2
The Government of Stroulia ~WIP~
The Stroulian parliament building, located in the capital Regario.
~ ~
"An unjust government is one that cannot stand, for it will eventually tear itself apart to reveal the monster within."
- Arthur Silson, 2nd Prime Minister of Stroulia
~ ~
The government of Stroulia is structured as a federal parliamentary republic. Its parliament is governed by two specific bodies: the National Council in the lower house, which is the representational body occupied by the country's representatives, and the National Senate, the judicial branch upholding and overseeing the nation's laws.
As a multi-party system, there are no dominant parties in the parliament, though some have more representatives than others, the most prominent being the "Liberty and Democracy Party", the "Stroulian Democratic Party", and the "Green Party of Stroulia". The Senate is independent of either the executive or legislature. The political structure of the country is laid out in its constitution, the Articles of Law for Stroulia.
Constitution
The Article on the Laws and Rights of Stroulia is the nation's constitution. It was adopted in 1969, about a year after the fall of the military government, establishing the country as a democracy. It may be amended with new rulings and laws through approval by two-thirds of the parliament and the Prime Minister.
Branches of Government
Executive
The Executive branches duties are handled by the President and the Prime Minister. The President acts as the Head of State, and works in a mostly ceremonial role, representing the country and its people, as well as making state visits to other nations. They are not elected, instead being appointed when the current President dies, resigns or are unable to perform their duties. They also assist in guiding political and societal debates, however, they generally refrain from taking one position. The President is also required to sign all documents before they become law, however, they may not veto a bill. In the case where there is significant political instability to the point where the Prime Minister is unable to effectively do their job, the President may institute their "reserve powers" with the assistance of the National Senate to enable rulings against the wishes of the legislature.
The Prime Minister acts as the Head of Government, overseeing the country politically. They are elected every four years, and there are two-term limits. The Prime Minister appoints their cabinet ministers directly and may have them removed from their position if needed with approval of the legislature. The parliament may also have the Prime Minister removed from office if they are unable to perform their duties effectively with an absolute majority.
Legislature
The powers of the legislature are overseen by the National Council, a 490 member chamber and the lower house of the Stroulian parliament. The National Council is directly elected by the Stroulian people and has executive jurisdiction over all states in the country. The Council is tasked with creating and over-viewing current, past and future legislation, including new bills and laws. The members of the Council are elected through a party-list proportional representation system.
The National Senate is the upper house of the parliament, made up of 143 members that are also elected by the national population. The Senate mainly acts a secondary oversight of legislation passed by the National Council; it cannot, however, write its own legislation or veto oncoming legislation, merely delay their passing. They do have power over passing new amendments to the constitution though.
Judicial
The judicial system of Stroulia is how the law interprets and applies national and local law. These range from the small local courts all the way up the federal court that handle constitutional matters. Judges for all courts are appointed by the state (and in the case of the federal court, the parliament), and they serve on the bench of their respective court until the age of 80 when they must retire from the position.
The levels for Stroulian courts, from smallest to largest in importance, are:
Local district court - Handles low-level civil and criminal cases within towns and cities in their jurisdiction.
State court - Oversees state directed cases, usually involving that state's law and its implementation.
Regional court - Handles major civil and criminal charges in its regional jurisdiction.
Federal court - The highest court in the land, mainly overseeing the implementation of constitutional law. In rare cases, also oversees some large-scale criminal cases, usually involving monetary political gain.
Administrative Divisions
Government Departments
~ ~
The department in charge of overseeing food production and the cultivation of animals. It works directly with those involved in these industries as well as assisting groups related to them and for developing law towards helping farmers. They also make sure that all food is safe for consumption and is provided to communities that require assistance getting food.
Department Programs:
Student Low-Cost Lunch Assistance Service
Provides discounted lunches for students in financially difficult situations.
Farm Preservation and Regulatory Agency
Oversees that farms are following state and federal regulation as well as helping to preserve and assist farms under financial difficulty.
Food Safety Inspection Service
Determines the safety of agriculture and animals for human consumption.
Farm Animal Protection Agency
Makes sure that farm animals are healthy and unabused and given proper environments for cultivation, as well as killed humanely.
~ ~
Oversees international trade as well as employment and protection of employees in the country itself, including safety, wage, and hours standards and benefits. In charge of the direct construction of new developments and infrastructure as well as providing protection to labor and worker unions in the nation's industries.
Department Programs:
Work Inspection Agency
In charge of overseeing that workers are given all proper benefits and that the environment they're working in is safe to be in.
Overall National Labor Statistical Service
Determines the number of workers within the country's industries.
Union Protection and Enforcement Agency
Provides legal and financial protection for unions.
Workplace Training Agency
Provides necessary materials to train new employees as well as making sure existing employees are recieving proper training.
~ ~
In charge of Stroulia's military, including all branches and members who work for the department itself. It oversees the prevention of threats to the nation both external and internal and providing the necessary equipment for soldiers.
Department Programs:
Post-Service Job Placement Program
Assists former soldiers who completed their service in locating work.
Disabled Soldier Assistance Agency
Soldiers whose service has caused some form of physical disability are provided with assistance in reentering normal life or finding work in the military that accounts for said disability.
Victim Compensation Fund
Helps to provide regular compensation to the family of those lost in their time of service.
Department of Education
Responsible for educational institutions in Stroulia from all grade levels, including public and private schools.
Oversees any and all new educational developments as well as funding.
Provides protection of teachers and school unions.
Department of Energy and Conservation
National Health Department
Department of National Development
Department of Land and Forrestry
Department of Law Enforcement and Administration
Department of Foreign Affairs
Department of Transportation
National Revenue and Treasury Department
National Telecommunications Agency
~WIP~
