Well, I thought of a nice little administrative monarchy, aimed at being the ruling methods in my TL where France and Britain are one big empire.
Explanation:
1. King: Liege | Duke: Vassal | The title "Duke" is hereditary
2. Duke: Liege | Count: Vassal | The title "Count" is hereditary
3. Count: Approves of Governor | Governor: Reports to the Count | The title "Governor" is not hereditary
4. Governor: Elected by City Council | City Council: Elects Governor | Governor is elected every 5 years
5. City Council: Elected by electorate | Electorate: All tax paying men over 21 - One man one vote (even though the one's with the money tend to persuade the other one's.. but beware, if the poorer one's band together!)| Only cities over 5,000 population are granted a the right to establish a city council
6. Count: Liege | Viscount: Vassal | The title "Viscount" is given for a lifetime, but not hereditary
7. Viscount: Liege | Baron: Vassal | The title "Baron" is given for a lifetime, but not hereditary
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8. King: Appoints Royal Counciliers (King presides the Council)| Royal Council: Reports to the King | Royal Council the sole authority to chose a heir if the monarch should die without one
9. Royal Council: Maintains Royal Administration (e.g. appointment of ministers) | Royal Administration: Reports to the Royal Council | Royal Administration oversees the bureacracy of the Empire, issues orders, laws, forwards ideas of the ministries, etc
10. Royal Administration: Composed of Royal Ministries | Royal Ministries: Specific ministries for certain tasks (e.g. Royal Ministry of Commerce) | They are ideally working together...
11. Royal Ministry: Composed of Royal Offices | Royal Offices: Regional represantation of certain ministries | The Royal Ministry of Taxation has got offices everywhere..
12. Royal Offices: Employs Royal Officers | Royal Officers: Workforce of the Royal Ministries | Royal Tax Officers collect taxes for the Royal Administration of all ranks below the King
13. Royal Council: Appoints Royal High Judges for lifetime | Royal High Court: Reports to Royal Council | Explicit prohibition of Royal intervention into R.H.Court's decision by law (Dukes would rebel!..)
14. Royal High Court: Can override decisions of Royal Courts | Royal Courts: Forward extremely important cases to the Royal High Court | Royal Courts are similar to Royal Offices - They're in every civilised place of the Kingdom
15. Royal Courts: Override decisions of Royal Sherrifs; employ Royal Sherrifs as executive for the any court's decision | Royal Sherrifs: Act as the executive for any court
16. Relation: Courts - Administration: Administration appoints all judges below the R.H.C. but is in turn controlled by all courts, and especially the high court | Royal Sherrifs control Royal Officers as well and forward complains of the population (especially the ones paying taxes..) towards the courts (for example unfair methods or bribery)
17. Relations: Vassals - Courts: Vassals are able to forward complaints about just anything which breaks the law to the courts | Courts control adherence to law by all people (even Dukes) | Royal Sherriffs are also subject to law (proto-police) but usually forward complaints to the specific courts and execute their decision
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Everybody in any governemtnal position, may it be a Duke or an officer has to swear to protect the King (+ your respective liege), the country and the law.
So, whaddya think? Is it fine for the year 1678?
Explanation:
1. King: Liege | Duke: Vassal | The title "Duke" is hereditary
2. Duke: Liege | Count: Vassal | The title "Count" is hereditary
3. Count: Approves of Governor | Governor: Reports to the Count | The title "Governor" is not hereditary
4. Governor: Elected by City Council | City Council: Elects Governor | Governor is elected every 5 years
5. City Council: Elected by electorate | Electorate: All tax paying men over 21 - One man one vote (even though the one's with the money tend to persuade the other one's.. but beware, if the poorer one's band together!)| Only cities over 5,000 population are granted a the right to establish a city council
6. Count: Liege | Viscount: Vassal | The title "Viscount" is given for a lifetime, but not hereditary
7. Viscount: Liege | Baron: Vassal | The title "Baron" is given for a lifetime, but not hereditary
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8. King: Appoints Royal Counciliers (King presides the Council)| Royal Council: Reports to the King | Royal Council the sole authority to chose a heir if the monarch should die without one
9. Royal Council: Maintains Royal Administration (e.g. appointment of ministers) | Royal Administration: Reports to the Royal Council | Royal Administration oversees the bureacracy of the Empire, issues orders, laws, forwards ideas of the ministries, etc
10. Royal Administration: Composed of Royal Ministries | Royal Ministries: Specific ministries for certain tasks (e.g. Royal Ministry of Commerce) | They are ideally working together...
11. Royal Ministry: Composed of Royal Offices | Royal Offices: Regional represantation of certain ministries | The Royal Ministry of Taxation has got offices everywhere..
12. Royal Offices: Employs Royal Officers | Royal Officers: Workforce of the Royal Ministries | Royal Tax Officers collect taxes for the Royal Administration of all ranks below the King
13. Royal Council: Appoints Royal High Judges for lifetime | Royal High Court: Reports to Royal Council | Explicit prohibition of Royal intervention into R.H.Court's decision by law (Dukes would rebel!..)
14. Royal High Court: Can override decisions of Royal Courts | Royal Courts: Forward extremely important cases to the Royal High Court | Royal Courts are similar to Royal Offices - They're in every civilised place of the Kingdom
15. Royal Courts: Override decisions of Royal Sherrifs; employ Royal Sherrifs as executive for the any court's decision | Royal Sherrifs: Act as the executive for any court
16. Relation: Courts - Administration: Administration appoints all judges below the R.H.C. but is in turn controlled by all courts, and especially the high court | Royal Sherrifs control Royal Officers as well and forward complains of the population (especially the ones paying taxes..) towards the courts (for example unfair methods or bribery)
17. Relations: Vassals - Courts: Vassals are able to forward complaints about just anything which breaks the law to the courts | Courts control adherence to law by all people (even Dukes) | Royal Sherriffs are also subject to law (proto-police) but usually forward complaints to the specific courts and execute their decision
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Everybody in any governemtnal position, may it be a Duke or an officer has to swear to protect the King (+ your respective liege), the country and the law.
So, whaddya think? Is it fine for the year 1678?