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{{Infobox political system
{{Infobox political system
| name                          = Political system of the Erish Realm
| name                          = Politics of the Erish Confederation
| native_name                  = Det Erischryk's politisch't system
| native_name                  = Geð politíske systémeð Ærskbondem
| image                        =
| image                        =
| image_size                    =
| image_size                    =
| caption                      =  
| caption                      =  
| type                          = {{wpl|Unitary state|Unitary}} {{wpl|Parliamentary system|parliamentary}} {{wpl|constitutional monarchy}}
| type                          = {{wpl|Federation|Federal}} {{wpl|Parliamentary system|parliamentary}} {{wpl|constitutional monarchy}}
| constitution                  = Constitution of the Erish Realm
| constitution                  = Constitution of the Erish Realm
| legislature                  = Folkthing
| legislature                  = Realm Diet and Confederal Council
| legislature_type              = {{wpl|Bicameralism#Semi-bicameral_(Hong_Kong,_Formerly_Norway)|Semi-bicameral}}
| legislature_type              = {{wpl|Bicameralism|Bicameral}}
| legislature_place            = Folkthing building
| legislature_place            =  
| legislature_speaker          = Liexne III
| legislature_speaker          = Hjome Wang
| legislature_speaker_title    = Speaker of the Folkthing
| legislature_speaker_title    = Speaker of the Realm Diet
| upperhouse                    =  
| upperhouse                    =  
| upperhouse_speaker            =  
| upperhouse_speaker            =  
Line 24: Line 24:
| lowerhouse_appointer          =  
| lowerhouse_appointer          =  
| title_hos                    = Monarch
| title_hos                    = Monarch
| current_hos                  = Liexne III
| current_hos                  = Ljowsne III
| appointer_hos                = Hereditary
| appointer_hos                = Hereditary
| title_hog                    = Realm Chancellor
| title_hog                    = Prime Minister
| current_hog                  = Eirik Geiralkson
| current_hog                  = Erik Geralkson
| appointer_hog                = Monarch
| appointer_hog                = Monarch
| title_hosag                  =  
| title_hosag                  =  
Line 33: Line 33:
| appointer_hosag              =  
| appointer_hosag              =  
| cabinet                      = Realm Cabinet
| cabinet                      = Realm Cabinet
| current_cabinet              = First Geiralkson cabinet
| current_cabinet              = First Geralkson cabinet
| cabinet_leader                = Realm Chancellor
| cabinet_leader                = Prime Minister
| cabinet_deputyleader          =
| cabinet_deputyleader          =
| cabinet_appointer            = Monarch
| cabinet_appointer            = Monarch
| cabinet_hq                    =  
| cabinet_hq                    =  
| cabinet_ministries            = 14
| cabinet_ministries            = 15
| judiciary                    = Erish judiciary
| judiciary                    = Erish judiciary
| judiciary_head                =
| judiciary_head                =  
| courts                        =  
| courts                        =  
| court                        = Supreme Court
| court                        = Constitutional Court
| chief_judge                  = Rif Routgeirson
| chief_judge                  = Hrůbert Hendreson
| court_seat                    =  
| court_seat                    =  
| court1                        =
| court1                        = High Court
| chief_judge1                  =
| chief_judge1                  = Frůde Gotfriþsdohter
| court_seat1                  =
| court_seat1                  =
}}
}}


[[File:Political system of Erishland.png|thumb|300px|Political system of Erishland]]
[[File:Political system of the Erishlands.png|thumb|300px|Political system of the Erishlands]]
The '''politics of [[Erishland]]''' take place within the framework of a {{wpl|Representative democracy|representative democratic}} {{wpl|constitutional monarchy}}. Under the 1940 Constitution of the Erish Realm, the authority of the state {{wpl|Popular sovereignty|derives from the public will}}, and it is obligated to uphold both "{{wpl|Letter and spirit of the law|the provisions and spirit of the constitution}}".
The '''politics of [[Erishland]]''' take place within the framework of a {{wpl|Federation|federal}} {{wpl|Representative democracy|representative democratic}} {{wpl|constitutional monarchy}}. Under the Constitution of the Erish Realm, the authority of the state {{wpl|Popular sovereignty|derives from the public will}}.


The Erish political system operates as a {{wpl|Parliamentary system|parliamentary}} {{wpl|constitutional monarchy}}, wherein the monarch, currently Queen Liexne III, is the ceremonial {{wpl|head of state}} whilst the Realm Chancellor, currently Eirik Geiralkson, is the {{wpl|head of government}}, the latter leading the Realm Cabinet. Legislative power is vested in the {{wpl|Semi-parliamentary system|semi-bicameral}} Erish Folkthing. The judiciary is independent, and follows a {{wpl|Civil law (legal system)|civil system of law}}. The highest court, the Supreme Court, has the power to {{wpl|Judicial review|strike down unconstitutional laws}}.
The Erish political system operates as a {{wpl|Parliamentary system|parliamentary}} {{wpl|constitutional monarchy}}, wherein the monarch, currently Queen Ljowsne III, is the ceremonial {{wpl|head of state}} whilst the prime minister—whose official title is "President of the Confederation"—currently Erik Geralkson, is the {{wpl|head of government}}. {{wpl|Executive power}} is exercised by the {{wpl|Cabinet (government)|cabinets}} of both the federal and state governments. Federal {{wpl|legislative power}} is vested in the Realm Diet (parliament of the Erishlands) and the Confederal Council (representative body of federal and state governments). The {{wpl|judiciary}} is {{wpl|Judicial independence|independent}} of the executive and legislative branches.  


Erishland has a {{wpl|multi-party system}}, though it is dominated by the Democratic and Liberal parties. Members of the Folkthing are elected by {{wpl|mixed-member proportional representation}}, and the government is formed by the party which holds the most {{wpl|Single-member district|constituency seats}}. Since the 1970s, the Cabinet has always been a {{wpl|minority government}} without a {{wpl|Coalition government|coalition}}, though due to the institutional setup of the Folkthing, they tend to be fairly stable.  
The Erishlands have a {{wpl|multi-party system}} with two large parties at the federal level, the conservative Royalists and center-left Democrats, and several other smaller but influential parties. The Realm Diet is {{wpl|Direct election|directly elected}} by a {{wpl|Mixed electoral system|mixture}} of {{wpl|Two-round system|two-round}} {{wpl|Proportional representation|proportional}} and {{wpl|Dual-member proportional representation|double mandate}} voting. Voting in federal elections, as well as for state parliaments, is {{wpl|Compulsory voting|compulsory}}. The Realm Cabinet is exclusively accountable to a two-party subchamber of the Diet, leading to governments consistently being {{wpl|Minority government|minority governments}}.


