Assume you've been given sovreignty over a land:

How would you want to run it? Would you develop a faith to help keep the populace, or would you allow them to maintain their former beliefs? Would you rule with an iron fist, or benevolently? Would you hold all the power for yourself, or assign it to a group of advisors, or elect a form of parliament/senate to dictate laws; would you be at the forefront of leading your nation or would you make yourself a figurehead? Would you try to create a utopia, or try to form an eternal empire? Would you focus on science and engineering, or would you push for other fields of importance? Would you allow the aristocracy to continue as they have, or would you reign in the bourgeiose? How about the common man/woman, where would you stand on the rights of the individual versus committment towards the state?

There are just so many things that can be covered, and I'm too sleep-deprived to think of them all. So, Southperrians, if you had a plot of land with people in it to rule over, how would you do it? But more importantly, why would you make the choices you do?

I think we could all write an essay on this, but imma keep it short:
I would rule like Selassie.
I'll allow former believes.
I would push full focus on science and engineering.

I think we could all write an essay on this, but imma keep it short:
I would rule like Selassie.
I'll allow former believes.
I would push full focus on science and engineering.

former beliefs including abrahamic religions ??? and you'd still want to push forward with sciencey stuff?? wow that is a bad idea

former beliefs including abrahamic religions ??? and you'd still want to push forward with sciencey stuff?? wow that is a bad idea

I didn't know former believes equaled to all believes ever existed... ._.

former beliefs including abrahamic religions ??? and you'd still want to push forward with sciencey stuff?? wow that is a bad idea

Yeah, because the Renaissance and the industrial revolution and high tech never would have happened if Abrahamic religions hadn't been banned...

Yeah, because the Renaissance and the industrial revolution and high tech never would have happened if Abrahamic religions hadn't been banned...

im just saying it wouldnt be as peaceful if we have religion protesting sciencey stuff

im just saying it wouldnt be as peaceful if we have religion protesting sciencey stuff

People wouldn't be peaceful if you banned their religions, either.

People wouldn't be peaceful if you banned their religions, either.

Well i was given a choice whether to let them keep their religion, so if they didnt want to forgo their religion then maybe they.. shouldnt move in ???


EDIT: ok it occured to me that the people might already be living there.. I would just make the state as secular as possible without religion interfering with politics.

Well i was given a choice whether to let them keep their religion, so if they didnt want to forgo their religion then maybe they.. shouldnt move in ???

You were given a choice, but you still have to face the consequences. You might be willing to stomp out religion, Soviet style. Your call.
And the way I read the OP, it's you who's been magically moved in to rule over the populace, they were there all along.

And the way I read the OP, it's you who's been magically moved in to rule over the populace, they were there all along.

Correct. Almost like the world's cruelest lottery jackpot.

Obviously what you do depends on what kind of area you get, but here's a few things I could do almost anywhere:

 Spoiler

Basic stuff:
- Tax religions if they aren't
- Seperate religion and state if they aren't
- Seperate religion and education if they aren't
- Get women the same rights as men if they don't already
- Gay marriage
- Any group/religion that infringes on human rights is forbidden/banned

Goals:
- Focus on education, science and engineering
- Net neutrality
- Modern patent and copyright laws
- Green energy and fuel
- Good health care for everyone

Government structure:
- National elections
- Every vote has the same weight
- 150 seats
- Majority of 100 votes needed to pass something
- All laws need to be reviewed at least every 15 years
- Anyone can create a party
- Pro- and anti-religious parties are forbidden
- Full transparency

Basically focus on creating a stable and futureproof nation. All the things up here are put in the constitution, including the goals, so even if I wouldn't get elected again things would keep moving forward.

Corporations are not people, and will not be treated as such. They can only own things in the limited sense that employees agree to sell their share if they leave the company - everything is owned collectively, is bought collectively, and is shared equally by employees.
People can believe what they want, and can do what they want up to the point it infringes on others' rights to the same.
Inheritance goes to the state - the extent a will can control it is to aim it at broad categories (education, welfare, public works...). The only way to leave stuff to your kids is to make the state wealthy enough to provide it for everyone.
Paintings of me on every wall.
A national anthem extolling my virtues.

It would probably turn out to be something like this:

*Note: focused more on some fields, and left some things out completely

Market:
- Market would be very free and government wouldn't have much own property.
- Taxes would be relatively low.

Public Services:
- Institutions like schools would be funded by government, education would be free
- Those without work and with very low income would be able to get some income support which would mostly be in form of coupons that could only be used for necessary supplies.

Politics:
- Democractic multi-party system, lead by Prime Minister and with government and opposition. Ministers chosen with elections.
- 1/4th of the parliament seats reserved for politicians representing no political party, who would not be part of either government or opposition.
- No president or king, prime minister would have the power of both
- Public would vote on major laws and decisions.

Control over citizens:
- Restrictions would aim to "protect people from eachother, not from themselves", thus there would be very little "parentalist" policies.
- Alcohol, Tobacco, Cannabis legalized with age restriction of 18 years. Drugs considered "extremely dangerous to user and other people around" banned for nonmedical use (such as heroin, cocaine, LSD, ecstacy, amfetamin, buprenorphine). Penalties would depend on drug and danger seen caused by the use.
- Handguns would be banned and rifles (for hunting, sports) strictly regulated. Guns used for sports would be kept locked in the shooting sport field.
- Sentences for serious crimes relatively long. ie. for murder, 40 years of jail or longer if decided to be needed before release, when released, a tracking device would be required for the next 10 years from release. Criminals would take care of their own expenses by working in the prison.

Religion:
- No state religion.
- Freedom of religion, when in line with law.
- Circumcision for non-medical reasons would be banned
- Children protected by law from agressive religious threatening, brainwash, violence and compulsion. Children could be taken in custody in extreme cases.
- No religion subject in schools, religion and different cultures would be included in the curriculum of history and philosophy however.
- Cultural and historical property would receive some protection from government however, religious places included

Armed Forces:
- Voluntary Military Service and trained forces

Probably something authoritarian. Probably something where the state is the most important as well. But it also is really dependant on where this place is anyways.