Gentlesophonts:
Since no one has responded asking me not to post this info here's the
second installment in our draft of *Shall Not Perish*, our TML Regency
Sourcebook.
*****
*SHALL NOT PERISH* - A TML Regency Sourcebook, Part II
(Reference TML Msg 586/7338 22-Apr-1994, Msg 602/7550 12-May-1994 & Msg
637/7973 12-Jun-1994)
REGENCY GOVERNMENT
Wes Esser [email removed] writes:
The Regency has three actual branches of government: Legislative,
Judicial, Executive; and the Military. The legislative branch
consists of two chambers, the Moot and the Senate, which share
power. The judicial branch consists of a series of appeals courts
of varying power, and executive branch consists of the various
Governors. The military is not a separate branch, but is not
beholden to the other branches. The Regent is the highest level
of authority for each branch.
Regent <--
R | |
E W --------------------------------|------------------
G I Legislative Branches Judiciary |Executive Military
E D | | | | | |
N E | ----------------------------- | |
C | | | | | Admirals
Y Regency Senate---> Regent's | ----------
Moot | Court | Marshals
----------|-----------|-----------|------------|------------|-----
S Sector | Sector | |
E W Dukes |------> Apellate | |
C I | | Court | |
T D | | | | |
O E | | | | |
R | | | | |
__________|___________|___________|____________|____________|_____
S Sub | | Sub Fleet
S E W Sector |-----------------> Sector Admirals
U C I Dukes | | Governors |
B T D | | | | |
O E | ------------------- | |
R | | | | |
----------|-----------------------|-----|------|------------|-----
W Counts District -->Planetary Reserve
O Marquises Courts Governors Admirals
R Barons ----------
L Generals
D
At the top of this hierarchy, wielding the highest power of the
executive, legislative, judicial and military branches, is the
Regent. The office is held for life and passed on to the
designated heir. The Regent appoints candidates to all executive
and judical posts on the sector and subsector levels, subject to
confirmation by the Senate. The armed forces are controlled
directly by the Regent with no oversight by the Senate or the
Moot. The titles held by the Regent include, but are not limited
to: Lord Regent of the Third Imperium, Archduke of Deneb,
President of the Senate, Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Navy,
and Supreme Marshall of the Imperial Army.
The Moot is the senior chamber of the legislative branch, composed
of the peers of baronial rank and higher in the realm who serve as
long as they maintain their title (usually for life, although
abdications do occur). There is approximately one noble per
planet in the Regency, and as such, the Moot tends to favor the
rights of lower population worlds. The members of the Moot are
predominantly human. Although the Moot does vote to confirm the
succession to the Regency, this power is mitigated by the fact
that they can only vote for, not against a new Regent.
Politically the Moot tends to be dominated by the Aristocratic,
Imperiallist and Sovreignist blocks.
The Senate is technically the junior chamber of the legislature,
although in fact it is more active politcally than the Moot.
Senators are popularly elected representatives of Senatorial
Districts of approximately 1 billion sophonts. Being based on
population, these districts can vary in size from a portion of a
world to a dozen or more entire worlds. Because of this, the
Senate tends to favor the high population worlds, where some 96%
of the Regency's population live. In addition, the Senate is a
more cosmopolitan body, with 29 Llelywolly Senators from Junidy,
11 Gl'lu Senators from Kibushish, one Ebokin Senator from Yebab,
several Aslan Senators from the spinward regions, and even one
Chirper Senator from Vanejeen. Senators serve 10 year terms, and
may be elected to no more than 3 terms in succession. The Senate
has the power to confirm or reject all appointments to the
Judicial and Executive branches made by the Regent. Unsuprisingly,
the Senate tends to hold Democratic/Interventionist views.
The judicial branch exists to decide when (or if) Regency law has
been violated, and consisists of a series of courts at various
levels that have the ability to review the decisions of courts at
lower levels. The lowest level are the Regency District Courts,
corresponding to the Senatorial Districts. These courts are the
base of Regency law, and spend much of their time hearing local
cases dealing with conflicts between Regency law and the local
laws. Decisions of the District Courts may be appealed to the
Subsector Appeals Court, which can in turn lead to an appeal to
the Regent's Court on Mora. The final avenue of appeal is
directly to the Regent, who can reverse the decision of any
Regency Court. Justices of the District Courts are elected from
the district. Justices of the Appeals and Regent's courts are
appointed by the Regent for indefinite terms, but are subject to
confirmation by the Senate. They may be removed from office by
the Regent, or by a vote of the Senate.