Erishland is a {{wpl|Devolution|devolved}} {{wpl|unitary state}} wherein the eleven Lands are delegated the tasks of implementing national laws, and are additionally granted varying levels of autonomy. The form of government used by the Lands is the same as that of the national government, having a parliamentary system with semi-bicameral Landtings and Land Councils accountable to only a part of the Landtings.
The Erishlands are an {{wpl|Asymmetric federalism|asymmetric}} {{wpl|federation}}, wherein the 20 Lands and the Shire of Fjørjborg (states) are cosovereign with the Realm (the federal government), but Førjborg has less autonomy. The forms of government used by the Lands and Shires resemble the federal government, with cabinets that are accountable to a subchamber of their otherwise unicameral, elected legislatures.


==Political culture==
==Political culture==


Modern Erish political culture is rooted in a broad consensus that the state should not only respect human rights, but enable each member of society to meaningfully exercise them through institutions which provide each opportunities so as to limit concentrations of power which endanger these rights. Ideals such as {{wpl|liberal democracy}}, individual rights which include guarantees of {{wpl|Welfare|social welfare}}, and the inclusion of all members of society are seen as both desirable ends in and of themselves, and as protections from any particular faction seizing control of society. {{wpl|Consensus democracy|Consensus politics}} is an important component of Erish political culture: the dominant political parties of the day are expected to work with smaller parties on issues, and the government is expected to conduct along more {{wpl|social corporatism|social corporatist}} lines including capital and labor over regulatory measures.
Modern Erish political culture is marked by a general consensus on {{wpl|Welfare|social security}} ensured by the state, a {{wpl|social corporatism|social corporatist}} economy that includes capital and labor, and a {{wpl|Cooperative federalism|cooperative}} {{wpl|federation}} where the federal and state governments both influence one another. Another important aspect of the political culture is an emphasis on collective exercise of political power. The Erish prime minister, for example, is {{wpl|Primus inter pares|first among equals}} in the Realm Cabinet, and casts their vote in the Confederal Council on the instructions of the Cabinet.
 
Coalition governments, in the sense of multiple parties coming together to form a governing majority, are non-existent in Erish politics. The Realm Cabinet is only responsible to the Senators of the Realm Diet, who always come from a majority and minority party. In the contemporary era, these parties have generally been the conservative Royalists and the center-left Democrats.  Democrat Cabinets do traditionally include Representatives from the Labour Party, and Royalist Cabinets from the Freedom Party. The presence of multiple parties in both the Realm Diet and Confederal Council has facilitated a culture of negotiation and compromise. Though this gives political minorities greater influence in the political process, it can lead to gridlocks.
 
In Erish political culture, the Government and Opposition are considered to only include parties with ministers in either the Realm or Opposition Cabinets respectively. All other parties are considered independent, and not necessarily for or against the current Government.
 
The system of government of the Erishlands is parliamentary, but its dynamics can resemble those of {{wpl|Presidential system|presidencies}}. The Senators of the Realm Diet effectively function as a standing {{wpl|electoral college}} for the prime minister and Cabinet. Unlike a presidency, however, the Cabinet can be forced to resign through a {{wpl|vote of no confidence}} by Senators, and Cabinet decisions are made on a collegial basis, instead of necessarily at the direction of the prime minister.


==Constitution==
==Constitution==


The Constitution of the Erish Realm (Erish: ''Det Erischryk's Konstitution'') is the supreme law of Erishland. Adopted in 1940 after a national referendum, it declares the intentions of the constitution, recognizes the personal, political, civil and social rights of all people, and establishes the framework of a government, whose {{wpl|Popular sovereignty|authority derives from the people}}, at the national and Land levels. All of these are binding upon the government in both {{wpl|Letter and spirit of the law|provision and spirit}}; to enforce this, the Supreme Court is able to exercise {{wpl|judicial review}} over any law or policy. Amendments require a two-thirds majority in two consecutive terms of the Folkthing, and then a majority of the national vote in a referendum, but cannot restrict personal rights or change the representative democratic nature of the Folkthing; to date, no amendments have been ratified.
The Constitution of the Erish Confederation (Erish: ''Grundlogo Ærskbondem'') is the supreme law of the Erishlands for both the federal and state governments. It establishes the principles of Erish democracy, lays out a bill of fundamental personal, political, civil, and social rights, and sets the framework for federal and, to a lesser extent, state politics. All of these are binding upon all bodies of the state; to enforce this, the Constitutional Court is able to exercise {{wpl|judicial review}} over any law or policy.  
 
An important aspect of the Erish constitutional order is the relationship between the federal government, known as the Realm (Erish: ''Rejkeð''), and the state governments. As in other federations, the federal and state governments are cosovereign, and each have exclusive powers in particular areas. However, though federal laws take precedence over state laws, neither level of government is considered supreme, and both levels are able to influence the other. This is most visible in how the official name of the Erishlands is the Erish Confederation (Erish: ''Ærskbondeð''), but it presents itself in international relations as the Erish Realm (Erish: ''Ærskrejkeð'') due to federal jurisdiction in that sphere of politics. Unusually (but in historic compromise between monarchists and republicans), this technically makes the Erishlands a {{wpl|republic}}, as the prime minister's title of "President of the Confederation" (Erish: ''Vorsitzern Bondem'') implies they are the head of state for the ''Confederation''. In practice, however, virtually all duties of head of state are exercised by the Monarch, who is the head of state for the ''federal government''.
 
Most amendments to the Erish constitution require approval by three-fifths of the Realm Assembly and of the Confederal Council twice. The second vote takes place after the beginning of the next four-year legislative term. Amendments to certain components of the constitution such as fundamental rights, emergency powers, or the amendment process itself require a two-thirds majority twice.
 
==Monarchy==


===Constitutional background===
The Erish monarch, officially the "Queen of the Erish" (Erish: ''Ido Ærskem'') (or "King of the Erish" ''Iden Ærskem'' when male) and currently Queen Ljosne III, is the Erish head of state. They have other titles, such as High Priest of the Ardist Order, but these are not official and do not have any bearing upon their duties of state. They are the formal source of executive power, but also symbolically represent the unity of the realm.


Following the re-establishment of Erish independence, it was not immediately clear what the best path forward would be for the once more independent country. Even after the dominant Royalist faction successfully defeated the Shraderists, there was great controversy as to what Erish democracy should look like. The memory of the Republican era of the mid-to-late 1800s, begun with high hopes of a federal democratic republic but ending in dictatorship as the already strong president used gridlock to take even more power, weighed heavily upon those who came to be responsible for creating a new system. At the same time, however, old concerns such as skepticism of parliamentarianism resurfaced alongside new ones, such as what rights should be protected, and what the role of the Lands was.
The Erish monarch is formally afforded several powers, such as appointing the Realm Cabinet, commanding the Realm Guard, or receiving foreign dignitaries. Because of the language used in the constitution, however, it is clear that almost all powers are to be exercised on the advice of the Realm Cabinet; refusal to sign off on the Realm Cabinet's actions constitutes {{wpl|reserve powers}}, though these have not been exercised since the late 1800s, and could be overridden by the Realm Cabinet. The monarch is considered, however, to still have the right to be consulted, to advise, and to warn members of the Cabinet during monthly meetings.


