Imperium

The Empire (Hegemonian: Imperium [imˈpɛːrium]) is a confederated state primarily located in Central Arhet. Imperium covers an area of 13,658,000 km² and shares border with twenty seven countries. It has over 1.1 billion inhabitants within its 90 first-level entities: 52 republics, 32 kingdoms and 6 archipelagos. The Hegemonian institutions are seated in eight different cities, which are Arx Consularis, Orei, Magium, Dicaearchus, Balisipo, Olisipo, Merkatos and Lichas; although Magium is de facto capital city, as it seats the official residence of the Emperor, the Senate, Epistalma (the chief executive body of Imperium) and its 18 executive ministries.

Due to its strategic geographic location in Arhet and its large extension, Imperium has been home to myriad peoples and civilizations. After thousands of years of human development in the area, the Phocaeans and Icarians emerged as the predominant civilizations in the modern-day Imperium, consolidating their power through the Res Publica Phocaeensis (Phocaean) and the poleis (Icarian). Both civilizations disputed the control of the area during years, until the intervention of Magius allowed both civilizations to consolidate their territories as the Ethereal Empire, the earliest stage of the modern-day Imperium.

The Ethereal Empire was governed by Magius itself for over 500 years, and by his direct descendants for 200 years after his ascent to heaven. The Dominate started in 221 when Titanius III became the first emperor without a direct bloodline to Magius, and established as an absolutist system in which the successors were direct or adopted descendants of the emperors. This system was superseded in 452 by the First Electivate, a system in which the emperor was elected by the High Council, composed of the regional, magical and religious leaders of Imperium. This system was reformed as the Second Electivate in 1072, with the creation of the state legislatures (elected by the population), who were responsible for appointing members of the Senate, a national legislative body responsible for formulating national laws and ratifying the election of the emperor by the High Council. Following significant reforms to the system, the Reformatio Rei Publici of 1720 concluded the transition to a parliamentary monarchy.

Administrative divisions
 Imperium is a confederated state and comprises 90 first-level entities which have a self-government, their own constitution and the power to determine its internal organization. According to their government type, which varies between each entity, they are grouped into 52 republics, 32 kingdoms and 6 archipelagos. The first-level entities are further subdivided into prefectures, which are, in turn, subdivided into municipalities.

The republics are the first-level entities of Imperium governed entirely by elected officers, where the head(s) of state and government is/are directly elected by the population (presidential republic) or by the state legislature  (parliamentary republic) to serve under terms defined by the state constitution. In parallel to the national system, most republics are governed by two officials, usually referred to as consuls.

The kingdoms are the first-level entities of Imperium governed by hereditary/life peers and elected officers, as required by the Second Imperial Law. Therefore, absolute monarchies don't exist within the first-level entities of Imperium. The heads of state are the monarchs, which are usually referred to as kings; while the heads of government are the prime ministers, which are usually elected by the state legislatures.

The archipelagos are the first-level entities of Imperium and groups of autonomous islands that as a whole have limited functions, but wherein the individual islands have a higher level of autonomy. The state government consists of a council of governments, composed of the leaders of the archipelago's islands, which convene to discuss measures that require the advice and consent of multiple islands; and the state legislature, responsible for formulating laws about collective issues of the archipelago's islands, such as commerce and security.

Government and politics
Imperium is a confederation of 52 republics, 32 kingdoms and 6 archipelagos primarily located in Central Arhet. It is nationally governed as a parliamentary monarchy which operates, as established by the Imperial Laws, according to the principles of conferral (it should act only within the limits of the competences conferred on it by the Imperial Laws) and subsidiarity (it should act only where an objective cannot be sufficiently achieved by the first-level entities acting alone). Laws made by the Hegemonian institutions are classified into two groups: those which come into force without the necessity for internal implementation measures (regulations) and those which specifically require internal implementation measures (directives).

Imperium is governed through eight principal institutions: Hegemonian Council, Imperial Cabinet, Senate, High Council, Imperial Court, Hegemonian Treasury, Hegemonian Bank and the Hegemonian Military Council. Competence in scrutinising and amending legislation is shared between the Senate and the High Council, while executive tasks are performed by the Imperial Cabinet and in limited capacity by the Hegemonian Council. The monetary policy of Imperium is determined by the Imperial Bank. The interpretation and application of the Imperium law and the Imperial Laws are ensured by the Imperial Court. The Imperium budget is scrutinised by the Hegemonian Treasury. The Imperium operations concerning national security, intelligence, conscription to military and defense are performed by the Hegemonian Military Council.

The main officers of the Imperium are the Emperor, Consules Plebeii, President of the Senate, President of the High Council and the President of the Hegemonian Council. The appointment and/or election of the main officers of Imperium, as well as the other officers of the Hegemonian institutions, is shared between the Senate, High Council, the Hegemonian Council and the first-level governments. The chairs of each institution, excluding the Imperial Cabinet (whose leaders, the Consules Plebeii, are elected by the Senate), are appointed by the members of the institution internally, and may remove them from chairmanship if needed.

Institutions
Hegemonian institutions

Legal system and justice
The Imperial Laws are the supreme laws of Imperium, and have supremacy over all first-level constitutions, national and first-level laws. The Imperial Laws grant and revoke powers to specific subjects and provide a wide variety of regulations that ensure the perpetual unity, territorial integrity and the fundamental rights of the citizens of Imperium. They must be approved by a qualified majority of the Senate, High Council and the 90 first-level governments, can be amended by other Imperial Laws and their absolute repeal requires a qualified majority from referendums in the 90 first-level entities. The Imperial Court oversees the uniform application and interpretation of the Imperial Laws, as well as all other national laws.

The national laws are divided according to their mode of implementation into directives and regulations. The directives require the 90 first-level entities to achieve a particular result without dictating the means of achieving that result, which are established by each first-level legislature; they are the most common type of legislation passed by the Senate and the High Council,