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->''"[[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic My Little CoPS]]: Friendship is International Politics and the Constant Threat of Nuclear Annhilation"''

''Not to be confused with ''Series/{{Cops}}'' (the live-action reality TV series) or ''WesternAnimation/COPSAnimatedSeries'' (the animated television series)''.

The origin of the Pony species is shrouded in mystery. Some say that they evolved the same way as humans, while other say the Regal Sisters--Celestia and Luna--created the ponies in their own image. Whatever the reason, the races of ponies have spread across the world, and now live alongside humans, elves, saurians, and all other forms of life that inhabit the [=NationStates=] world.

The pony species ''Equus sapiens'' is divided into three subspecies-- all of which can interbreed freely.

* Earth Ponies (''Equus sapiens terrestris'') till the land, and their skills help to nurture the soil to produce bountiful crops.
* Pegasus Ponies (''Equus sapiens volaticus'') who control the weather and fly in the sky
* Unicorn Ponies (''Equus sapiens rinocerotis'') who can perform magical abilities such as telekinesis.

Perhaps Ponyism's [[PlanetofHats hat]] is their universal devotion to the 'Elements of Harmony'. Just like in RealLife while almost all ponies and ponyists agree on the existence and names of the Elements of Harmony, anything beyond that is open to debate.

''[[https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=148574 The Coalition of Ponyist States]]'' ([=CoPS=]) is an RP Group on the Website/NationStates forums. The nations in [=CoPS=] RP the existence of ponies, as seen in the TV Show ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''; however, these ponies have broken themselves out of the SugarBowl that they lived in, and have come into a world where they are face to face with the same challenges that humanity faces today, with others piled at their side.

The Coalition of Ponyist States was originally founded jointly on August 2, 2011 by Enatai and Urmanian. At this point, the idea of Pony based RP had only just begun. However, over time, the idea of the pony species living alongside humanity, and many previously other established species that inhabit [=NationStates=]. Roleplay slowly established the pony nations as a permanant fixture of [=NationStates=]. While in the beginning of [=CoPS=] history, the vast majority of storylines were dealing with nations that attempted to commit genocide on the pony species, [=CoPS=] RP has begun to switch over to interaction with other groups of Role Players, as well as gained a focus on developing the relations between the various nations of the Coalition.

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!!''The Coalition of Ponyist States'' contains examples of:

