Here's an idea: What if some country made an overly complicated political system that ended up being so complicated and confusing, that it functioned as free and fair because nobody would be able to figure out how to abuse it for their own gain.
Some guidelines:
-The system shouldn't be confusing on purpose, like OTL North Korea which gives people titles that have nothing to do with their duties so that foreign powers won't know who to target for assassination. It should just end up overly complex after many years of exceptions and loopholes.
-What the HRE was to administrative division, this is to branches and departments of government.
-Every branch of government operates on its own rules.
-The phrases "Separation of Powers" and "Fusion of Powers" should be meaningless. Some things should overlap and some things should separate, with no real rhyme or reason behind them.
Here are some ideas:
-Lots of branches of government, each of which has a role to play in creating, enforcing, and interpreting the law.
-Overlapping authorities, meaning there are at least two ways to do just about anything.
-This includes multiple ways of resolving contradictions when the two methods end up with different results.
-There are two executives, the monarch and the elected representative. There are many houses of legislature, and which houses are involved depend on the type of law being passed and who it affects.
-There is an independent judiciary, but it also shares law enforcement power alongside the two executives and an independent auditing branch.
-Have elements of the UK Parliament and legal structure, which has centuries of tradition and documents to draw from that all represent very different views of government where the Judiciary's duty is to make sense of it all; combine it with the clusterfuck of special privileges made from cloak-and-dagger politicking that was the HRE government; add to it the United States's system that gives subnational entities the authority to govern themselves and limited authority to override the central government.
I made a writeup with histories of the various houses of legislature. This is only for national government; the individual subnational governments will be similar but each will have its own bizarre differences and special powers. Some subnational entities are fully sovereign with respect to law, except when they aren't, while other entities are completely subordinate to the national government or nearly so, depending on the nature of the deals that the King and/or Parliament have made with them over the course of centuries.
The tentative PoD is that Anglo-Saxon England unifies very early and successfully invades the HRE when the latter goes through a rough patch. The next few centuries are filled with efforts to make the different petty lords happy that build up quickly. Efforts to simplify government are usually so radical by necessity that they are seen as an underhanded way of usurping authority, hence the complexity.
A Law is generally introduced in the Popular House or the House of Nobles, then they vote on which other house to send it to next depending on what the law actually entails. The next house makes changes, and the next, and the next, then it gets approved by the Royal House, the House of God, and the House of Nobles, none of which bother to convene except when politics demand it. If it fails to get approval from one or more of them, it has to get approval from some other houses; each house has a number of points that go toward overriding the veto. Exactly how many points is needed to override depends on which house refused to approve it, and changes depending on the circumstances of the case as decided by the House of Law. Once it has gone through enough houses enough times, people just decide it's good enough and send it to the Office of the King, which is not the King himself but a rubber stamp with his face on it. The law is stamped and made into law. The law is then interpreted by each House according to their respective judicial branches, most of which are vestigial in nature.
Royal House-
The oldest house. Formerly consisted only of the King and his legitimate sons, it now consists of all the King's family, defined as people who are present in the royal line of succession. It was started in the 11th century as a way for the King to stop his children from feuding; it sort of worked but for a while it was pure cloak-and-dagger. In the modern era, the house is generally seen as inconsequential. While most laws technically have to be approved by it, in practice it abstains unless the Royal Family, the succession, or the Royal Residences are directly concerned. The King was originally the head of this House; now it is his designated successor, usually the crown prince or princess; the title therefore is First Prince.
House of Nobles-
The second-oldest house. In the 13th century, a group of nobles took the King hostage and forced him to include them in governance. The result was this house. Originally, only designated noblemen were allowed to participate, but since the 16th century all landholding members of the Nobility sit in the House. This is subdivided into sub-houses based on noble rank, although some noble families are allowed to sit on higher sub-houses. From its founding, the House of Nobles has had the ability to nullify any decree by the King, and the ability to submit petitions to the King which could be made into law if the King consented. Later, in the 18th century, the ability to introduce and pass legislation unilaterally was added. The House of Nobles is considered a major government House, even in the modern era, although it has less authority than it used to. The Speaker of the House of Nobles is an inherited title attached to a certain holding, although that holding has changed a few times since the House's founding.
