Foldmuves Government

Directly under the Head of State but organizationally answering to the National manager, are the King of the Nyugatis and the King of Szantar. These vestiges of those latter-day additions to the Republic are figureheads only, exerting moral leadership but little civil authority. They are, however, much beloved by their regions' citizens, and hence useful parts of the Republic governance. They are hereditary monarchs, independantly wealthy with a portion of the royal posessions once accruing to their positions as heads of state. Their offices have some government support, but their own salary is a token amount per year.

Megye Kormanyzos (governors) - executive leaders of the nominally independant subunits of Foldmuves. Each megye (once a county, duchy, or principality) has some autonomy, but is linked by indissoluble treaty together with the others making up the Republic. Kormanyzos are directly elected by their citizens, and serve for terms of three to seven years (differing megye to megye).

Legislative Branch

Formally "The Primary Republic Parliament", Foldmuves' one-house body of lawmakers are elected directly to serve five-year terms. Half are elected in ###3 and ###8 years, the other half in ###1 and ###6 years, in June, unless earlier elections are called. Three to nine come from each megye, population-proportional, adjusted after each 20-year census. Total size of Parliament is 242 representatives. Parliament meets every third month, all month. The other two months of each quarter are spent in the home megye, meeting constituents and working to get reelected.

The head of State, the Dom'Baro, presides over an opening session of parliament after each election, overseeing the process of forming a majority or coalition government, selection of a Prime Minister, and recertification of Master Court Judges (who serve for life, but who must be cerified competent by the Republic Bar Association and parliament each five years). After that session, the PM or Deputy PM presides.

A coalition government, once formed, must stay joined until at least the next parliamentary election. This requirement sometimes results in "an obstructionist coalition" - one bound together but refusing to cooperate. Since a national government that is hamstrung is not an entirely bad thing, this is considered a feature of Foldmuvesan government, not a defect. While a vote of no confidence is possible, its success merely removes the serving PM - the coalition or majority party must then immediately select a new PM.

The Secondary Republic Parliament implied by the main one's name "Primary" is a national meeting of all megyes' legislative councils. This unwieldy gathering, numbering in the many thousands, is only ever convened (by the Dom'Baro, or Head of State) in order to declare war, to participate in an annexation/ joining process (as when Nyugati joined the Republic), or to modify the constitution.

Judicial Branch

Foldmuves' Master Court is the highest court in the land -- deciding issues of national scope, ruling on the constitutionality of laws, and deciding appeals from lower courts. It is made up of seven Justices, appointed by the Dom'Baro for a lifetime term. No court, not even the Master Court, may create laws through its rulings, though invalidating a law can require a replacement to be enacted by the legislature.

Beneath the Master Court are the Republic Judges. Singly or in panels of three they hear cases brought under Republic law, as well as appeals from lower courts. They are appointed by the Dom'Baro for a life term, like Master Court Judges. All cities over 200,000 population have Republic Court Hearing Halls, as well as the Megye Seat towns of such megyes as have no large city.

At the regional level are the Megye Courts. Their judges are appointed by the Megye Kormanyzos (governors) for 15-year terms. These are the venue for suits against megye government entities, cases involving megye law, as well as being appeals courts for lower-court cases. Megye Justice Halls are in Megye Seat towns and cities.

At the bottom level are Town Courts and County Courts. Judges for these are elected directly, for fifteen-year terms. Hearings are held in courthouse buildings in most towns of the Republic.

Even though the Foldmuves military has its own rules and laws, they are just superimposed upon Republic law, and hence there is no separate system of military justice. Instead, military personnel are tried in Republic Court by Republic Judges specializing in the military. The only appeal from such a trial is to the Master Court. Military units do have Arbitrators General -- officers with legal training charged with settling military disputes before they get into the civil justice system.

Politics

June 5 is election day, for national, regional, and local offices. June 4 is the day national, megye, and local taxes come due yearly. Holding elections the day after tax day has a marvelous restraining effect on spending by government bodies -- and has a corresponding term-limitation effect on spendthrifts. In general, offices involving appropriation of public funds are elective, not appointed, thus making Foldmuvesan government very respectful of the public's desires.

There are five main parties in Foldmuves' national political scene, and several more small ones. The large ones are:

Alkat (Organization) - primarily workers needing or already having unions, as well as their sympathizers. Sometimes a bit radical, and sometimes too much in favor of government-as-the-solution to be a good partner party.

Elomenetel (Progress) - modernist group in favor of expanding industry, mechanization, and technology. More interested in laissez-faire economy than government control, hence they attract some folk just for the small-government stance.

Becsület (Faith) - traditional/ conservative group, centered in devotion to God and trying to live by (and align the nation with) His laws. Often in coalition with Central Democracy or Organization.

Hiányos (Minimalist) - less government is better government. Matured from anarchist beginnings sixty years ago to a pragmatic libertarianism. Sometimes a swing vote in closely divided times. Allied sometimes with Progress, though in recent years personality friction among the two groups' leadership has torpedoed three different coalition proposals at the national level.

Központi Köztársaság Demokrácia - KKD (Cenral Republic Democracy) - varies from blandly moderate to moderately bland. Party of the status quo, even to the point of sentimentalism for alleged good old days. Partners with almost anyone when requested. Used to routinely form majority governments, but strength has been waning in recent decades.

Notable small parties:

Irodalmár (Literati) - party of orators, who talk better than they act (even more so than other politicians). They do make great speeches, and as a part of a coalition they have a catalyzing effect on the public, improving the believability of the larger parties' ideas by virtue of eloquence. Heavily peopled by academics. Stands vary from election to election, but often include so-called liberal causes - the environment, pacifism, social welfare.

Bomlás (Anarchals) - believe in almost no governemnt. Gain a few seats in parliament after every major government scandal or bungle. Stopped blowing up their opponents a good seventy years ago.

Alábukik (Doves) - peace, at any cost. Usually can win a few seats in good times by personal attraction of charismatic candidates, but seldom hold those seats long. Well funded by a few private pacifist foundations, notably the Fienstichiv Fund

The current government is an Organization / KKD coalition, odd enough bedmates that it isn't expected to hold past the next election, regardless of the party totals. Still, they work well enough together on nondivisive issues that they're not nearly an "obstructionist coalition". They total a solid 68 percent of the seats. Progress/ Minimalist/ Literati make up the main opposition, with some 21 percent.

There's an amazingly small amount of regionalism in Foldmuvesan politics. The Nyugatis usually have a little better showing among the Minimalist and Progress parties, and the KKD is perhaps a bit stronger in the south and in the eastern large cities.

Foldmuves is a nation in the game of Aurora . 

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