* AirborneAircraftCarrier: Multiple nations have airborne aircraft carriers (and battleships!) justified through the use of {{Magitek}} or very vague scientific explanations of quantum physics and atmospheric buoyancy.
* AlikeAndAntitheticalAdversaries: Specifically, the "Heterogenous Heroes vs. Homogenous Villains" variety; while the member nations/players of the [=CoPS=] are actually quite diverse in their IC implementations - ranging from far-left to far-right (and quite literally everything in between) to even corporatocracies and anarchies, with a wide variety of political structures - the anti-pony alliances opposing the [=CoPS=] tend to be rather homogenous, with nearly all members being totalitarian regimes of either the communist or fascist varieties.
* AmazingTechnicolorPopulation: Ponies. Most have two colors: mane/tail and body. Said two-color schemes range from relatively mundane (earth-tones with the possibility of a more vibrant mane/tail) to seemingly unnatural.
* AmazonBrigade:
** Happens quite a bit with pony armies; though subverted or averted entirely in many cases, a large number of pony characters tend to be female, and this will occasionally be reflected in military scenarios.
** [=YellowApple=] uses female pilots near-exclusively in recon fighters, since the cramped spaces are more suitable for a smaller female pilot than they are for a larger male pilot. The rest of the [=YellowApplan=] armed forces is quite male-dominated, however, even with pony personnel.
%% ** Any nation which [=RPs=] with ''Anime/StrikeWitches'' will have this by default.
%% * AntiquatedLinguistics: Imeriata and Crystal Spires among others (but especially Imeriata).
* AscendedExtra: Happens quite a bit when background characters from ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' are yanked into the [=NationStates=] universe(s) and given their own detailed storylines.
* TheAtoner: Years of Richard's guilt for the annihilation of the Majority party as well as the assassination of his first born has led to the formation of his group the Scarlet Index, to help people.
* BreadAndCircuses: Although it doesn't provide much in the way of direct welfare, the Dominion does provide order and stability, while giving its people the freedom to do what they will. This has the effect of simply making most of the population apathetic towards their government. Pursuing this also creates a desire for the Dominion to make sure their people remain happy and content with the status quo.
* CatGirl: Many nations have such residents, Ponyist nations included. [=YellowApple=] calls them ''Homo sapiens felis'', and regards them to be a subspecies of ''Homo sapiens''.
* ChildSoldiers: The age for enlistment in the 'Republic' is 14 (2014) years old, their allies so far, have compensated the rising age of military consent with copious dakka.
* ChurchMilitant: The Shrill Crisis ran on this trope. When the theocratic government overturned the secular one and went on a crusade upon Crystal Spires, [[DivineIntervention the Pony Gods were not pleased]].
%% * CrapsaccharineWorld: Every single [=CoPS=] state AND HOW is an Understatement.
* CommissarCap: Multiple nation's players are ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' fans, and it shows in the hats that they give their troops to wear.
%% * CrystalSpiresAndTogas:
%% ** Most nations that exist in the region of Mystria fall into this trope, at least in visual style.
%% ** The Beastling States of Crystal Spires even has this in their name, and plays it straight.
* CurbStompBattle:
** Heaven help you if you decide to take on a unified [=CoPS=]. Though now a pony-killing regime is outright ignored [=OOCly=], in times past it would result in the entirety of the Coalition coming down upon a nation and, if not utterly destroying it, crippling it quite severely.
** Fantoa's pony genocide was met with a joint invasion by [=YellowApple=] and the Holy Marsh culminating in [=YellowApplan=] martial law until a non-genocidal and pro-Ponyist government was instated.
** The [=TurtleShroomian=] Dark Harvest was met by an invasion by none other than C'Tan. However, in contrast to other examples of this trope, the [=TurtleShroomers=] [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu launched a nuclear-equipped Saturn V rocket at the C'Tani invasion force]], which - although certainly not doing much real damage - prompted the C'Tani invaders to retreat momentarily, though not without the defending forces having already been annihilated.
* DemocracyIsBad: Life under the old Lubyakan Republic has left the feeling amongst the people that democracies are only for [[WideEyedIdealist Wide-Eyed Idealists]].
* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: The Office of Covert Acquisitions has a subsection called Covert Affairs or Vice Versa.
* FantasticRacism: Many humans find the existence of ponies distasteful. Reactions to them have ranged from denying the existence of ponies, to launching campaigns of mass genocide.