The basic framework of government for the new Erish state was the main focal point of controversy. Neither {{wpl|Presidential system|presidentialism}} nor {{wpl|Parliamentary system|parliamentarianism}} was favored by even a plurality of the authors of the constitution. Debates raged on for months over whether there should be a presidential or semi-presidential system of government, until finally, the idea of {{wpl|Semi-parliamentary system|semi-bicameralism}} arose as the final solution for the issue.
In this light, the role of the Erish monarch is embodied in the Royal Oath they must take before the Realm Diet before taking the crown, and further reinforced by their constitutional responsibility to ensure that the laws are exercised according to their spirit. They are a ceremonial head of state, ruling according to the framework of the constitution and the democratic mandate expressed through elections. However, they are also a guarantor of the constitution: within the limits of the powers they are granted by the constitution, the monarch is expected to halt any unconstitutional or immoral action of the government, even if such an act would effectively be symbolic.


The paradigm of rights was just as controversial. Conservatives and moderate liberals favored the framing of rights as applying to Erish citizens and being of a purely civil and political nature; more radical liberals and social democrats argued for the universality of rights and the inclusion of economic rights. Eventually, the latter faction won out, though in part as a consequence of what Orlajsdochter (2013) calls "a concerted effort to undercut the legitimacy of the Shraderists".
==Executive branch==


Despite the relative autonomy the constitution would grant, the issues of relations between the national government and the Lands were few. People had and still held a sense of regional identity, but the joint experience of Ottonian rule had created a strong enough sense of national identity that a modernization of the unitary state from prior to the Republic was quickly agreed upon. The largest controversy was over how the Lands should be represented in the national legislature, with more hardline regionalist factions insisting upon an upper house where the Lands were equal, and others arguing for a unicameral legislature elected by {{wpl|mixed-member proportional representation}}. Ultimately, the issue would be resolved by the resolution of the controversy over the form of government: the Deputies representing the Lands having exclusive powers of confidence proved enticing.
The constitution formally vests executive power in the "Office of the Crown", but in practice grants it to the Realm Cabinet. Led by the Erish prime minister, the Cabinet's members, called Ministers, each head a particular Bureau, which is in charge of some aspect of the national bureaucracy. All Ministers, including the prime minister, are accountable to the Senators of the Realm Diet, who can appoint and remove them. In the event of a successful {{wpl|vote of no confidence}} by an absolute majority of Senators for a Minister or the entire Cabinet, they are forced to resign, and a simple majority can then appoint a replacement.


===Constitutional theory===
===Head of government===


''Lajgeist'', or the "{{wpl|Letter and spirit of the law|spirit of the law}}", is a central principle of the constitution, to the point that it is considered to "stand beside" it. The authors of the constitution believed it was abundantly clear that, as the Republican era's corruption of a democratic state into a dictatorship had shown, even the best of constitutions ultimately meant nothing if those in the state abandoned democratic norms. It was also recognized that the document had to be "alive", its general principles capable of application regardless of era. Consequently, alongside a declaration of constitutional intentions added into the preamble (considered binding due to the first of the following clauses, as the declaration is thought the most clear expression of the constitution's "spirit"), the term ''lajgeist'' is used in the constitution to require the compliance of all laws and policies with it, as part of the Royal Oath, and part of the monarch's duty to ensure that the laws of the Folkthing are faithfully executed.
The Erish prime minister, officially the President of the Confederation (Erish: ''Vorsitzern Bondem''), is the Erish {{wpl|head of government}}. Officially the head of the Confederal Affairs Bureau (Erish: ''Bondssakorbyróen''), they are the {{wpl|Primus inter pares|first among equals}} presiding officer of the Realm Cabinet as well as the Confederal Council. Like all other ministers, they are required to be a Senator from the Realm Diet, and, because they must command the support of the majority of them, have thus always been the leaders of the majority party of Senators. The prime minister is constitutionally required to be a Senator.


A focal point of Erish constitutional theory is the establishment of a system where the independent, democratically elected executive and legislature of a {{wpl|presidential system}} can co-exist with the accountable executive of a {{wpl|parliamentary system}}, whilst avoiding the executive personalization and gridlock of presidentialism, and the fusion of powers and executive instability of parliamentarianism (a multi-party system, desired by the Erish constitution's authors, being prone to more unstable coalition or minority governments). The solution devised by the authors of the Constitution was the system of {{wpl|Semi-parliamentary system|semi-bicameralism}} (Erish: ''halv-bikameralismus'').
The Erish prime minister is the leading political figure in Erish federal politics, but compared to prime ministers in other parliamentary democracies, the Erish prime minister is fairly limited in their power. This is because the Realm Cabinet originally operated, and to a great extent still operates, more as a {{wpl|Directorial system|collegial body of equals}} than necessarily at the direction of a particular minister. The Erish prime minister was originally called the Realm Minister, who just represented the Cabinet in the Confederal Council (the title being analogous to those formally of Land or Shire Minister for state Confederal Ministers). Despite then (and still) being the only constitutionally recognized minister, the Realm Minister was, though important, not the leading figure of the Cabinet, with the Foreign, Interior, and Defense Ministers being more prominent. During the late 1800s, the Realm Minister gradually gained more and more influence, such that by 1889 they were chairing meetings of the Cabinet. In 1925, some of the office's roles were constitutionalized and they gained the title of President of the Confederation. This development is unique to the federal government; in the states, either the interior minister or a dedicated president minister has taken on the role of head of state government.


Instead of electing two separate branches, two halves of the unicameral Folkthing are elected by {{wpl|mixed-member proportional representation}}: local Deputies elected by plurality vote, and national Deputies elected by a national proportional vote. Because only local Deputies have the power of confidence and qualify for Cabinet membership, a separation of powers is maintained whilst depersonalizing the executive and providing an avenue for breaking gridlock (a vote of no confidence triggering new elections); to provide a balance of power against this "executive half" of the Folkthing, the legislature as a whole can initiate a referendum on gridlocked legislation. Furthermore, because the electoral system used for local Deputies {{wpl|Duverger's Law|would likely facilitate}} them coming from one of {{wpl|Two-party system|two parties}}, it and the local Deputy's powers also address the problem of executive stability, since it follows from both that Cabinets will very likely be of one party.
The Erish prime minister's original, and still constitutionally first role is to preside over the Confederal Council, and represent the Realm Cabinet's positions in its proceedings. Their position as the presiding officer of the Council is somewhat ceremonial. The prime minister also chairs the weekly meeting of the Realm Cabinet, and can set its agenda. Cabinet decisions, however, are made collectively or by individual Ministers, instead of at the direction of the prime minister. Nevertheless, the prime minister serves as the face of the Cabinet to both the Confederal Council and the public.