House of God-
The third-oldest house. Not long after the House of Nobles was established, the Catholic Church persuaded the King to establish a House for bishops residing within the Kingdom. The Church could originally nominate anyone to sit in the House without needing Royal approval. However, this right was revoked during a dispute between the Crown and the Church in the 15th century. After the Protestant Wars, the Protestants were allowed to appoint their own officials to the House of God. In modern times, members of minority religions are also represented. The makeup of the House of God was originally regulated by individual acts of legislation, but now it is apportioned according to census, and many members are elected from members of their respective religious communities. The position of Speaker is chosen by the House itself in a secret conclave that is said to mimic that of the Vatican. The House of God has no ability to introduce laws but most laws do require its approval.
During the three-house era, all three houses needed to consent for the King to pass laws and decrees. When subsequent Houses were founded, the rule was changed so that different types of law required different Houses to vote.
House of the Hammer-
The House of the Hammer is responsible for introducing regulations on trades, businesses, and industries.It has existed in some form since the 13th century, but it was not made a full government institution until the 17th century. The House was initially led by blacksmiths and carpenters, hence the name. It represents craftsmen, tradesmen, professionals, and originally merchants as well. The wealthy merchants sought to control the House, but the other members overwhelmed them, leading to the establishment of the House of Gold not long after. In the 19th century, unions were added to the House, leading to its current form. Citizens who are certified in certain professions or who are dues-paying union members are allowed to vote for Men of the Hammer. The House votes for its speaker, but usually it's the eldest member of a major union who gets the role.
House of Gold-
The fifth house. After the House of the Hammer was established, the merchants sought to control it, but they were frustrated in their attempts. Eventually, they reached a deal where they had their own House, but with fewer powers than the other Houses. Seats are decided by auction every term; in essence, a member of this house must pay each term to keep his or her seat. Originally, the proceeds from the auction went to the richest members, but this was changed so that the money is instead sent directly into the government budget. In the 19th century, the growth in wealth following industrialization led to more power for the House of Gold as well; at its apex, it was responsible for collecting taxes and other revenues while its own members were exempt from most of them. Its powers were severely curtailed before long, and many of its more egregious members were barred from holding seats. Even so, today the House of Gold still has significant power as it represents the moneyed interests and corporations. The position of Speaker is decided in a special, separate auction.
House of Commoners-
The most powerful house, probably. In the late 18th century, popular movements among peasants, petty landowners, and the 80% of society which were not represented in Houses led to the creation of the House of Commoners. Originally, every county elected a single representative, but as urbanization grew and some counties became more populous than others, it was changed to the current practice of establishing electoral districts with nearly equal population. The leader of this house is termed the Popular Minister; he is considered Head of Government and is elected not by house members but directly in a national election. The PM has power over the other houses, except when he doesn't, which is often.
Special houses- these have relatively weak legislative authority, but are still important in running the government. They might be considered separate branches of government, except they have overlapping authorities in many areas
House of Law-
With the establishment of the House of Commoners, there was a call for law enforcement to come under control of the People after abuses by the Crown. However, the other houses felt that the leaders of the House of Commoners were plotting to usurp control of the government, and sought to keep it in the hands of the King himself. As a compromise, the House of Law was established to make it independent from both. The house represents law enforcement officers, judges, lawyers, and everyone else involved in the legal process. The House of Law is responsible for prosecuting crime, conducting investigations, and administering punishment. It has proven invaluable as a neutral party in reducing corruption, working closely with the Administrative House, but as always it's never clear exactly who is supposed to do what.
Administrative House-
Not an official house in that it has no sitting members and no ability to legislate, but it has powers over other houses that make it important all the same. The Administrative House is responsible for maintaining the bureaucracy that keeps all the other houses functioning by examining and auditing government workers in each House. It also operates the Postal Service. Later, it also became responsible for audits of higher officials, as well as revenue collection and appropriations although it has virtually no discretion when it comes to the latter. The head of the Administrative House is called the Administrative Secretary, and is promoted to the position internally for an indefinite term until he or she retires.
