Government of Arcerion
The Confederate Parliament is the main legislative body of the Cronan nation of Arcerion, and is also often used to refer to the Arcer government en masse. However, the Arcer government is comprised of a variety of specialized bureaus, departments, agencies, and offices that function as the federal-level of governance for the former Ardmori colony.
| Confederate Parliament of Arcerion | |
|---|---|
| Arcer Parliament Arco Parliament Confederate Parliament | |
 | |
| Overview | |
| Established | 1790 |
| State | Arcerion |
| Leader | Prime Minister (Iain Donnegal) |
| Main organ | Confederate Parliament Arcerion Senate |
| Ministries | Various |
| Responsible to | Ardmori Crown Regent (defunct) |
| Annual budget | Several Billion |
| Headquarters | 1 Red Lion Street, Kurst |
| Website | Template:Parliament.gov.arc |
Ministers and Departments
Senate Affairs
1st Deputy Minister - Rt Hon Elliot Gill, AS
Ministerial Coordination Element (MCE) - Rt Hon Zach White, AS
Treasury Office - Rt Hon Paul Duncan
Ministry of Internal Affairs - Rt Hon Charlie Murray
Office of the Inspector General - Rt Hon Edith Rogers
Domestic Affairs
2nd Deputy Minister - Rt Hon Alexandra Burton, MP
Attorney General's Office - Rt Hon Elizabeth Taylor
Ministry of Finance - Rt Hon Rupert Johnston, MP
Ministry of Industry and Mining - Rt Hon Peter Gardner, MP, AC
Ministry of Education - Rt Hon Nathaniel Hamilton, MP
Ministry of the Environment - Rt Hon Rose Gallagher, MP
Ministry of the Interior (also: Home Office) - (acting) Mr Oliver Hopkins
Ministry of Agriculture - Rt Hon Thomas Hawkins, MP
Ministry of Justice - Rt Hon Isaac Eddis, MP, AC
External Affairs
3rd Deputy Minister - Rt Hon Clark Hart, AS, MP, AMM
Department for International Trade - Mr Timothy Barker
Foreign Office - Rt Hon Timothy Day, MP
Ministry of Defence - Rt Hon Henry Black, MP, AMM
Senate and Parliamentary Relationship
The Senate and Parliament in Arcerion serve as the Upper and Lower Houses of government respectively, with each reporting to a Deputy Minister who manages the government's portfolio for that particular legislative body. The discerning factor or difference between them is in how they are elected and appointed. The Confederate Parliament is elected using a XXYY style election, wherein candidates in multiple ridings are elected to the Lower House, and from there the Confederate Parliament comes to a voting consensus on who will be the Prime Minister. In this case, the Prime Minister is elected indirectly, as he is chosen from within the elected body. Additionally, there is a considerable amount of Blocs and crossing paths for interests, as the formation of formal parties is generally considered fairly taboo and does not reflect the cultural fabric of community that is seen so often in Arcerion.
The Senate, as the Upper House, is chosen from among senior members of Arcerion's academic, military, political, and business populations. Agnostic to political beliefs, they are usually chosen for a long history of excellence in their chosen profession, and while historically appointed by the Ardmori Crown-Governor, in modern times this is done with selection by the Prime Minister and approvals made by the Chief Justice of the Arcerion Supreme Court.
The two bodies serve distinctly different functions in the sense that only the Lower House can draft and propose resolutions and legislations they wish to see become law, whereas the Senate can only vote on organically-sponsored intents or directives. The raesoning being that the senior house is a trusted entity of the Arcerion intelligentsia which while itself reflects excellence in its field, does not necessarily represent the will of the people. It is rare for the Senate not to approve of legislation passed through the Confederate Parliament, as the Senate is often seen as redundant and this cold highlight that it is nothing more than an additional legislative due process.
Locations
The government has several main buildings, residences, and historical sites that all directly play a major part of Arcerion's day-to-day governance as well as its cultural heritage. Most importantly, the Confederate Parliament Buildings are located at 1 Red Lion Street, in the nation's capital of Kurst. The Prime Minister's Residence however doubles as the State Offices, where Heads of State or Foreign Dignitaries meet, and is located quite close to Parliament to facilitate what historically was a short walk or carriage ride from the residence to Parliament. The original Parliamentary sitting and residences were a now-destroyed building that served as the Crown-Governor's residence, and had a separate wing added in 1795 to accommodate a 12-person Parliament for the new colony. However in 1799 due to the burgeoning first decade of economic growth the Carnish Crown authorized the construction of a dedicated Parliament, and the current buildings were finished in 1811, with a few additions since the 19th Century to accommodate the considerable growth of Arcerion.
Common Arcer Terminology
Governorates and Special Municipalities
The Arcer sub-federal political levels are separated into Governorates, which are roughly equivalent to states/provinces in other nations, and special municipalities which are usually large cities (ie. Kurst Capital Region). Each of these has their own special representatives who report to the Parliament on expenditures, economics, infrastructure, and security affairs. These special representatives are appointed by the respective legislative assembly of their governorate or municipality, and therefore generally are considered to be subordinate to the federal government's legislative bodies. However, for elections, these organizations and bodies serve as their own distinct entities independent of the federal government, and on different schedules and timelines for such events.
Arcerion is split into the following Governorates:
- Moorden Governorate, Southeastern Arcerion;
- Norham Governorate, Western Arcerion;
- Foxhey Governorate, Malentine Sea;
- Northlea Governorate, Northwestern Arcerion;
- Howland Governorate, Arctic Circle.
Governorates have their own provincial-level parliaments, and are headed by a Lieutenant-Governor.
Elections
Elections in Arcerion are held every four years at the federal level, where the country uses a first-past-the-post voting and ballot system. The party with a majority of seats forms the new government. Historically the Ardmori Crown would invite the party with the majority to form a government, however after the Ardmori Civil War the Arcerion Elections Service became the executive function for assigning an electoral victory.