In the Erish Constitution, rights are not exclusive to Erish citizens; the rights recognized and protected by the Constitution are framed as belonging to all people. There are four categories of rights (though others are explicitly stated to not be restricted or denied): personal rights by virtue of being a person, political rights by virtue of being subject to the power of the state, civil rights by virtue of being able to participate in democracy, and social rights by virtue of being able to participate in society. In Erish constitutional doctrine, personal rights are held as especially absolute. For example, a person may ''never'' be subjected to torture because it is a ''personal'' right inherent from being a person. A person making an incitement to violence, however, is not protected by freedom of speech; the latter is a ''civil'' right protecting participation in a democratic society and the former is both a subversion of said society. However, decisions of this sort defining what is protected and what is not can only truly be made by the Supreme Court, which has exclusive jurisdiction over such matters.
The current prime minister, the Democrat Senator Erik Geralkson, took the office for the first time on 6 December 2020. Following the norms of Erish politics, he is the leader of his party, and his Cabinet is a {{wpl|minority government}}. In the first Geralkson Cabinet, 10 Ministers come from the Democrats, and 5 from the Labour Party.


A legal concept which is never explicitly stated in the constitution, but which quickly arose when the state it established became effective, is the idea of ''demokratiewacht'' "{{wpl|Defensive democracy|democracy defense}}". The idea is that the state has the authority to protect the liberal democratic order established by the constitution against political parties which seek to overthrow the democratic order, based upon the constitutional requirement that "their internal structures shall conform to the basic democratic principles [of the] constitution." This was the argument made and accepted by the Supreme Court in ''Shraderist Party v. the Realm'' (1942), when the national government defended the 1941 Act to Disband the Shraderist Party, though the Supreme Court struck down the law itself, ruling that only the Court had the authority to make such judgements. To date, only the Shraderist Party has been banned.
===Cabinet and government departments===


==Monarchy==
The Realm Cabinet (Erish: ''Rejkesrådeð'') is the leading executive body at the federal level, composed of Ministers (Erish: ''Þegner'') who are each responsible for some component of the national bureaucracy which executes federal laws. Apart from the prime minister, whose position is constitutionally established, each Ministry is an office established by federal law to lead a particular Bureau (of which there are currently 15). There are no junior ministers or ministers without portfolio. Only Senators and Representatives are allowed to be Ministers; by custom, the Foreign, Interior, and Defense Ministers are Senators, whilst the others are Representatives.


The Erish monarch, officially the ''Queen of the Erish'' (or ''King of the Erish'' when they are male) and currently Queen Liexne III, is the Erish head of state. They have other titles, such as High Priest of the Ardist Order, but these are not official and do not have any bearing upon their duties of state. They are the formal source of executive power, but also symbolically represents the unity of the realm, as they are the official Speaker of the Folkthing and preside over the national Court of Assizes, though both duties are delegated upon the advice of the Realm Chancellor.  
In Erish politics, the Cabinet is always a {{wpl|minority government}}, which since 1971 has been formed by either the Democrats or Royalists, though the two parties respectively appoint Labour and Freedom Representatives as part of their cabinet by convention. The number of Ministries split between parties in Democrat-Labour and Royalist-Freedom cabinets is traditionally based off the share of the vote in the first round of votes for Senators in a federal election. However, because only Senators from the Government and Opposition parties are allowed to participate in a {{wpl|vote of no confidence}}, the junior partner cannot participate in one; customarily, junior partners are thus allowed to contradict the Cabinet's positions, insofar as they do not contradict their own portfolios. {{wpl|Loss of supply}} is not considered a vote of no confidence, and a vote of no confidence does not (and cannot) trigger a {{wpl|snap election}}, but simply leads to a new Cabinet being appointed.  


The Erish monarch is afforded several powers, including command of the Realm Guard, granting of pardons and reprieves, reception of foreign dignitaries and representing the realm in foreign affairs, appointing the executive branch's third of the Supreme Court Justices as well as executive officers including Chancellors of the Cabinet, calling the Folkthing in extraordinary circumstances, granting or withholding of royal assent to bills passed by the Folkthing, and dismissing executive officers. Because of the language used in the constitution, with the exception of the last two, all of these are understood to normally be exercised upon the advice of the Realm Chancellor. With the inclusion of those last two, however, they can theoretically be exercised as {{wpl|Reserve power|reserve powers}} by the monarch, though this has never occurred, and the Folkthing has the power to reverse most of those decisions. The monarch is considered, however, to still have the right to be consulted, to advise, and to warn members of the Cabinet during monthly meetings.
The Bureaus which each Minister leads are composed of smaller departments headed by directors, and are tasked with executing some aspect of the Bureau's area of policy; they themselves are composed of smaller agencies that comprise the vast majority of the actual civil service. These directors and other high officers are appointed by the crown on advice of the relevant Minister, and are obligated to follow the policy directives of their Minister. However, they can only be removed by the monarch exercising their {{wpl|reserve power}} to dismiss executive officials; though many have terms that by statute are aligned with elections, they are expected to be politically neutral servants who work in their posts regardless of which party is in power. However, because much federal law is executed by state governments (which the federal Ministers can give policy directives to with the consent of the Confederal Council), the size of the federal bureaucracy is relatively small, comprising only 100,000 employees.


In this light, the role of the Erish monarch is embodied in the Royal Oath they must take before the Folkthing before taking the crown, and further reinforced by their constitutional responsibility to ensure that the laws are exercised according to their spirit. They are a ceremonial head of state, ruling according to the framework of the constitution and the democratic mandate expressed through elections. However, they are also a guarantor of the constitution: within the limits of the powers they are granted by the constitution, the monarch is expected to halt any unconstitutional or immoral action of the government, even if such an act would effectively be symbolic.
Like all other Representatives, any Minister that is a Representative is required to hold a {{wpl|town hall meeting}} with their constituents at least once every three months. Due to their role, these have more media attention, and usually more attendees.


==Legislative branch==
==Legislative branch==


The Erish legislature consists of the {{wpl|Unicameralism|unicameral}} Folkthing, which is housed in the Folkthing building in Serdstad. It is at the core of Erish democracy, being the highest elected body in the country. The Realm Chancellor and all other Chancellors of the Realm Cabinet come from the Folkthing, and are consequently responsible to their fellow Deputies during {{wpl|question time}}, debates, and so on. Locally-elected deputies are constitutionally required to hold {{wpl|Town hall meeting|town hall meetings}} with their constituency at least every two months.
The federal legislative branch of the Erishlands consists of two separate {{wpl|Parliament|parliaments}}, the Realm Diet and the Confederal Council. The Realm Diet is for certain purposes, namely {{wpl|Motion of no confidence|confidence}} in the Realm Cabinet, divided into two chambers, the Realm Assembly and the Great Assembly, only the latter of which can hold a vote of no confidence. The Confederal Council represents the governments of the Lands, the Shire of Fjørgborg, and the federal government. With the different powers and responsibilities between the Realm Diet and the Confederal Council, the Erish federal legislature is in effect {{wpl|Bicameralism|bicameral}} in most regards.


