On a small island nation, the President governs alongside three ministers representing the army, navy, and air force, while ten ordinary citizens go about their daily lives. Each morning brings funding from both the American and Russian embassies, which the President can direct to the ministers or spend on improvements to his Arctic residence. If two of the three ministers turn against him, a vote of no-confidence triggers an election. To hold on to power, the President must win over the population using a network of shady contacts: the chief of the Secret Police who arrests political enemies, a radio disc jockey who broadcasts convenient lies, and a priest who quietly deals in arms. Three categories of military hardware — tanks, zeppelins, and submarines — can also be deployed against rivals after each round.