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Old 06-14-2021, 09:49 PM   #715
Johnny1A.2
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Default Re: Exotic Governmental/Legal Systems

This is a variation on a hereditary aristocratic ruling body that I've used in my Orichalcum Universe setting, but it wouldn't have to be specific to it, adjust details to taste:

The Chamber of Princes is made up of 26 Great Families, each with the primary aristocratic title of Prince. This doesn't refer to royal descent, but rather to 'prince' as a title of (semi)-sovereignty in itself, and is also a play on 'merchant prince', since this aristocracy had its roots as much or more in corporate business activity as military prowess.

There are 26 Princely families, and no constitutional provision to increase it or add to it, though a new Great Family could be admitted to replace one rendered extinct by accident or infertility. Each Family is entitled to two seats in the Chamber, however.

The Senior Seat is held by the Prince (or Princess) proper. The Junior Seat is held by the confirmed and recognized heir to the title. This system was set up by the founders of the Empire because they recognized from history that a dissolute or incompetent noble could shatter a hereditary state, if he or she took no thought for the future. Giving the Heir a vote in the legislative body and a seat was expected to help create continuity and some thought for the future.

Thus there are 52 people from 26 Great Families, with an additional four Princes who hold office because of other special-case status, and their heirs (in their case, the Heir might not be genetically hereditary), for a total of 60 seats and 90 votes in the Chamber.

Ninety votes? Each actual Prince has 2 votes each, the various Heirs 1 vote each. The Prince can not split his vote, he has to cast both his votes for or both his votes against, or abstain with both votes, but this does mean that the actual Princes outvote the Heirs by 2 to 1, keeping the balance of the Chamber's power with the senior seats, even if all the junior seats are occupied at a given time, which may or may not be the case.

If a Prince has not yet had his Heir confirmed, the junior seat for that Great Family is vacant, and its vote is counted as 'abstained'. From a dynastic politics standpoint, this means that most Princes want their chosen heir confirmed as quickly as they can reasonably manage this, to gain the voting support...unless, of course, the potential heirs are all troublesome.

Technically, the Prince chooses his heir, from among his offspring or close genetic kin, but the Chamber must vote to confirm before that person is actually, legally the heir to the title and entitled himself to his seat in the Chamber. Confirmation requires a majority vote of the other Princes (the other Heirs do not get a say in this issue), unless the Prince chooses someone besides his 'default' heir, in which case a two-thirds majority of the Princes (17 or more) is necessary to confirm, and again this vote is only taken from the Princes proper.

The 'default' heir is the oldest maritally legitimate genetic offspring of either sex. This is assumed to be the heir, and requires only a simple majority of the current Princes (14 or more) to confirm. The Prince can, however, designate a different offspring, or other genetic relative in the approved lines of succession, and make that one his or her Heir with the consent of 17 or more of the other Princes. If that happens, that relative is the Heir, gets the Junior Seat and its vote, and becomes the new Prince or Princess in due time.

An heir can be formally designated and confirmed while still a minor, but in that situation he or she can not claim the Junior Seat or its vote until reaching majority (age 20 in the Empire). Likewise, if the current Prince dies while the heir is still a minor, then both seats sit empty and all 3 votes are counted as 'abstained' until the Heir is 20 and becomes the new Prince. If no heir has been officially designated, the 'default' heir is put up for a confirmation vote in the case of a deceased Prince.

Princes can adopt but adopted offspring can not inherit the title or anything held in right of that title (purely personal properties can be disposed as the Prince wishes).

The founders wished to avoid the inbreeding issues that plagued the European (and other) hereditary aristocracies in the past, so they laid down constitutional provisions forbidding the Great Families from marrying each other. If a Prince and Princess have a child, that child is excluded from inheritance of anything held to either title. (Again, purely personal properties can be left as the noble desires.) Likewise, maritally illegitimate offspring are excluded from succession.

In light of these provisions, a Prince, Heir, or relative who thinks he or she might someday be in line to be a Prince (such as a younger brother or nephew, say) must submit his choice of bride (or her choice of groom) for confirmation as well. A simple majority of the Princes is sufficient to recognize a marriage for Princely inheritance purposes, but while this is usually a formality, it's absolutely necessary for legal inheritance and there have been instances where a Prince or kin was told, "No, you can not marry him or her, pick somebody else.)

Note that a Prince could defy this, and the resulting marriage would be legal for most purposes...but the offspring of the resulting marriage would be O.U.T. of consideration for title inheritance, a seat in the Chamber, the whole kit and caboodle. The family title would pass the 'default heir' who would have been the heir absent the marriage in the first place, often a nephew or niece or cousin or younger sibling.

The 'officers' (Lord Chairman, Speaker, etc.) of the Chamber of Princes must be chosen from among the actual Princes, though the Heirs can vote on this selection (again with 1 vote to each Heir and 2 votes to each Prince).

Note that there is no requirement whatever that the Heir to a given Family vote as his or her Princely parent (or other) would prefer! Lord Heir Jonathan is free to cast his 1 vote in support of Mom or Dad, or against, it's equally valid. Likewise, there's nothing stopping him from abstaining on something his parent really wanted him to vote on (other than whatever practical repercussions might follow).

A Prince can request the Chamber to 'deselect' his confirmed Heir as well, but this takes a 2/3 vote of the Princes. So there is an incentive to choose carefully because it's harder to unchoose an Heir than to choose one. If a Prince really thinks his younger son would be a better Heir, he is better off to go ahead and try for that 2/3 confirmation vote now rather than let the older kid take it and then try to undo it later.

Though the theoretical power balance in the Chamber is fairly simple, in practice it can become byzantine under these arrangements.
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Last edited by Johnny1A.2; 06-20-2021 at 02:57 PM.
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