===Composition and elections===
===Realm Diet===


The 250 members of the Folkthing, called Deputies, are elected by {{wpl|mixed-member proportional representation}} every four years or following the dissolution of the Folkthing. Half of these deputies are elected in {{wpl|Single-member district|single-seat constituencies}} by {{wpl|plurality voting}}, whilst the other half of seats are apportioned to resemble the outcome of a national proportional vote. In order to qualify for these apportioned seats, a party must either win a district, or receive at least 2 percent of the proportional vote. With this fairly low threshold, it is the norm for many parties to be in the parliament; as of 2020, for example, there are eight parties in the Folkthing. Voter turnout is generally high, numbering somewhere above 80 percent; recent elections have seen a downturn in participation, and turnout in local elections is normally lower.
The Realm Diet (Erish: ''Rejkesdagen'') is the Erish {{wpl|Federalism|federal}} {{wpl|parliament}}, and the only {{wpl|Direct election|directly elected}} institution of the federal government. It resembles a {{wpl|lower house}} in other {{wpl|Federation|federal}} {{wpl|Parliamentary system|parliamentary}} democracies.  


The authors of the constitution envisioned that, because each of them are elected by plurality voting to represent a particular district, a {{wpl|Two-party system|two-party system}} would {{wpl|Duverger's Law|eventually develop}} among the constituency Deputies, and consequently lead to more stable one-party Cabinets. At first, this was not the case: during the first several elections, there were multiple parties (as well as some independents) contesting and winning constituency seats, leading to {{wpl|Coalition government|coalition governments}} which tended to be somewhat unstable. In the 1947 election, the number of parties holding constituency seats peaked with six parties (alongside 2 independents).
Members of the Realm Diet are divided into two classes, Representatives (Erish: ''Vortred'rer'') and Senators (Erish: ''Ældrer''), who represent the Erish people as citizens of their states and the confederation respectively. The total number of Representatives and Senators increases every twelve years in response to population growth, with the current number as of 2020 being 208 Representatives and 69 Senators. The entire Realm Diet is elected every four years by citizens over the age of 21. Representatives are elected using {{wpl|Dual-member proportional representation|double mandate}} voting, which combines {{wpl|First-past-the-post voting|plurality}} and {{wpl|Proportional representation|proportional}} into a single vote that elects the two Representatives in each constituency. Senators are elected nationally through a {{wpl|Two-round system|two-round}} election, where the two parties that receive the most votes in the first round gain Senators, with their share of seats being determined by their proportion of the vote in the second round two weeks later. A {{wpl|Snap election|midterm election}} can only be called by the Cabinet over a deadlocked bill, with the newly elected Diet serving the remainder of the four-year term.


Starting in the 1950s, though, voters began coalescing around the Democratic and People's parties in local elections; by the 1971 Folkthing elections, all constituency seats were held by the two parties. Smaller parties in the Folkthing continued to contest these seats for some time, but eventually ceased, as it became apparent they were only weakening the positions of the party they could best work with. In recent times, the Labour, Justice, and New Right parties have begun contesting these seats, though they have not won any, apart from Labour winning one in the 2011 election. This has been the subject of much controversy, with supporters arguing that parties other than the two major ones should have a chance of winning these seats and influencing the Cabinet, and critics arguing that it is only splitting the vote.
The Realm Diet has several roles in the Erish political system. Along with the Confederal Council, which it is considered independent of, it is a main body in the federal legislative process. It is the more powerful of the two, as it has ''de facto'' unilateral authority over matters of exclusively federal jurisdiction. In practice, though, many federal laws relate to areas of shared jurisdiction with the states, and thus the consent of the Confederal Council is required for them. For certain purposes, the Realm Diet itself operates like a bicameral legislature.


====2019 election====
====2020 federal election====
 
The Erishlands held federal elections on 21 November 2020 to elect the members of the 58th Realm Diet. At stake were all 271 seats of the previous Realm Diet, as well as 4 new Representative and 2 new Senator seats as a result of the 2020 federal census. After the Republicans and Royalists gained the greatest amount of votes in the votes for Senators, they proceeded to a second round on 5 December 2020.
 
The Democrats won the highest percentage of the Representative vote with 24.1 percent, as well as the two rounds of the Senator vote, leading it become the Government and the largest party in the Realm Diet. The Royalists suffered their worst losses in decades, falling almost four percentage points in their Representative vote, but still managed to win Opposition and the second largest amount of seats, despite polling in the preceding months suggesting the Federalists might be poised to gain Opposition. On 6 December 2020, the day following the second round of votes, the Royalist Næsz Cabinet tendered its resignation, and joined with Democrats in nominating the Opposition Cabinet, led by Democrat Senator Erik Geralkson, to become the new Realm Cabinet. On 3 January 2021, the 58th Realm Diet began its term.


