Government of the Republic of Colorado
Political System of the Republic of Colorado Sistema político de la República de Colorado | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Polity type | Unitary one-party assembly-independent republic |
| Constitution | Constitution of Colorado |
| Formation | October 29, 2023 |
| Legislative branch | |
| Name | General Assembly |
| Type | Unicameral |
| Meeting place | Legislative Hall |
| Presiding officer | Johann von Colorado, President of the General Assembly |
| Executive branch | |
| Head of State and Government | |
| Title | President of the Republic |
| Currently | Friedrich von Colorado |
| Appointer | General Assembly |
| Cabinet | |
| Name | State Council |
| Appointer | President of the Republic |
| Headquarters | Executive House |
| Ministries | 4 |
| Judicial branch | |
| Name | Judiciary of Colorado |
| Courts | Supreme Court |
| Chief judge | Alfred von Colorado |
| Seat | Judicial Hall |
The Republic of Colorado is a unitary one-party parliamentary democratic republic. The president of Colorado serves both as head of state and as head of government. The president is elected by the General Assembly and must retain the confidence of the Assembly to remain in office.
Executive power is exercised within the framework of a one-party system by the president and the government, which consists of the State Council led by the president. Its members are typically chosen from the General Assembly, though exceptions are not uncommon.
Legislative power is vested in the General Assembly. Members of the General Assembly are elected from a closed list presented by the Colorado Party, which is approved through a referendum by the electorate. The Colorado Party is the sole legal political party in the Republic of Colorado. Parliamentary elections occur at least every six months.
As head of state and government, the president is the supreme commander of the Armed Forces, has the power to sit as a voting member of the General Assembly, veto legislation passed by the General Assembly, and dissolve the General Assembly under certain conditions. The president is elected by the General Assembly annually.
The political system is defined by the Coloradan Constitution, which also guarantees a wide range of individual freedoms. The courts of Colorado plays a minor role in politics, except for the Constitutional Court, which can annul laws that violate constitutional freedoms.
Relationship with the Colorado Party
The Colorado Party (PC) dominates the Coloradan political landscape. Constitutionally, the party's highest body is the Party Congress, which meets every year. The National Congress elects the Central Committee; the Central Committee in turn elects bodies such as: The General Secretary, which is the highest-ranking official within the Party and usually the Coloradan Paramount leader. The Politburo, consisting of 7 full members (including the members of the Politburo Standing Committee); The Politburo Standing Committee, the most powerful decision-making body in Colorado, which as of November 2024 consists of three members; The Secretariat, the principal administrative mechanism of the PC, headed by the General Secretary; The National Military Commission Additionally, the Colorado Party serves as the leading member of the National Republican Front, the alliance of parties and mass organisations in the Republic of Colorado.
Constitution
The Coloradan constitution became effective on 17 February 2024, before which an interim constitution-like document was in force.
From June to September 2024, massive reforms to the constitution took place. The result was an almost entirely rewritten constitution. Among these reforms included strengthening the position of the Colorado Party despite the introduction of the National Republican Front, which opened up avenues for new political parties to be established; an electoral court was established; Coloradanism was officially adopted as the national ideology; and the power of the presidency was strengthened.
Executive branch
President
Executive powers and duties
The executive branch is established in Title IV of the Coloradan constitution, which vests executive power in the President of the Republic. The president is both the head of state and the head of government. The Constitution directs the president to "oversee domestic and foreign policy" and requires the president to swear or affirm "preserve, protect and defend the National Republican Constitution of the Republic of Colorado." Many presidential actions are undertaken via executive orders, presidential proclamations, and presidential memoranda.
The president is the chairman of the National Military Commission. Under Article 83, the president holds essentially exclusive authority over foreign affairs and therefore serves as Colorado's chief diplomat. Part IV of the Constitution establishes the Presidential Commissions on State Relations and International Organisations, though both commissions only fulfil advisory roles. Additionally, Article 85 grants the president sole authority to "negotiate and sign treaties on behalf of the Republic of Colorado, subject to approval by the General Assembly; and appoint and remove ambassadors and other diplomatic representatives."
Article 85 provides that the president "holds exclusive authority to: appoint associate and chief justices to the Constitutional, Electoral, and Supreme Courts; fill vacancies in the General Assembly, even during ongoing legislative sessions." The Constitution grants the president the "power to pardon or commute sentences of individuals convicted by the Supreme Court, granting full or conditional pardons as deemed appropriate."
Legislative powers
The president serves as an ex officio member of the General Assembly, allowing them to attend sessions of the General Assembly, vote on legislation and resolutions, and set the General Assembly’s agenda.
