Imperial Kingdom of Livonia
Imperial Kingdom of Livonia | |
|---|---|
| Official languages | English |
| Demonym(s) | Imperial Livonian |
| Government | Feudal Monarchy |
• King | John I |
• Lord High Councillor | Marc Anthony |
| Legislature | Parliament |
| Population | |
• Census | >100 |
| Currency | Livonian Florin |
| Time zone | (UTC-6) |
Website Forum | |
The Imperial Kingdom of Livonia, also known as Imperial Livonia is the capital state of the Empire of Livonia. It is governed as a feudal monarchy. The current King of Imperial Livonia is John I
Government
The government of Imperial Livonia is complex and difficult to understand at times. Power is split between feudal lords who receive their power directly from the King. There is also a High Council in place to advise the King but it rarely has anything other than symbolic power as local feudal lords exercise also total control over their fiefs.
Since there is no set constitution the day to day practice of governance can be grueling with various factions vying for the ear of the King on important issues for the entire kingdom. Meanwhile, at the local level, vassals are free to set all their own policies while carefully maneuvering so as to prevent any unwanted intercessions but the King.
King
The King is the source of all political and legal power in the Imperial Kingdom. He has to power to govern completely by decree if he so desires and his rulings may not be appealed. He has sole power of appointment to all government offices in the kingdom unless he gives permission to a vassal to make their own appointment. The King has the sole power to give noble titles and is equally free to revoke them for any reason. Feudal lords are always weary of upsetting the King as one false step could relegate them to the status of commoners.
The Kings also has the power to call a Parliament. Parliaments are rarely used by the King as he prefers to govern directly. The Kings further retains the right to dissolve a Parliament at any time and for any reason.
High Council
The High Council is the advisory body for the King. It is composed of individuals the King has entrusted with powers to oversee his ministries in the Kingdom. Usually these positions are little more than symbolic as the King regularly involves himself in the daily activities of government. Despite the symbolic nature of the positions, individuals appointed to the Council take their positions seriously as a matter of prestige.
Nobles are usually the only people appointed to the Council because of their experience in government. The King also gives out appointments as personal favors and to keep the nobility in line.
The High Council is lead by the Supreme High Councillor.
Feudal Lords
Feudal lords exercise the most recognizable form of power in the Kingdom. They, like the King, have total power to make laws by decree inside their fiefs. However, a non-noble does have the right to appeal a ruling by their lord to the King.
Lords hold power over a specific geographical area as dictated by the King. A list of all nobles, their titles, coats of arms, and succession laws in their fiefs, is kept by the Kingdom's College of Arms. Lords are free to create lower titles inside their fiefs but must register these titles, and map of the lands held by the title, the form of succession for the title, the title holder, and the title holder's coat of arms with the College of Arms for archival purposes. As with the Lords, the King has the right to appoint the new title holder, or he may give the Lord who controls the fief that right. The King still retains the right to strip any of these lower lords of the titles at any time and for any reason.
Parliament
Parliaments are a method by which the King may deal with complicated political matters in a manner that insulates him from the political process of making a law. The King may call for or dissolve a Parliament at any time. Parliaments are composed of all the nobles in the Kingdom and an equal number of non-nobles.
If there are not enough non-nobles then all non-nobles may become members of Parliament if they so desire. The King has to sole power to appoint non-nobles to the Parliament. However, if any non-noble in the Kingdom disagrees with the King's choice, they may call a People's Court. At the People's Court both the appointee and the dissenting party present their cases and then the entire population of the Kingdom votes on whether to appoint the individual or to revoke the appointment. If they decide to revoke the appointment then the King must appoint a new non-noble and the process repeats until the non-nobles are satisfied with all the non-noble appointments.
Parliaments are the only method by which the Kingdom may appoint Representatives to the House of Representatives of Empire of Livonia. This ensures that a Parliament is called at least every three months.
Parliaments, during the course of their existence, issue "Resolutions" that are suggestions of law or policy to the King. The King is free to either make these resolutions laws or simply ignore them. Resolutions are not considered law until the King gives his assent. Each Parliament is permitted to determine its own rules for procedure in all aspects and may take up any issues it sees fit. The King may dictate that certain issues must be addressed by the Parliament (such as appointment of Representatives). The King may not, however, expressly forbid a Parliament from discussion any issue in particular.
Earldoms
Earldoms are the basic form of subdivision in the Imperial Kingdom. Each is governed by an Earl (or Countess if female). The following is the list of Earldoms and their respective Earls:
- Earldom of Livonia - John I
- Earldom of Bennington - Marc Anthony
- Earldom of Winnetonka - Victor Callahan