{| class=wikitable style=text-align:right
{| class=wikitable style=text-align:right
|-
|-
|colspan=9| [[File:Erishland_Folksting_2019.svg|center|300px]]
|colspan=11| [[File:Realm_Diet_2020.png|center|300px]]
|-
!colspan=2 rowspan=3|Party
!colspan=3 rowspan=2|Representatives
!colspan=5|Senators
!rowspan=2|Total
|-
|-
!colspan=2 rowspan=2|Party
!colspan=2 | 1st round
!colspan=3|Constituency
!colspan=3 | 2nd round
!colspan=3|Party list
!rowspan=2|Total<br>seats
|-
|-
!Votes
!Votes
Line 125: Line 144:
!Votes
!Votes
!%
!%
!Votes
!%
!Seats
!Seats
!Seats
|-
|-
| style="background:#5684E5;" | ||align=left|[[Democratic Party (Erishland)|Democratic Party]] (D)||1,752,370||43.6||68||1,142,461||28.5||4||72
| style="background:#5684E5;" | ||align=left|[[Democratic Party (Erishland)|Democrats]] (FS)||3,531,259||24.1||50||4,020,549||27.5||7,658,095||52.7||37||87
|-
|-
| style="background:#FEFD96;" | ||align=left|[[People's Party (Erishland)|People's Party]] (P)||1,628,327||40.5||57||984,538||24.5||5||62
| style="background:#FEFD96;" | ||align=left|[[Royalists (Erishlands)|Royalists]] (IT)||2,620,639||17.9||39||3,171,397||21.7||6,777,060||46.6||32||71
|-
|-
| style="background:#35E0E4;" | || style="text-align:left;"|[[Labour Party (Erishland)|Labour Party]] (A)||248,459||6.2||0||493,431||12.3||31||31
| style="background:#3CD04B;" | ||align=left|[[Freedom Party (Erishlands)|Freedom Party]] (FR)||2,171,941||14.8||31||2,284,726||15.6||–||–||–||31
|-
|-
| style="background:#EA428B;" | || style="text-align:left;"|[[Justice Party (Erishland)|Justice Party]] (J)||224,702||5.6||0||491,210||12.2||31||31
| style="background:#EA428B;" | ||align=left|[[Federalists (Erishlands)|Federalists]] (BN)||2,004,018||13.7||31||2,750,772||18.8||–||–||–||31
|-
|-
| style="background:#E31817;" | || style="text-align:left;"|[[New Right (Erishland)|New Right]] (NR)||153,836||3.8||0||362,748||9.0||23||23
| style="background:#E64A57;" | ||align=left|[[Labour Party (Erishlands)|Labour Party]] (AR)||1,920,696||13.1||28||2,307,135||15.8||–||–||–||28
|-
|-
| style="background:#3CD04B;" | || style="text-align:left;"|[[Liberal Party (Erishland)|Liberal Party]] (L)||–||–||–||188,080||4.7||12||12
| style="background:#68413D;" | ||align=left|[[Justice Party (Erishland)|Justice Party]] (RH)||747,873||5.1||10||–||–||–||–||–||10
|-
|-
| style="background:#009F6B;" | || style="text-align:left;"|[[Green Party (Erishland)|Green Party]] (G)||–||–|||–||174,679||4.4||11||11
| style="background:#FABA62;" | ||align=left|[[Christian Democrats (Erishlands)|Christian Democrats]] (HR)||728,933||5.0||9||–||–||–||–||–||9
|-
|-
| style="background:#FABA62;" | || style="text-align:left;"|[[Agrarian Party (Erishland)|Agrarian Party]] (G)||–||–|||–||128,933||3.2||8||8
| style="background:#35E0E4;" | ||align=left|[[Tarkalter Party (Erishlands)|Tarkalter Party]] (TK)||357,375||2.4||6||–||–||–||–||–||6
|-
| colspan="9" style="background:silver;"|
|-
|-
| ||align=left|Worker's Party||1,540||0.0||0||12,732||0.3||0||0
| style="background:#E31817;" | ||align=left|[[New Right (Erishland)|New Right]] (NH)||160,542||1.1||2||–||–||–||–||–||2
|-
|-
| ||align=left|Pirate Party||5,350||0.1||0||8,953||0.2||0||0
| style="background:#DDDDDD;" | ||align=left|{{wpl|Independent politician|Independents}} (UA)||172,579||1.2||2||–||–||–||–||–||2
|-
|-
| ||align=left|Proletarian Union||1,074||0.0||0||6,443||0.2||0||0
| colspan="11" style="background:silver;"|
|-
| ||align=left|Center Party||3,229||0.1||0||3,239||0.1||0||0
|-
| ||align=left|Others||2,039||0.1||0||16,556||0.4||0||0
|-
|-
| ||align=left|Independents||1,409||0.0||0||–||–||–||0
| ||align=left|Others||128,432||0.9||0||–||–||–||–||–||0
|-
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:left;"|Invalid/blank votes||38,144||–||–||46,476||–||–||–
| colspan="2" style="text-align:left;"|Invalid/blank votes||95,288||0.7||–||104,996||0.7||99,424||0.7||–||–
|-
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:left;"|'''Total'''||'''4,060,479'''||'''100'''||'''125'''||'''4,060,479'''||'''100'''||'''125'''||'''250'''
| colspan="2" style="text-align:left;"|'''Total'''||'''14,639,575'''||'''100.0'''||'''208'''||'''14,639,575'''||'''100.0'''||'''14,534,579'''||'''100.0'''||'''69'''||'''277'''
|-
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:left;"|Registered voters/turnout||5,399,635||75.2||–||5,399,635||75.2||–||–
| colspan="2" style="text-align:left;"|Registered voters/turnout||15,812,038||92.6||–||15,812,038||92.6||15,812,038||91.9||–||–
|-
|-
| colspan="9" style="text-align:left;"|Source: Realm Election Commission (2019)
| colspan="11" style="text-align:left;"|Source: Realm Election Commission (2020)
|}
|}


===Semi-bicameralism===
====Great Assembly====
 
The Great Assembly (Erish: ''Stůrþingeð'') consists of the 69 Senators of the Realm Diet. Due to the Senators being elected by two-round voting, it is a two-party chamber with a majority and minority party. Senators of the majority are unofficially known as the Government (Erish: ''Vorwaldingo''), and the minority is constitutionally recognized as the Opposition (Erish: ''Oppositjóno''); in common language, these terms are extended to include any party with a minister in the Realm or Opposition Cabinet. As of 2021, the Government consists of 37 Democrat Senators, and the Opposition of 32 Royalist Senators.
 
Its most important function is control over the Realm Cabinet. Each and every Minister of the Cabinet is nominated by a simple majority of Senators and then appointed by the Monarch. The absolute majority of Senators can remove a Minister or the entire Cabinet through a vote of no confidence. The confinement of this control over the executive to the Great Assembly limits the {{wpl|fusion of powers}} between the executive and legislature that arises through the parliamentary system.


Although the Folkthing is a unicameral body, it is described as "{{wpl|Semi-parliamentary system|semi-bicameral}}". This is because only locally-elected Deputies may be members of the Cabinet, conduct a {{wpl|vote of no confidence}} against the Cabinet, and pass budget bills (having been feared as becoming ''de facto'' no confidence votes if involving the whole Folkthing) - features which the authors of the constitution conceived of as making these Deputies a kind of "{{wpl|lower house}}" and "{{wpl|executive branch}}" of the Folkthing.
The other important role of the Great Assembly is that it is the national platform for the Opposition. The Opposition has the right to appoint a {{wpl|shadow cabinet}}, the Opposition Cabinet, which presents the alternative to current Government policy, and gets to comment on all bills proposed by the Realm Cabinet before they are introduced to the Realm Diet. It also questions the Government during the weekly Question Time, can convene the Realm Diet, instigate parliamentary inquiries, or challenge the legality of laws or Cabinet policies with automatic standing.