The executive branch consists of the Subsector Governors appointed
by the Regent and confirmed by the Senate, and Planetary Governors
appointed by the Senate. It's purpose is to ensure that the will
of the Senate and of the Regent is carried out. Thus the
Governors are responsible for collection of taxes, implementation
of policy and enforcement of Regency law.
The military in the Regency is not an actual branch of the
government, but it funtions in many was as such. The head of the
military is the Regent, and under him are the Admirals and
Marshals of the Realm. Each Sub-Sector has a Fleet admiral
assigned to it, and each high population world has a Reserve
Admiral in charge of the reserve fleet, and a General in charge of
the planet's ground forces. The military, through the person of
the Regent (undoubtedly with advice from the Senate and the Moot),
has the right to decide when to wage war or make peace. It is
effectively outside the the control of the Senate, the Moot and
the Governors on most matters. The military is, however, bound to
uphold Regency law, and thus must obey decisions of the judiciary.
David Johnson [email removed] writes:
This suggests the aristocracy has given up its traditional judicial role
held under the Imperium. This is a major change that represents a major
loss of power for the nobility. Is there a rationale for this loss?
This represents another loss of power for the nobility. One wonders just
what the nobility does in the Regency? And more importantly, how they came
to lose such influence?
This is a good idea but I'm not sure how to rectify it with the inclusion
of barons in the Moot. (And I don't see how barons could be excluded either.)
Maybe there is a way to deal with this by adjusting the population levels
for the Senate districts. How many Senators are there in the Regency at one
per billion population? Lowering this number to one per half billion (or
less) would increase the number of Senators (and correspondingly the
influence of hi-pop worlds) with repsect to the barons of the Moot.
Electing Senators at-large in any of these mulit-billion districts would
further enhance the influence of hi-pop worlds. In your example one might
expect Pixie, Yres and Boughene (and possibly part of Menorb) to be included
as one sub-district (and thereby give the smaller worlds a chance at some
representation). On the other hand, three at-large Senators would all be
likely to come from Menorb.
This is some great work. I might suggest as a modification leaving the
judicial function in the hands of the nobility. (They've already been
weakened by the appearance of the Senate abd it doesn't really affect the
split in the power structure you've outlined.) Furthermore, the Regent's
Governors (subsector and world) are also a big threat to the nobles. They
also seem to be in direct conflict. (What's the relationship between the
Duke of Vincennes and the Subsector Governor or the Marquise of Efate and
the Planetary Governor?) Maybe these Regency executives only exist in fiefs
where the noble patents have been vacated, either through death without
issue or through the dislocations resulting from the Rebellion and the Viral
Assault? Possibly, for example, there is no longer a Marquis of Glisten
but rather an *ihatei* Governor (I'd prefer `Resident' for worlds to
distinguish them from a subsector Governor) who was appointed by the Regent
when Glisten came back `into the fold'.
Keep in mind that the separation of the military from the political
process is a decidedly modern, Western idea. For most of human history
and still in many places today the military is a key player in the
political process. This is also a part of the Imperial tradition.
Remember the Civil War and even the Rebellion. This latter though,
might have led to some poltical efforts to *limit* the influence of
the military. This might have been one of the ways the power of the
nobility was weakened. Much of the power of the nobility has been
embodied in the military in the past.
*POT* apparently has a table of all RC worlds, their populations, political
bloc and number of representatives. Anyone care to post a list of Regency
worlds with populations (maybe Roger's hypertext can help here?) and we can
work on representatives from there?
REGENCY POLITICS
David Johnson [email removed] writes:
The Nobility:
Archduke of Deneb and Regent: Norris? Seldrian? Avery?
Duchess of Mora: Elane Shankarr Muudashir at Mora
-Leader of the Aristocratic bloc, possibly
Duke/Duchess of Deneb: Aleksandr Lagaashinga or his heir at Deneb
-Leader of the Imperialist bloc?
