Zhao Lian is a sheriff without a county. A member of an old magical order called the Shuli Go, she was raised to uphold the law and protect her fellow citizens. But after her order was disassembled, she was left with no choice but to wander in searc...
Well, you've made it this far, so welcome to the third bi-annual qua-tricentennial worldbuilding dump for the interested, initiated, and bored. Welcome to Civics 101, with your teacher, me.
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Today, class, we'll be talking about the political divisions within the Central Empire, and how the average Imperial citizen interacts with each of the levels of Government.
To start, let's go over the hierarchy of the Imperial Government and match up some titles with the areas they have control over, as well as their responsibilities. So let's begin at the very top:
Notes from the Central Empire
Empire - Ruled over by the Emperor or Empress (big surprise, I know): Has absolute authority over the Empire to set laws, raise taxes, declare war, and settle disputes. In practice the actual Emperor/Empress is responsible for foreign policy with other nations, setting the Government's overall goals, and making decisions upon the recommendations of the various Ministries that report to the Imperial Throne. The Ministries themselves handle most of the economic, social, and justice-related issues that arise within the Empire.
Kingdom - Ruled by King or Queen: Has a largely ceremonial role, but does set some local laws and rules. Like the Emperor, has several legacy powers that aren't used very often, including controlling the movement of people and goods between kingdoms. Also officially responsible for raising and controlling armies in their kingdoms.
Province - Ruled by Governor: Often the highest authority that actually impacts the average citizen's life. Has large discretionary powers around justice, inheritance, landholding, taxation, and other day-to-day issues. Unlike Kings and Emperors, these positions are given on merit, and are distributed by the Ministry of Internal Harmony. Relatedly, they are responsible for internal peace, so often have control over the army in practical terms, in order to put down revolts or deal with organized crime.
County (or Prefecture) - Ruled by Prefect: Handles most local matters, and is generally seen as the stepping stone towards real power. Responsible for a lot of the actual realities of governing, including actually collecting tax from landowners (not just setting policy), raising levies for an army, and enforcing the law and settling disputes that cross different Go, or are especially troublesome. Also an appointed position (selected by the Governor in most cases), although the practice of buying the position is widespread, and some have effectively become inherited titles. There are also some variations in how Prefects are chosen, based on local customs.
Go (as in Shuli Go) - Ruled by Magistrate: A Go is the smallest subdivision in the Empire, and unlike other divisions that are based on geography, history, and political machinations, a Go is based on population. Go are reconfigured after every 10-year census to create a grouping of 10,000 people, who are looked after by a Magistrate (and, in previous centuries, a Shuli Go). The Magistrate is responsible mostly for settling petty disputes between neighbors (he stole my pig; no I didn't that pig just showed up in my field, etc.) and acting as the eyes and ears of the Government. While Magistrates are technically employees of the Government, they receive only tiny stipends to survive, and usually either get by on previous savings, donations, or extra funds from the Prefects they serve. While a Prefect needs to sign off on any Magistrate taking a position, they don't necessarily choose the Magistrates themselves. There is a huge variance in the process across the Empire, with some Magistrates in richer areas buying the position, some in more rural areas relying on a local elder to do the job, and in some areas like urban centers, a Magistrate can even be elected by popular vote, with all the politics that go into that. When Shuli Go served these groups as well, Magistrates were mostly called on to act as adjudicator, with the Shuli Go enforcing the ruling, doing the investigating, and providing a sober second thought to the Magistrate.