In disputes "between houses", early dissolution of the Folkthing after a vote of no confidence serves as one mechanism by which gridlock can be resolved, though by {{wpl|Constitutional convention (political custom)|custom}}, it is only used for gridlock if core planks of the governing party's platform are jeopardized. The more common dispute resolution mechanism is the Folkthing as a whole putting a bill to a national referendum. In practice, however, these are rarely used, because both usually carry more risks than negotiating and compromising on a bill. When combined with governing parties generally having to form coalitions on particular legislative issues to actually gain majorities to pass laws, this has made {{wpl|Consensus democracy|consensus}} is an important component of Erish democracy.
The national election of Senators, and the use of the two-party election, is intended to allow for {{wpl|indirect election}} of the Realm Cabinet. It also supplements the local perspectives of Representatives with a more national, long-term view to federal politics. In most cases, the same two parties are elected to have Senators until a major political realignment occurs, enabling Senators to have longer average incumbencies. Moreover, with the Opposition Cabinet having a right to confidential briefings from senior executive officers, it ensures smooth transitions of power. Indeed, it has been a constitutional convention since 1908 that, after it is clear the current Government has lost an election, the Cabinet resigns and joins with the Opposition to immediately appoint the new Cabinet, instead of waiting for the next legislative term to begin.


Semi-bicameralism is the point of some contention within Erish politics. The Labour, Justice, and New Right parties all advocate in their party platforms that the Folkthing should be made completely unicameral. It is argued that only the half of the legislature controlled by two parties having powers of confidence and budget is anti-democratic, gives the Democratic and People's parties disproportionate influence, and denies other parties the ability to participate in governance. Supporters contend that unicameralism would jeopardize separation of powers, create unstable Cabinets, and would make other parties ''less'' influential because they would work on maintaining the Cabinet instead of on particular issues. Polling on the issue in 2019 showed that 59 percent of voters felt that the semi-bicameral system didn't need to be reformed, 24 percent felt it did, and 17 percent were neutral.
====Realm Assembly====


===Legislative process===
The Realm Assembly (Erish: ''Rejkesþingeð'') consists of the 208 Representatives of the Realm Diet. Its functions are less visible than the Great Assembly's, but are just as important, as they further preserve a {{wpl|separation of powers}} between the executive and legislative branches. It is the sole body which can authorize military deployments, legislate with regards to the judiciary and independent oversight institutions, or instigate impeachments. It also approves the boundaries drawn up by the Realm Electoral Commission every twelve years for the redistricting of its constituencies.


The legislative process begins with a bill proposed either by a Deputy, or by a petition signed by at least 50,000 people. After being proposed, it is sent to the appropriate committee to be scrutinized, amended, and, if supported by the majority of the committee, presented once more to the Folkthing at large. If a majority of Deputies vote in favor, the bill is sent to the monarch for assent. Seven days after assent is granted, or earlier or later if the legislation makes a specification, the bill goes into effect. The monarch has the power to withhold assent, but this is a {{wpl|reserve power}}, and could still be overridden by simply passing the bill again; to date, assent has always been granted. Budget bills have a special procedure: in order to pass, the majority of just the constituency Deputies must vote in favor; national Deputies lack the power to vote on budget bills.
Representatives originally represented local constituencies along with Senators, with Senators merely being a class of Representatives they elected. In 1900, voting was reformed to the current electoral system of Senators being nationally elected, but Representatives remaining locally elected. The {{wpl|Dual-member proportional representation|double mandate}} system has facilitated the rise of a {{wpl|Multi-party system}} and the occasional seating of independent Representatives whilst preserving constituency-based representation. It has also caused Governments to consistently lack majorities in the Realm Diet, helping establish through necessity the modern culture of negotiation and compromise. To maintain their link with their constituents, all Representatives are constitutionally required to hold {{wpl|town hall meetings}} at least once every three months.


==Executive branch==
===Confederal Council===
[[File:Confederal_Council_2021.png|thumb|Distribution of votes as of 21 March 2021:
{{legend|#E64A57|Labour: 3 votes}}
{{legend|#5684E5|Democrats: 22 votes}}
{{legend|#EA428B|Center: 11 votes}}
{{legend|#FEFD96|Royalists: 18 votes}}
{{legend|#9BE9D8|Freedom: 16 votes}}]]
 
The Confederal Council (Erish: ''Bondsrådeð'') is a constitutional institution that has a role most similar to {{wpl|Upper house|upper houses}}, though it is formally neither a legislative body nor even a body of the federal government. Nonetheless, the Council takes part in the legislative process alongside the Realm Diet, having an absolute veto on legislation affecting state jurisdiction and a suspensory veto on all others. The Council meets at a separate place from the Realm Diet, which it all but completely carries out its functions independently of. Under certain circumstances, it can be convened at the same time as the Realm Diet, but it never meets in joint assembly, even for the annual Speech from the Crown.


The constitution vests executive power in the "Office of the Crown", but devolves most executive power to the Cabinet (the remainder being implicitly exercised by the monarch on the advice of the Realm Chancellor, as described earlier). Led by the Realm Chancellor, the Cabinet's members, called Chancellors, each head a particular Bureau, which is in charge of some aspect of the national bureaucracy. All Chancellors, including the Realm Chancellor, are accountable to the local Deputy bloc of the Folkthing, and can be removed by a {{wpl|vote of no confidence}}. In the event of such a vote, the leader of the largest party in the Folkthing (the Realm Chancellor) advises the monarch to either appoint a new Cabinet or Chancellor, or dissolve the Folkthing and hold new elections.
The Confederal Council consists of 22 Confederal Ministers, each of whom is a minister of a state or federal cabinet dedicated to their representation. In conformity with the principle of {{wpl|Cabinet collective responsibility|collective responsibility}}, they are not free to vote according to their own position, but must instead represent the position of their cabinet. Moreover, each delegation has a vote weighted in {{wpl|degressive proportionality}} to the population of their state; in the case of the federal delegation, it has always had one vote. As the Council represents the state and federal cabinets, other Ministers are entitled to attend, participate, and vote in Council proceedings, in which case the votes are cast as a bloc.


===Head of government===
Because the Council represents the state and federal governments, apart from the federal delegation, its makeup is independent of the federal election times. Thus, the makeup of the Council can potentially change every year. States are constitutionally mandated to have their parliaments follow a model akin to that of the Realm Diet, with a class of legislators elected through a statewide vote who have control over their cabinets. Consequently, not only are state and federal delegations of a single party, but they are {{wpl|Indirect election|indirectly elected}}.


The Realm Chancellor (Erish: ''Rykkanceller'') is the Erish {{wpl|head of government}}. Officially the head of the Realm Bureau (Erish: ''Rykburo''), they are the {{wpl|Primus inter pares|''primus inter pares''}} leader of the Realm Cabinet; their office is not mentioned in the constitution, but exists by virtue of the parliamentary form of government. They are required to be appointed from the local Deputy bloc of the Folkthing by the monarch, and, because they must be approved by the majority of the bloc, have always been the leaders of the majority party. The Realm Chancellor lacks any formal power to direct their fellow Chancellors, Chancellors are in practice obligated to implement at the Bureau level the broad policy guidelines of the Realm Chancellor.  
The Confederal Council is presided over by the federal Confederal Minister, the prime minister, although their stature as presiding officer is somewhat ceremonial. Duties such as setting the agenda are carried out by the two Deputy Presidents, with the prime minister only becoming involved in such decisions in the event of a tie.  


