First Marx Cabinet

The First Marx Cabinet is the former provisional government of the North American Confederation. Started on 30 May 2015, following an agreement between William I and Joseph Marx to establish a provisional government until a new Constitution could be ratified. Led by then Independent Joseph Marx (formerly the Foreign Minister during the Meek Cabinet), it collaborated with the Emperor exclusively until the passage of the Provisional Legislature Act formed the 2nd North American Congress. It was preceded by the Meek Cabinet, which collapsed during the Interregnum period and followed by the Second Marx Cabinet, following the passage of the Constitution in June of 2018 and the passage of the Cabinet Reform Act on 1 November 2018.

History
Following the collapse of the Meek government in April of 2011, the North American Confederation entered an interregnum period of approximately four years, with no singular leader or authority in charge. On the 30 May 2015, the Emperor spoke with Joseph Marx with the desire to return order to the Confederation. The two restored the monarchy and Marx was named the new Prime Minister.

Reorganization and Unification
Early on, the cabinet placed its focus primarily on reorganizing the nation, establishing basic relations with other nations, and expanding the citizenry of the Confederation, as many of these had been lost during the interregnum. One of the first acts the new government enacted was the Unification Agreement of 2015 which formally removed Marx's royal titles and stabilized the Confederation's monarchy, as well as the Land Claims Act and Land Claims Reformation Act, which formally organized the Confederation's new territorial claims.

The goal of the early ministry was to create a sense of stability and order that would warrant the need for a new constitution. As 2015 gave way to 2016, the size and goal of the Marx government would change.

The Ministry grows
On the 8 June 2015, the Prime Minister appointed Kasey Honings to the position of Deputy Prime Minister, he was replaced on the 23 April 2016 by the leader of the Liberal Party, Amanda McCollum.

On the 26 September 2015, he appointed Jacob Benning to become Minister of Defense and General Inspector of the Armed Forces, this latter role was soon replaced by Friedrich Albrecht von Aurora who became Chief of Staff on the 20 April 2016.

The latest non-replacement cabinet member was Empress Alyssa von Hartmann-Peters, who became Minister of Finance on the 2 November 2016.

The Compact, Acrin, and the Provisional Legislature
The first major diplomatic challenge for Marx's government came in October of 2015, when a territorial dispute arose between the Confederation and the Grand Republic of Delvera. Under the Land Claims Act of 2015, the Confederation had laid claim to entire state of Missouri, including lands claimed by Delvera. Through negotiations with then-Consul Jordan Brizendine, the Missouri Compact was signed, formally shifting the borders of the Confederation to north of the Missouri River (though the Land Claims Reformation Act would later remove claims to any part of Missouri), establishing strong ties with Delvera, and the issuing of the Missouri Proclamation, which became the government's foreign policy.
 * See Missouri Compact

On the 10 May 2016, following negotiations with Oscar I, Emperor-King of Karnia-Ruthenia, the Kingdom of Acrin was admitted into the Confederation as the nation's third state, behind Illinois and Greene.

Upon the passage of the Provisional Legislature Act on the 16 September 2016, the 2nd North American Congress was established and the new party system was unofficially adopted. The first session of Congress met on the 3 December 2016 and the outlines of establishing a new Constitution were voted upon. In addition, a new goal of economic stability was formally discussed.

The North American Pretender Crisis
February of 2017 saw the biggest diplomatic incident of Marx's government up to that point, when the former North American Prime Minister and current King of Eniarku, Aaron I used the abdication statement issued by Emperor William prior to the interregnum to lay claim to the North American throne. The incident launched a series of diplomatic correspondences and declarations from around the world and even threatened to end in the negation of Eniarku's Treaty of Mutual Recognition with the Confederation.
 * See North American Pretender Crisis

On the 20 February 2017, caving to international and diplomatic pressures, Aaron I relinquished his claim, ending the Crisis and preserving the diplomatic relationship between Eniarku and the Confederation.

Constitutional Crisis and Delveran Integration
2017 and early 2018 would see a period of relative inactivity and political turmoil, as communication between the Emperor and Prime Minister broke down due to the Emperor's relocation to Kentucky. In addition, discussions regarding integration of the Confederation into the Grand Republic of Delvera broke down following disagreements in the Callahan Cabinet of Delvera and the lack of a Constitution on the part of the NAC, though talks would quickly resume in the succeeding weeks.

Much of 2018 was spent drafting and discussing the new Constitution, with Rev. Marx and the Emperor spending months drafting and re-drafting the document. Finally, on the 28th of July 2018, the new Constitution of the North American Confederation was ratified and approved. A few weeks later, the Delveran Chamber of Deputies voted to admit the North American Confederation into Delvera as a province.

Reorganization and the Second Cabinet
Now a province of Delvera, the provisional government of the NAC realized that the current cabinet structure was ill-suited to the responsibilities placed upon them. The ministries at their disposal were designed for an independent nation, not a province with new responsibilties and focuses.

To that end, Rev. Marx introduced the Cabinet Reform Act, eliminating some Ministries and founding others. On the 1st of November 2018, the Emperor signed Reform Act into law, allowing the Prime Minister to form a second government.