Minor government houses- these houses have legislative authority but are severely limited in scope. Most of these were founded in the 20th century.
House of the Quill-
With the adoption of enlightenment ideals in the 18th century, a house for learned individuals was established. As many enlightenment philosophers and thinkers belonged to secret societies, the House of the Quill became the unofficial house of secret societies and fraternities. As popular resentment towards these groups grew in the 19th century, it was changed so that only universities and their professors would be included. The House was never powerful, but it pioneered the push toward compulsory education; it still has broad powers where education is concerned. The House of the Quill also provides expert opinions for the other Houses, making it somewhat influential. The leader of the house is termed the Quill President, and is traditionally decided after a week of various debates that concern not only policy but also knowledge in a number of fields.
House of the Shield-
Possibly the least powerful house. With jingoism, compulsory military service, and the general expansion of the military in the 19th century, and with total war a constant fear, the military was made an official organ of government and given broad powers to both legislate and appropriate in times of war and sometimes in times of peace as well. When the World Wars ended, it was renamed the House of the Shield and its powers were curtailed to cover only defense and Veterans' Affairs. Generals and Admirals have seats here, making this the smallest house in terms of membership. The leader of the house is the highest-ranking officer; if more than one have the same rank, the most senior prevails. The leader is referred to as the Commander.
House of Nationalities-
Established in the late 20th century as a way of addressing past grievances against various ethnicities, the House of Nationalities represents historically oppressed ethnic groups and other minorities, including immigrants. Generally, the elected or selected chief of each recognized ethnic group sends one representative, and the House itself determines which ethnic groups are recognized. Most immigrant communities are also represented here, although there is talk of expelling some of the more affluent immigrant groups from the House. Nobody knows what the House of Nationalities' actual powers are; it's not supposed to be powerful but occasionally they show up unexpectedly and change things around so who knows. The leader of this house is called the Speaker, but the members are generally called chiefs.
Some guidelines:
-The system shouldn't be confusing on purpose, like OTL North Korea which gives people titles that have nothing to do with their duties so that foreign powers won't know who to target for assassination. It should just end up overly complex after many years of exceptions and loopholes.
-What the HRE was to administrative division, this is to branches and departments of government.
-Every branch of government operates on its own rules.
-The phrases "Separation of Powers" and "Fusion of Powers" should be meaningless. Some things should overlap and some things should separate, with no real rhyme or reason behind them.
Here are some ideas:
-Lots of branches of government, each of which has a role to play in creating, enforcing, and interpreting the law.
-Overlapping authorities, meaning there are at least two ways to do just about anything.
-This includes multiple ways of resolving contradictions when the two methods end up with different results.
-There are two executives, the monarch and the elected representative. There are many houses of legislature, and which houses are involved depend on the type of law being passed and who it affects.
-There is an independent judiciary, but it also shares law enforcement power alongside the two executives and an independent auditing branch.
-Have elements of the UK Parliament and legal structure, which has centuries of tradition and documents to draw from that all represent very different views of government where the Judiciary's duty is to make sense of it all; combine it with the clusterfuck of special privileges made from cloak-and-dagger politicking that was the HRE government; add to it the United States's system that gives subnational entities the authority to govern themselves and limited authority to override the central government.
I made a writeup with histories of the various houses of legislature. This is only for national government; the individual subnational governments will be similar but each will have its own bizarre differences and special powers. Some subnational entities are fully sovereign with respect to law, except when they aren't, while other entities are completely subordinate to the national government or nearly so, depending on the nature of the deals that the King and/or Parliament have made with them over the course of centuries.
The tentative PoD is that Anglo-Saxon England unifies very early and successfully invades the HRE when the latter goes through a rough patch. The next few centuries are filled with efforts to make the different petty lords happy that build up quickly. Efforts to simplify government are usually so radical by necessity that they are seen as an underhanded way of usurping authority, hence the complexity.