* FantasyKitchenSink: Given the existence of magic (or a scientific explanation thereof) throughout the [=CoPS=], this trope tends to run rampant in [=CoPS RPs=], which may involve anything from saccharine magical ponies to all-consuming grey goo to Satan incarnate and everything in between.
* FelonyMisdemeanor: The nation of Hippostania takes a very hard line against Communists, leftists, leftist-looking people, the colour red, alcohol, sex, sharing, and more. And charity organizations. Don't forget charity organizations.
* Fiction500: At least at first (in the [=YellowApplan=] backstory), where Amarillo uses his wealth (and corporate funding) to build a ''giant flying city''. Said flying city was named Manzanopolis Prime and became the capitol city of the Nomadic Peoples of [=YellowApple=].
* FixedForwardFacingWeapon:
** The [=YellowApple, Inc. BitTrigger=] normally results in this for infantry stallions which use it, though it's capable of being "unlocked" so the attached rifle can be manipulated as if a humanoid were holding it, making this a subversion in some cases.
** Lubyakan and Orussian assault guns also take this approach, mounting a single cannon to inflict massive damage.
* ForTheEvulz: Basically what the majority of pony-killing/enslaving/maiming/hating "in-character" threads boil down to, considering that the justifications tend to be strawman arguments at best. Some anti-pony players are starting to formulate more legitimate reasons to be anti-pony, but the majority continue to fall quite painfully into this trope.
%%** New Freedomstan gets applauded for playing this trope 'straight' with some of its Equine Research Stations.
* FullFrontalAssault: Many ponies "don't normally wear clothes", and thus will fill this trope when they fight as such, though not exactly for the same reasons as most other examples of the trope do.
* FunWithAcronyms: GHEYSECS, an acronym standing for the members of one of two sub-alliances of the [=CoPS=] ('''G'''reater Pony Herd, '''H'''ippostania, '''E'''natai, '''Y'''ellowApple, '''S'''hrilland (?), '''E'''arth Sphere Coalition, '''C'''rystal '''S'''pires).
* GirlOnGirlIsHot: Lesbianism and bisexuality among female characters is a recurring motif in many [=CoPS RPs=]. This may just be because the majority of players are male, and are not above writing their own {{Fanservice}}.
* GratuitousLatin: The [=YellowApplan=]-made aerospace platforms defending [=HideaBerry=] Island are named after the Latin translations of the Elements of Harmony.
%% * GreyGoo: The Smooze.
%% * HordeOfAlienLocusts: Parasprites. Especially Greater Pony Herd weaponized parasprites.
* HumansAreTheRealMonsters:
** Much of the general reaction from human nations towards the Coalition of Ponyist States, most who seem to do it for Out Of Character reasons.
** Averted by many of the members of the Coalition of Ponyist States having human-majority populations; nations with pony majorities are actually few in number.
%% ** New Freedomstan and Imeriata, in different ways. Special mention goes to Equine Research Station #5.
%% * HobbesWasRight: The Dominion of the Lubyak RUNS on this trope. It has led to more than one conflict with other states.
* HollywoodEncryption: Most "encrypted" communiques are merely specified to be encrypted, instead of actual details on the encryption method used. This is mostly to HandWave very-hard-to-decrypt messages, since providing a real-life encryption method/algorithm would allow more tech-saavy players an advantage in explaining how they'd decrypt the message.
%% ** Crystal Spires averts this trope by ''actually encrypting'' messages.
%% * {{Joisey}}: The Reformed Republican Union of Orlkjestad is portrayed as the first form, complete with Armani suits.
* LandslideElection: In Malgrave, the Progressive-Unity party have won with every election since 1994 and the Conservative Party in the period 1950-1980.
* LastOfHisKind: Maven is the only living survivor of the Storkii. [[spoiler:He was actually born as a genetic mutation of a White Phoenix, which is why Zaiden chose to possess Maven.]]
* MadeOfIron: Chancellor Maven Auryn of Crystal Spires seems to have a proclivity towards getting shot by everything from AAA shells to standard bullets, and living. Maven has suffered permanent damage from some of these attempts on his life, but he believes to show weakness would be fatal because Crystal Spires is a DeathWorld which showing such weakness would be fatal, so he pretends nothing is wrong, and goes to work. [[spoiler:Furthermore, he is kept alive by the parasitic immortal being Zaiden.]]
%% * MagicAIsMagicA: Pony magic is governed by a number of rules - both scientific and logical - in reflection of magic as used in the ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' canon.
