Codex-Imperial Federation

Political System

The Imperial Federation is categorized as a federal monarchy, with the current Monarch as Head of State. The various component states have their own government which then elects a representative to sit in the Imperial Council on the Citadel.

Head of State

Since the Imperial Federation was founded by Humans before their space age, the Head of State is the concurrent Emperor or Empress. When Earth was united for the first time, Federico XX renounced most of his previous titles so that everybody would know him and his successors as 'Emperor/Empress of Mankind'.

According to the Constitution, the monarch has 3 main offices:

Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces: They can order the deployment of the Armed Forces wherever they like inside the Federation and authorize undercover operations, but they can't declare war without the consent of the Council and the Imperial Parliament. By contrast, the Parliament cannot employ the Armed Forces without the consent of the monarch.

Head of the Foreign Office: Among the Humans it's believed that it's necessary to give the monarch the necessary powers to keep an eye on external threats and engage in diplomacy independently. The Monarch and the Government have to agree when signing treaties with foreign nations, but the monarch can engage in personal talks with foreign officers at their discretion.

Guardian of the Constitution: A thorough knowledge of the Imperial Constitution is paramount when designating an heir. After witnessing the rise of totalitarian regimes in Europe in the 1930s through faults of democracies, this role has become even more vital in the Federation, as the monarch makes sure that no political party tries to pass laws that favors only a part of the population or discriminates some.

While the system is incredibly vulnerable to abuses of power, the Vignoli dynasty so far has always proven capable of grooming Emperors with enough sense of duty to prevent any authoritarian drift in their favor.

The monarchy is also a very popular symbol, especially among the Humans, providing a commonly beloved paternal figure that improves the overall stability of the Federation.

The monarch is also the Head of State of the proper core territories of the Federation, where the majority of the Human population lives. The other constituent states have their own Heads.

Imperial Parliament

The Imperial Parliament has been introduced only in 2188, when all the other civilizations of Citadel Space joined the Federation. It is not to be confused with the Imperial Diet in Rome, which is the internal legislative assembly of Earth and her colonies.

The Parliament gathers 100 representatives from each of the various constituent states, who gather on the Citadel to discuss matters considered vital to at least two of the constituents. The Parliament elects its own President every 3 years with a single term limit and tasked with moderating the sessions. The President then stays in continuous contact with the Empress to update her on the matters discussed and also forms the Government.

Such measure was decided by Benedetta IV so that all species would have equal footing with the Humans.

Imperial Council

In the beginning, the Imperial Council was formed of just seven advisors specialized in diplomacy, stewardship, etc...but with the expansion of the Federation, Benedetta decided that this would simply not do. With the Citadel Council dead after the Reapers took the Citadel and transferred it over Earth, the Empress decided that it was time to integrate that very small assembly of major powers and include all the species now living inside the expanded borders of the State.

The Imperial Council remains primarily an advisory board for the monarch, but each Councilor represents the various constituent states with their needs and complaints, so the Empress has to carefully balance their requests. It is also an insurance for the other species that the Empress would not privilege the Humans in her administration.