A Law is generally introduced in the Popular House or the House of Nobles, then they vote on which other house to send it to next depending on what the law actually entails. The next house makes changes, and the next, and the next, then it gets approved by the Royal House, the House of God, and the House of Nobles, none of which bother to convene except when politics demand it. If it fails to get approval from one or more of them, it has to get approval from some other houses; each house has a number of points that go toward overriding the veto. Exactly how many points is needed to override depends on which house refused to approve it, and changes depending on the circumstances of the case as decided by the House of Law. Once it has gone through enough houses enough times, people just decide it's good enough and send it to the Office of the King, which is not the King himself but a rubber stamp with his face on it. The law is stamped and made into law. The law is then interpreted by each House according to their respective judicial branches, most of which are vestigial in nature.
Royal House-
The oldest house. Formerly consisted only of the King and his legitimate sons, it now consists of all the King's family, defined as people who are present in the royal line of succession. It was started in the 11th century as a way for the King to stop his children from feuding; it sort of worked but for a while it was pure cloak-and-dagger. In the modern era, the house is generally seen as inconsequential. While most laws technically have to be approved by it, in practice it abstains unless the Royal Family, the succession, or the Royal Residences are directly concerned. The King was originally the head of this House; now it is his designated successor, usually the crown prince or princess; the title therefore is First Prince.
House of Nobles-
The second-oldest house. In the 13th century, a group of nobles took the King hostage and forced him to include them in governance. The result was this house. Originally, only designated noblemen were allowed to participate, but since the 16th century all landholding members of the Nobility sit in the House. This is subdivided into sub-houses based on noble rank, although some noble families are allowed to sit on higher sub-houses. From its founding, the House of Nobles has had the ability to nullify any decree by the King, and the ability to submit petitions to the King which could be made into law if the King consented. Later, in the 18th century, the ability to introduce and pass legislation unilaterally was added. The House of Nobles is considered a major government House, even in the modern era, although it has less authority than it used to. The Speaker of the House of Nobles is an inherited title attached to a certain holding, although that holding has changed a few times since the House's founding.
House of God-
The third-oldest house. Not long after the House of Nobles was established, the Catholic Church persuaded the King to establish a House for bishops residing within the Kingdom. The Church could originally nominate anyone to sit in the House without needing Royal approval. However, this right was revoked during a dispute between the Crown and the Church in the 15th century. After the Protestant Wars, the Protestants were allowed to appoint their own officials to the House of God. In modern times, members of minority religions are also represented. The makeup of the House of God was originally regulated by individual acts of legislation, but now it is apportioned according to census, and many members are elected from members of their respective religious communities. The position of Speaker is chosen by the House itself in a secret conclave that is said to mimic that of the Vatican. The House of God has no ability to introduce laws but most laws do require its approval.
During the three-house era, all three houses needed to consent for the King to pass laws and decrees. When subsequent Houses were founded, the rule was changed so that different types of law required different Houses to vote.
House of the Hammer-
The House of the Hammer is responsible for introducing regulations on trades, businesses, and industries.It has existed in some form since the 13th century, but it was not made a full government institution until the 17th century. The House was initially led by blacksmiths and carpenters, hence the name. It represents craftsmen, tradesmen, professionals, and originally merchants as well. The wealthy merchants sought to control the House, but the other members overwhelmed them, leading to the establishment of the House of Gold not long after. In the 19th century, unions were added to the House, leading to its current form. Citizens who are certified in certain professions or who are dues-paying union members are allowed to vote for Men of the Hammer. The House votes for its speaker, but usually it's the eldest member of a major union who gets the role.