* MenAreTheExpendableGender: Happens quite often; males are more likely to be physically injured and/or killed than females in most combat-oriented [=RPs=]. Ties in quite a bit with MenAreGenericWomenAreSpecial, given that ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' is already female-oriented, leading to the [=CoPS=] naturally following in its footsteps.
* AMillionIsAStatistic: Being a [=NationStates=] roleplay, quite common. Most nations care little for the lives of their people, even alleged democratic states are willing to throw their nation into war (even a nuclear one) regularly. Overlaps with EasyLogistics as armies of millions are sent thousands of kilometers on a semi-regular basis.
* MinovskyPhysics: Pony "magic" (rather than being AppliedPhlebotinum or HandWave), with loads and loads of scientific concepts coming into play - including quantum physics (unicorn magic/pegasus flight/grabbing things with hooves), neuroscience (cutie marks/cutie pox), genetics engineering and evolution (how ''Equus sapiens'' came to be), nanorobotics (the Smooze), and many other topics - in order to make for a believable concept rather than rely on WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief. Other players just say AWizardDidIt and don't go into details.
%% * NukeEm: Standard threat of many nations in many situations. Rarely used.
* OmnidisciplinaryScientist: Like in many works of fiction, scientists [=RPed=] by the [=CoPS=] and the players thereof have a tendency to be proficient in a variety of mostly-unrelated disciplines, resulting in either this trope or RenaissanceMan.
%% * OurPresidentsAreDifferent: President Leon Palantine of the RRUO is of the President Iron variety, with a little bit of President Jerkass thrown in for good measure.
* OurTimeTravelIsDifferent: Specifically, a hybridization between Wormhole Time Travel and Instantaneous Time Travel. Occasionally results in accidental time travel when attempting jumps and miscalculating when creating the exit point (an [=RP=] detailing this is expected to occur soon, but this is understood to be a common occurrence in some early [=YellowApplan=] wormhole transit tests.
* OurWormholesAreDifferent: In the sense that [=YellowApplan=] wormholes are created and stabilized via the use of physics-bending (specifically, the manipulation of negative energy densities to create localized regions of negative mass to achieve all kinds of things) reverse-engineered from unicorn magic.
* OverrankedSoldier: The Republic's Leadership and military infrastructure is full to brimming with teenage Cardinals leading thousands of grizzled veterans, this is probably due to mandated [[HeroicSacrifice heroism]].
* PeaceAndLoveIncorporated: [=YellowApple=], Inc. However, unlike others examples of this trope, [=YellowApple=] actually does adhere to all six of the Elements of Harmony, rather than merely pretend to.
%% * PhysicalGod:
%% ** Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.
%% ** [=YellowApple=]'s Fostera Manzano may eventually fit this trope as well, though to a lesser extent.
%% * PhysicalReligion: Ponyism is one, considering that Luna and Celestia actually exist in [=CoPS=] canon. Mystrian Pandeism is another, [[UnreliableNarrator but it's not how it written in the Holy Codices.]]
* ThePoliticalOfficer: New Freedomstan uses Commissars of the "Cowards and traitors will be SHOT!" variety, although actual field-executions are rare (outside of the Penal Divisions). Their purpose is mostly about maintaining civilian power over the armed forces, however, with morale being the secondary priority.
* PostVictoryCollapse: Blue Belle experienced once after a firefight/knifefight/fistfight/hooffight with a bunch of Canadian assassins. Blood loss from a bullet wound in her flank was the official cause of her eventually passing out, but she only passed out ''after'' she had kicked Sarah Palin's Alaskan rear and mopped the floor with her.
* PrinciplesZealot: The Beastling State of Crystal Spires, and their leader, Maven Auryn, tend to stick to their principles even at the cost of starting a major war, and/or being invaded.
* RealityWarper: There are several:
** Discord, known for bending reality to create a world of chaos.
** Pinkie Pie, known for BreakingTheFourthWall regularly for her own personal enjoyment, for lack of a better motive.
%% ** Maven Auryn's magic.
%% * ReallySevenHundredYearsOld:
%% ** Luna and Celestia fit this trope to the letter, except that they're older than that.
%% ** [=YellowApple=]'s Administrator Amarillo Manzano is somewhere between this and standard OlderThanTheyLook. Future Administrator Fostera "Frankie" Manzano, being an alicorn like Luna and Celestia, is also expected to fill this trope.
%% ** Chancellor Maven Auryn of Crystal Spires is well over a thousand, and still going strong.
