Department of the Continuity of Government for Dynastic States

In certain countries, regimes, and states, power is inherited, not earned by consent of the governed. Naturally, if a catastrophe was to strike the head of state, the oldest heir would take the throne... -but what if the catastrophe is long-running, and the heir can't assume power? What if the leader is couped and the heir is wanted dead by the new power? What if the leader is killed and the heir(s) are incapable of ruling? Naturally, some form of protection for the next in line (and their immediate families) would be needed to preserve the government.

Created by order of President Billybob in 2010 as a child agency/department of the Ministry of Foreign Affiars (created in 2005), the Department of the Continuity of Government for Dynastic States (or DCOGDS) is an international body which relocates and protects the identity and well-being of any offspring of a head of state (or other core government office) whose power is passed by heridity.

While some view it as a waste of taxpayers' money, others see it as a gesture of international goodwill and compassion, and, of course, the protected parties are forever grateful.

Background
Any inheritable position of power has the danger of regicide. Undoubtedly, this has come up many times over the centuries, and some means of contignency is required if the ruling family wants to keep ruling.

For the most part, countries with inheritable posts maintained their own contignency. Princes, princesses, (inheritable) vice presidents, etc. all had means of protection in times of disaster.

Billybob, though, knew that the countries couldn't prepare for everything, and the heirs might need to be shipped out of the nation or protected with superior firepower. He ordered the creation of this new sub-bureaucracy to expediate any emmigration a heir would need to get out and go on the lam. Thus, the DCOGDS was born.

The program
The DCOGS operates two branches of protection, depending on the severity.


 * One is police escourt, where expert USA officers or soldiers (either will do) accompany the heir wherever he or she goes until the crisis is done, or until the heir's death (it can be indefinitae).


 * The other is a true protection program. The heir is removed from the capital (or other residence) and shipped abroad under an assumed identity to a designated adoptive family, where he or she must live out their life until the order can be restored... if ever. This proves difficult, as time has told, because of culture shock and severely differing customs. The activites of the heir are still monitored, but from afar so not to break their cover.

Acceptable creatures
To be eligible for DCOGDS services, the creature must be:


 * A designated heir or successor to a public office, which is not elected by the Masses. (This disqualifies posts such as "vice president" if the VP is the successor to an elected president.)
 * Or, the creature is directly related to said heir, or married to the head of state in danger. (This means entire royal families are eligible for DCOGDS protection.)

...OR...


 * A designated heir or successor to a private institution, which is not elected by any board or by stockholders after the death of the leader, but is hand-selected by him or already named in life. Or, alternately, the next-highest in the institution if no succession system is named.
 * As with public office, the immediate family is entitled to this as well.

...OR...


 * The next in line to a high BOF or other classified institution's job (like a BOF Sysop or Bureaucrat), or one who is in line to be promoted to such.
 * ...-and also their immediate families.

...OR...


 * If a judge is removed from the bench, the judges selected from a pool to succeed them are eligible until they get the bench. This last one is rarely used because of the relatively low job hazards and risks involved in the job. Despite all that power, USA judges are not usually sought after by terrorists or other means of DCOGS protection eligibility.

Conditions needed
If the requirements above are met, then these traits must also be present:


 * The head of state can not be elected, unless the position was changed from elected to a dynastic means or is aquired de facto by dynastic means. Rigged elections count as un-elected because the government has pre-selected an heir, and no voter can change it, regardless of what the polls say otherwise.

...-AND...


 * The successor is pre-determined to get their position by birth, status, law, or other means that can not be altered by the everyday citizen, such as electoral fraud, string-pulling, tradition, shadow governments, money, force, coups, ect. ect.

...OR...


 * The position does not have a codified means of succession, but a good friend or relative is set to get it de facto when the leader dies. (DCOGS protection can be dropped in this case if the succession is converted into a more democratic method.)

...OR...


 * The creature is heir apparent.

Current institutions under DCOGS protection
This is a list of offices and posts under DCOGS relocation or escourt, their sector of existence, the name of the heir, the type of protection, and why.

Controversy and criticism
The DCOGDS receives a lot of criticism from anti-spending groups like Bennywatchers. Protecting the interests of a foreign country (in a way that doesn't assist the USA's power) is seen as a "total waste of taxpayers' money". They even go so far as to insult it. "Why," they ask, "should we care if some spoiled princess needs to play hide-and-seek from her government? Let the country that has the position sort it out, it's not out business."

In addition to being seen as a waste of money, DCOGDS is criticized for aiding corrupt regimes as well as good ones. John Coo is one of the biggest citations, because Maverick is a highly corrupt nation that quite a few creatures wouldn't mind seeing fall. The DCOGDS should "practice scrutiny" when selecting eligible clients, and "not take just any old endangered heir".

Trivia

 * This is a parody of the "Princess Protection Program" from the movie of the same name.