House of Gold-
The fifth house. After the House of the Hammer was established, the merchants sought to control it, but they were frustrated in their attempts. Eventually, they reached a deal where they had their own House, but with fewer powers than the other Houses. Seats are decided by auction every term; in essence, a member of this house must pay each term to keep his or her seat. Originally, the proceeds from the auction went to the richest members, but this was changed so that the money is instead sent directly into the government budget. In the 19th century, the growth in wealth following industrialization led to more power for the House of Gold as well; at its apex, it was responsible for collecting taxes and other revenues while its own members were exempt from most of them. Its powers were severely curtailed before long, and many of its more egregious members were barred from holding seats. Even so, today the House of Gold still has significant power as it represents the moneyed interests and corporations. The position of Speaker is decided in a special, separate auction.
House of Commoners-
The most powerful house, probably. In the late 18th century, popular movements among peasants, petty landowners, and the 80% of society which were not represented in Houses led to the creation of the House of Commoners. Originally, every county elected a single representative, but as urbanization grew and some counties became more populous than others, it was changed to the current practice of establishing electoral districts with nearly equal population. The leader of this house is termed the Popular Minister; he is considered Head of Government and is elected not by house members but directly in a national election. The PM has power over the other houses, except when he doesn't, which is often.
Special houses- these have relatively weak legislative authority, but are still important in running the government. They might be considered separate branches of government, except they have overlapping authorities in many areas
House of Law-
With the establishment of the House of Commoners, there was a call for law enforcement to come under control of the People after abuses by the Crown. However, the other houses felt that the leaders of the House of Commoners were plotting to usurp control of the government, and sought to keep it in the hands of the King himself. As a compromise, the House of Law was established to make it independent from both. The house represents law enforcement officers, judges, lawyers, and everyone else involved in the legal process. The House of Law is responsible for prosecuting crime, conducting investigations, and administering punishment. It has proven invaluable as a neutral party in reducing corruption, working closely with the Administrative House, but as always it's never clear exactly who is supposed to do what.
Administrative House-
Not an official house in that it has no sitting members and no ability to legislate, but it has powers over other houses that make it important all the same. The Administrative House is responsible for maintaining the bureaucracy that keeps all the other houses functioning by examining and auditing government workers in each House. It also operates the Postal Service. Later, it also became responsible for audits of higher officials, as well as revenue collection and appropriations although it has virtually no discretion when it comes to the latter. The head of the Administrative House is called the Administrative Secretary, and is promoted to the position internally for an indefinite term until he or she retires.
Minor government houses- these houses have legislative authority but are severely limited in scope. Most of these were founded in the 20th century.
House of the Quill-
With the adoption of enlightenment ideals in the 18th century, a house for learned individuals was established. As many enlightenment philosophers and thinkers belonged to secret societies, the House of the Quill became the unofficial house of secret societies and fraternities. As popular resentment towards these groups grew in the 19th century, it was changed so that only universities and their professors would be included. The House was never powerful, but it pioneered the push toward compulsory education; it still has broad powers where education is concerned. The House of the Quill also provides expert opinions for the other Houses, making it somewhat influential. The leader of the house is termed the Quill President, and is traditionally decided after a week of various debates that concern not only policy but also knowledge in a number of fields.
House of the Shield-
Possibly the least powerful house. With jingoism, compulsory military service, and the general expansion of the military in the 19th century, and with total war a constant fear, the military was made an official organ of government and given broad powers to both legislate and appropriate in times of war and sometimes in times of peace as well. When the World Wars ended, it was renamed the House of the Shield and its powers were curtailed to cover only defense and Veterans' Affairs. Generals and Admirals have seats here, making this the smallest house in terms of membership. The leader of the house is the highest-ranking officer; if more than one have the same rank, the most senior prevails. The leader is referred to as the Commander.
House of Nationalities-
Established in the late 20th century as a way of addressing past grievances against various ethnicities, the House of Nationalities represents historically oppressed ethnic groups and other minorities, including immigrants. Generally, the elected or selected chief of each recognized ethnic group sends one representative, and the House itself determines which ethnic groups are recognized. Most immigrant communities are also represented here, although there is talk of expelling some of the more affluent immigrant groups from the House. Nobody knows what the House of Nationalities' actual powers are; it's not supposed to be powerful but occasionally they show up unexpectedly and change things around so who knows. The leader of this house is called the Speaker, but the members are generally called chiefs.
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