Duke/Duchess of Gazulin: Sharik Arcadia or her heir at Gazulin
-The most prrominent new Democrat?
Duke/Duchess of Regina: Seldrian Aledon or her heir at Regina
Duke/Duchess of Glisten: at Glisten
Duke/Duchess of Rhylanor: at Rhylanor
-Possibly a leader of the Santanocheevists?
Duke/Duchess of Vestus: at Lintl
Duke/Duchess of Pretoria: at Pretoria
Duke/Duchess of Sabine: at Magash
Duke/Duchess of Vincennes: at Vincennes?
-Where does Count Audine Garhik, Marquis Vincennes (Norris's nephew)
fit in here? If Count Audine is Marquis of Vincennes but not Duke
then where is the Duke's seat? Why isn't it Vincennes if the subsector
capital is there?
Duke/Duchess of Lunion: at Lunion
Duke/Duchess of Trin's Veil: no longer at Trin!
-Possibly a leader of the Isolationist bloc
Duke/Duchess of Vilis: at Frenzie
-Prominent in the Santanocheevist bloc?
Duke/Duchess of Lanth: at Lanth
Duke/Duchess of Lamas: at Lamas? (Quarantine Line)
-Prominent in the Expansionist bloc
Duke/Duchess of Inar: at Inar
Duke/Duchess of Dunmag: at Dunmag? (Quarantine Line)
-Prominent in the Expansionist bloc
Duke/Duchess of Star Lane: at Imone
Duke/Duchess of Usani: at Usani? (Quarantine Line)
-Prominent in the Expansionist bloc
Duke/Duchess of Geniishir: at Geniishir? (Quarantine Line)
-Prominent in the Expansionist bloc
Duke/Duchess of Gulf: at Qevar
Duke/Duchess of Zeng: at Zeng
Other dukes/duchesses-in-exile who will be prominent in the House of
Nobles and the Aristocratic and Imperialist blocs:
Duke/Duchess of Antra/Deneb
Duke/Duchess of Million/Deneb
Duke/Duchess of Atsah/Deneb? (overrun by Vargr during the Rebellion)
Duke/Duchess of Tobia/Trojan Reach: heir of Duke Alexander
These political blocs have been suggested:
Isolationists want to maintain the Quarantine.
-Led by the Duke/Duchess of Trin's Veil?
Expansionists want to move out into the Wilds.
-Enjoys Instellarms backing.
Democrats seek to expand `democratic' values.
-Led by the Duke/Duchess of Gazulin?
Aristocrats want to maintain the noble aristocracy.
-Led by Duchess Elane of Mora
-Possibly known as Muudashirists?
-Enjoy much support among the House of Nobles
Tolerants favor a relaxation of psi prejudices.
-Discretely supported by SuSAG.
Santanocheevists oppose any moves toward accommodation with the Zhodani.
-Led by the Duke/Duchess of Rhylanor?
-Enjoys Instellarms backing.
Imperialists still hope to one day resurrect the Old Imperium.
-Led by the Duke/Duchess of Deneb?
-Enjoys support from Tukera Lines.
Autonomists favor independence and a complete break from the Imperial past.
Interventionists want the Regency to play a stronger role in the affairs
of individual worlds.
-Enjoys support among most megacorps.
Sovereigntists oppose efforts to limit the sovereignty of individual worlds.
Here's an updated `alliance' template:
Iso Exp Dem Ari Tol San Imp Aut Int Sov
Iso - x ? ? ? o x o ? ?
Exp x - ? ? ? o o o ? ?
Dem ? ? - x o ? x ? ? ?
Ari ? ? x - ? ? o ? x o
Tol ? ? o ? - x x ? x o
San o o ? ? x - o ? ? ?
Imp x o x o x o - x x o
Aut o o ? ? ? ? x - ? ?
Int ? ? ? x x ? x ? - x
Sov ? ? ? o o ? o ? x -
codes: o = favorable, x = opposed
*****
End of Part II. Please comment as it strikes you.
Happy Travelling,
David Johnson
Houston, Texas, USA