* RetiredBadass: The RRUO used to be a really active enforcer of anti-slaver actions, to the point of sending Armada ships into international waters. Since then, there's been a coup, the reign of [[TheGeneralissimo a dictator]], a [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized a gruesome civil war]], and a quite inept interim government. Now, the RRUO would much rather mind its own business and be busy with growing a flower garden than a war overseas, but if you attack or start to beat another nation in the [=CoPS=] (Except Lubyak and Crystal Spires), Orlkjestad would be glad to pull a NeutralNoLonger, and if you attack the RRUO itself, even just a single speck of sand on the most worthless island in the nation, [[AwakeningTheSleepingGiant may God/Celestia have mercy on your soul]]. And, to add to all this, President Leon Palantine [[BackInTheSaddle is working on changing this status]].
* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: Even though Coalition [=RPs=] tend to be darker and more grim than anything seen on the show, these are still nations inhabited with pastel colored ponies at heart, and there are many characters that can be described as 'D'AWWWW'.
* RunningGag: The constant references to what a shaking of hand and hoof should be called. Whenever a pony and human greet, and one is a [=YellowApplan=], the [=YellowApplan=] will invariably ask him/herself whether it's a "handshake" or "hoofshake" and distract him/herself with the train of thought.
%% * SealedEvilInACan: Discord. Death Wise. Zaiden. The list goes on.
* SlaveLiberation:
** Became a major point of contention in rivalry between Imeriata and other pony nations which eventually lead to them leaving when many of the members signed the Amistad Declaration, which declared a state of war against all slaver nations.
** [=YellowApple=] also managed a massive liberation in an impressive manner which nearly put itself into bankruptcy to atone itself for its prior life as a slaver nation.
* SchizoTech: Like the universe of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', the [=CoPS=] has a variety of technologies that normally wouldn't accompany one another. This is especially prevalent when comparing nations that generally play the source material's technology relatively straight (such as the Greater Pony Herd) against nations which are significantly advanced technologically and typically will not implement "past-tech" technologies (such as [=YellowApple=]). Similarly, not all players use the same approach of validating pony "magic"; while the players behind Princess Luna and Crystal Spires, for example, stay toward the "magical" end of the explanation spectrum, others - such as the players behind [=YellowApple=] and Behntasha - go for the "scientific" end.
* UnconventionalFormatting: Several players use different font characteristics in their posts for various purposes:
** The player behind [=YellowApple=] uses preformatted text to indicate radio chatter. His use of "[=YellowApplan=]" grammatical/punctuation/spelling rules in spoken text also partially fits this trope, as it's often used as an indication that the speaker is speaking in [=YellowApplan=] English.
** Tailed Wind Demons assigns text colors to characters for use in their speech.
* UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans: C'tan and Menelmacar slaughter millions in the name of putting an end to slavery.
* WeAREStrugglingTogether: The Coalition claims to be an 'alliance'. However, more often than not the energies of the various nations are directed less at supporting ponyism around the world, and more at sniping at fellow Coalition states. However, when something gets the entire Coalition to band together, the results are terrifying indeed.
* WithFriendsLikeThese: More times than not, Maven's Allies are the ones who pose the greatest threats to his life despite the fact that he lives in a psychotic DeathWorld.
%% * WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity:
%% ** Averted with Princess Luna and Princess Celestia, but played terrifyingly straight with Discord and (at least in the context of political power) Lyra.
%% ** Administrator Amarillo Manzano subverted. He was thought to be, but ultimately was more benign than typical examples of this trope.
* WouldNotShootACivilian:
** [=YellowApple=] is famous for stepping in the way of the rest of the [=CoPS=] in their attempts to exterminate entire civilizations for crimes of a minority population thereof. Crystal Spires does the same due to laws in Forntian Idealism.
** Averted with the Greater Pony Herd, as evidenced with the lack of hesitation in slaughtering men, women, and children alike solely to make an example out of a nation.
* YourMindMakesItReal: Used once upon a time by anti-pony factions to degrade the Ponyist movement explaining that ponies don't actually exist but are merely hallucinations and/or psychological constructs, and that perceiving their existence and/or perceiving oneself to ''be'' a pony is indicative of psychological illness.
%% ** Zaiden Illusory attacks as well.
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