Additionally, the president is permitted to veto legislation passed by the General Assembly. The presidential veto can only be overridden by a three-fourths vote of the total membership of the General Assembly.[a]
Election, succession, and term limits
The president is elected by the General Assembly every year. Presidential elections are held no more than 10 days and no fewer than 5 days before the expiration of the incumbent president’s term.[b]
The president-elect assumes office within one to two weeks following their election. Before assuming the presidency, the president-elect recites the following oath: “I [Name], do swear by Almighty God that I will well and truly execute the office of President of the Republic of Colorado, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Republican Constitution of the Republic of Colorado. So help me God.”
The General Assembly elects the president every year.
State Council
The State Council of the Republic of Colorado is the chief administrative authority and the national cabinet of Colorado. It consists of the president and cabinet ministers. The fundamentals of the cabinet's organisation, as well as the method of its election and appointment, along with the procedure for its dismissal, are set down in Chapter XVII of the constitution.
| Portfolio | Logo | Incumbent | Assumed office | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| President of the Republic | 
|
|
Friedrich von Colorado | 19 March 2024 | Colorado | |
| Ministry of the State | 
|
|
Carl Herdrich | 14 November 2024 | Colorado | |
| Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Culture |
|
|
Sabina von Colorado | 14 November 2024 | Colorado | |
| Ministry of Defence | 
|
|
Niclas Kirschenbaum | 19 March 2024 | Colorado | |
| Ministry of the Economy | 
|
|
Franzi von Colorado | 29 July 2024 | Colorado | |
Defunct ministries
Since the inauguration of the State Council on 19 March 2024, 7 ministries have been abolished and merged into new ministries. The largest and most recent purging of ministries occurred on 14 November 2024 when the Education and Culture, and Foreign Affairs were merged into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Culture, and the Information, Justice, and Public Services were all merged into the Ministry of the State.
| Ministry | Sole minister | Tenure | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Commerce and Labour | Katharina von Colorado | 19 March - 29 July 2024 |
|
Education and Culture | Vivienne Kirschenbaum | 19 March - 14 November 2024 |
|
Finance and Economic Development | Franzi von Colorado | 19 March - 29 July 2024 |
|
Foreign Affairs | Sabina von Colorado | 19 March - 14 November 2024 |
|
Information | Franziska von Huffertz | 19 March - 14 November 2024 |
|
Justice | Johann von Colorado | 19 March - 14 November 2024 |
|
Public Services | Carl Herdrich | 19 March - 14 November 2024 |
Legislative branch
Constitutionally, the supreme state authority and legislature of Colorado is the General Assembly.
The General Assembly is elected every 6 months. The amount of members that can be elected to the General Assembly is not fixed, and can be anywhere from 5 to 9 members.
The president of the General Assembly is the presiding officer and chief administrative officer of the General Assembly. The incumbent president of the General Assembly is Johann von Colorado, who was elected to the office on 2 March 2024.
Judicial branch
The Supreme Court of the Republic of Colorado is the sole civil and criminal court in the Republic of Colorado. The Supreme Court consists of three members: its chief justice and two associate justices.
The incumbent chief justice of the Supreme Court is Alfred von Colorado, who was appointed to the office by Friedrich von Colorado on 24 August 2024.
Constitutional branch
The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Colorado is the sole appellate and constitutional court in the Republic of Colorado. The Constitutional Court consists of three members: its chief justice and two associate justices.
The incumbent chief justice of the Constitutional Court is Dominic Germann, who was appointed to the office by Friedrich von Colorado on 24 August 2024.
Electoral branch
The Electoral Court of the Republic of Colorado is the sole electoral court in the Republic of Colorado. The Electoral Court consists of three members: its chief justice and two associate justices.
The chief justice of the Electoral Court has been vacant since its inception. Alfred von Colorado and Dominic Germann serve as temporary co-chief justices for the Electoral Court.
Political parties and elections
The Republic of Colorado is a one-party state ruled by the Colorado Party. Despite this, minor political parties subservient to the PC exist. Political parties are organised under the National Republican Front, an alliance of parties and mass organisations.
Elections and referendums in the Republic of Colorado are managed by the Electoral Court and the Commission on Referenda in the Republic, respectively.
See also
Notes
- ↑ According to Article 89 of the Constitution of Colorado, “ex officio members of the General Assembly do not count towards the total member count of the General Assembly.”
- ↑ The incumbent president serves in an acting capacity until the president-elect assumes office.
| General | | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Government |
| ||||||||
| Politics |
| ||||||||
| Society | |||||||||
