Democratic Colonies
The Federated Union of Democratic Colonies is a collection of ten islands scattered throughout the Pacific Ocean, united under a central government. It is a relatively young nation, having been formed on January 1, 1970. It is a democratic nation, with a two tier legislative assembly, and an executive Presidential office. The Democratic Colonies considers itself to be a pioneer in minority rights and a strong suppoter of human rights, but is often critisized for what many percieve to be a institutional bias against religious organizations.
The Democratic Colonies is not a member of any mutal defense pacts or alliances, although it is the founder of the Free Commerce and Trade Association of Democratic Nations. The currency of the Democratic Colonies, the Democratic Colonies Credit, is available for trade at the International Exchange Bank.
Government Structure
The Ten Administrative Areas, or Colonies
The Democratic Colonies is divided into ten Administrative Areas, commonly refered to as Colonies for historical purposes. The internal workings of each Colony vary slightly, but each does maintain an elected assembly that serves to create and pass laws, as well as a seperately elected Governor that serves as the executive of the assembly. The governments of all ten Colonies are considered to be subservient to the central Federal Government, and are not permitted to pass laws in violation of, or in conflict with, any Federal laws.
The Federal Legislative Assembly
At the Federal level, there exists a two tier Legislative Assembly, consisting of the Congress and the Senate.
The Federal Congress
The Federal Congress has 5000 members elected in a nation wide election. Every party registered to participate in the election gains a seat in the Congress for every .02% of the popular vote that they receive. Members of Congress are not tied to any paticular geographic location. Members of Congress are elected every 5 years, and no limit on the number of terms served exists. Proposed laws, called Bills, can be proposed in either the Congress or the Senate, but must gain the approval of both before becoming law.
The Federal Senate
The Federal Senate is composed of 30 members, with 3 members representing each Colony. The Senate was created in order to provide citizens directly accountable to them, since Senators are tied to specific Colonies. Senators are elected every 5 years, and no limit on the number of terms served exists. Proposed laws, called Bills, can be proposed in either the Congress or the Senate, but must gain the approval of both before becoming law.
The Secretaries
The departments of the Federal Government, such as Defense, Foreign Affairs, Education, Health, and so on, have Secretaries that oversee thier operation. Secretaries are appointed by the Legislative Assembly, with approval by the President. Should a President disaprove of an appointed Secretary, a 75% majority in the Legislative Assembly is able to overrule the President. Should the President and a Secretary disagree on a matter, a Secretary with the support of 90% of the Legislative Assembly can override the President. The Attorney General and the Surgeon General, heads of the Department of Law and Order and the Department of Health respectively, are equivalent to Secretaries inspite of thier differing titles. No limit to the time a person serves as a Secretary exists.
The President
The President serves as the chief executive of the nation, but is limited by the Legislative Assembly and the Secretaries. If the President-Elect recieves less then 50% of the popular vote, confirmation of his or her appointment must be provided by a majority of the Federal Senate. The President is elected in a nation wide election every 5 years, and no limit on the number of terms served exists.
The Federal Supreme Court
The Federal Supreme Court serves in one capacity to ensure that any laws passed by the Federal Government adhere to the Consitution of the Democratic Colonies, the Unification Act of 1970, and the Charter of Rights.
