religion & Spirituality and Defence receiving almost no funds by comparison. It meets every day to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Keanesomnia. The average income tax rate is 66%, and even higher for the wealthy. A healthy private sector is dominated by the Book Publishing industry.
Urban high-volume mailers now receive their mail via chauffeur-driven limousines, legislators work 24/7 due to an influx of single-issue bills, kids laugh off vandalism and arson as "just fun", and birth rates have hit an all-time low. Crime is totally unknown. Gogan's national animal is the Goglodyte, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its currency is the Gog.
Gogan is ranked 468th in The North Pacific and 15,429th in the world for Healthiest Citizens, with 8 Standard Bananas Ingested per capita per day.
==== Issues ====
32 days ago: Following new legislation in Gogan, birth rates have hit an all-time low.
14 hours ago: Gogan fell out of the regional Top 10% for Healthiest Citizens.
The overview has been updated following the last decisions made.
Turn Down That Racket, Say Morality Police (issue 400) (#42)
A group of concerned parishioners and soccer moms has petitioned the government of Gogan to outlaw heavy metal music, which they fear is a bad influence on youngsters.
1. "Heavy metal music is a plague in our good nation and its God-fearing people!" argues local priest and easy listening advocate Alexander al-Zahawi. "Just the other day, I heard a song by some group called Hell's Irate Puppies with a sinful quantity of bass and drum... oh, and there were probably some lines about killing parents, too, I'd imagine! It's vital that we ban this music, and remove this terrible influence from our children's lives! Think of the children!"
2. "Whoa, man... what's with the, like, censorship and stuff?" asks Rochelle de Groot, scruffy-haired bassist of the popular speed metal band The Destroyinators. "You can't, like, censor the music, man. That's how we express ourselves! Every bass beat is me baring my soul! Every howl is me complainin' about how my parents tried to kick me out of their basement! Besides, what's wrong with Satan? He's just misunderstood anyway. I say promote the arts, man!"
3. "You know, this heavy metal issue has me thinking," says Larry Mistletoe, your brother, over your weekly game of cribbage. "If these long-haired freaks want to put out their devil-worshipping metal, why don't we let them? Of course, we'll put a little subliminal propaganda into every song... after all, don't these guys owe their freedom of expression to you?"
==== Public announcement ====