The current Realm Chancellor, Democrat Eirik Geiralkson, took the office for the first time on 3 January 2020. Following the norms of Erish politics, his Cabinet is a one-party {{wpl|minority government}}.
Every six months, the Confederal Council convenes as the Confederal Diet (Erish: ''Bondsdagen''), with the prime ministers of the federal and state governments attending along with the Foreign, Interior, and Defense Ministers of the Realm Cabinet. Apart from legislation referred to it by the Council, the Confederal Diet does not vote on legislation, but instead meets to help set the general political agenda of the country. Whilst the Confederal Diet submits a report of its agreed-to (but non-binding) positions to the Realm Diet, the actual proceedings are not public.


===Cabinet and government departments===
==Political parties==


The Realm Cabinet (Erish: ''Rykkabinett'') is the leading executive body at the national level, composed of Chancellors who are each responsible for some component of the national bureaucracy which executes the laws created by the Folkthing. The number of Chancellors is linked to the number of Bureaus (currently 14), with there being one Chancellor per Bureau; there are no junior ministers or ministers without portfolio. Chancellors are appointed by the monarch and, because they are confirmed by a vote of confidence from the local Deputy bloc of the Folkthing, they are ''de facto'' appointed on the advice of the leader of the largest party in the bloc, who has always been the Realm Chancellor.
The Erishlands have a distinct mixture of {{wpl|Two party system|two party}} and {{wpl|Multiparty system|multiparty}} politics. In Erish politics, control over the Cabinet normally alternates within a pair of "Big Two" parties until a major political realignment occurs; since 1971, the {{wpl|Center-left politics|center-left}} [[Democratic Party (Erishland)|Democrats]] and {{wpl|Conservatism|conservative}} Royalists have been the "Big Two". However, parliaments regularly seat several more parties, with the current Realm Diet seating 9 different parties as well as 2 {{wpl|Independent politicians|independents}}, and the Democrats and Royalists have consistent coalitions with the Labour and Freedom parties respectively. This results in a political climate where the single party in power has a fairly stable government that is principally supported by the majority of the electorate, but coalition-building and compromise is a necessity.


In national Erish politics, the Cabinet has always been a one-party {{wpl|minority government}} since 1971 formed by either the Democratic or People's parties. Due to the semi-bicameral system, however, they have generally been fairly stable, with only two early elections having been called since. Although Landtings copy the national model and have generally followed the same trends, there are more exceptions at the Land level.
===Democrats===


The Bureaus which each Chancellor leads are composed of smaller Departments headed by directors, and are tasked with executing some aspect of the Bureau's area of policy; they themselves are composed of smaller agencies that comprise the vast majority of the actual civil service. These directors and other high officers are appointed by the crown on advice of the relevant Chancellor, and are obligated to follow the policy directives of their Chancellor. However, they can only be removed by the monarch exercising their {{wpl|reserve power}} to dismiss executive officials; they are politically neutral servants who remain and work in their posts regardless of which party is in power.
The Democrats (''Folkstøjrers'', '''FS'''), also translated as the Republicans, are a {{wpl|Center-left politics|center-left}} political party in Erishland. It is currently the major left-wing party in Erish federal politics, after supplanting the Labour Party in 1973 as one of the "Big Two" parties. It is currently led by the Erish prime minister, Erik Geralkson, and is in Government of the federal government and 6 Lands.  


Like all other local Deputies, the Realm Chancellor and other Chancellors are required to hold a {{wpl|Town hall meeting|town hall meeting}} with their constituents at least once every three months. Due to their role, however, these have more attendees and media present at the meeting.
The Democrats' politics are often compared by observers to {{wpl|social democracy}}, but they are considered within the Erishlands to be a revival of the tradition of Erish republicanism. Its slogan, ''Owte Fryxte'' ("without fear"), is a reference to the Constitution's definition of freedom in classical Erish republican terms. The party stands for a comprehensive {{wpl|welfare state}}, labor, minority, and states' rights, and regulatory measures to combat concentration of economic power, but distinguishes itself from the Labour Party in a firm commitment against transitioning towards a socialist economy.


==Judicial branch==
The Democrats trace their origins to the republican movements that led to the creation of the Constitution in 1840, but there is no clear lineage from the short-lived Republicans (1840-3) to the modern Democrats. The Democrats of today were founded in 1919, presenting themselves as a middle road between the then-Big Two parties, Labour and Freedom. Democrats recognized the need for meaningful social security, labour reforms, and even some degree of capital redistribution, but were skeptical of nationalization of industry, promoting collectivization, and supporting the at-home economy. Democrats initially enjoyed only limited success, only making gains in urban areas without strong labor movements; but thirty years before it would become one of the Big Two, it had only 7 seats in the Realm Diet in 1941.


The Erish judiciary is an independent branch of the state, separate from the legislative and executive branches. Erishland is a primarily {{wpl|Civil law (legal system)|civil law}} jurisdiction, but juries are a constitutionally entrenched component of all civil and criminal matters, and precedent is an important component of the rulings of courts. In the Erish judicial system, there are three "tracks" of courts: judicial, administrative, and constitutional.
Between the 1940s and 1970s, the Democrats began to emerge as the predominant left-wing party, consistently making gains alongside the Royalists in areas traditionally held by both Labour and Freedom. With some adjustments to its platform, namely shifting towards support for the Realm Health Service, its message gained a significantly broad appeal across the Erishlands. It first gained Senators in 1965, forming the Opposition to the Royalists for the first time, but lost its Senators in 1969 to Labour the following election. In 1973, it was elected to Government for the first time, and has since stayed one of the Big Two parties.


===Judicial courts===
===Royalists===


The judicial "track" has jurisdiction over civil and criminal matters. At the national and Land levels, this track consists of district courts, courts of appeal, and the national Cassation Court.
The Royalists (''Idetrowgers'', '''IT''') are a {{wpl|Conservatism|conservative}} political party in the Erishlands. It is currently the major right-wing party in Erish politics, replacing the Freedom Party as one of the Big Two after the 1961 election. Following the defeat of prime minister Ulle Næsz in the 2020 federal election, Senator Stærkwig Gerþrøjsdohter has taken leadership of the Opposition; the Royalists are in Government in 7 Lands.


Judges of district courts and courts of appeal at the national level are appointed with tenure by the monarch on advice of the Justice Chancellor, although the 1963 Act on Judicial Selection requires the Justice Chancellor to make their recommendations based off of an independent Judicial Selection Board. The Court of Cassation is comprised of magistrates selected by the Supreme Court and serve eight year terms, with one magistrate being selected each year.
The Royalists have a conservative platform embodied by their party slogan ''Ett voreneð Rejke'' ("one united realm"), which implies a singular, traditional Erish country ruled by a central government. Royalists advocate a strong federal government, traditional values, and greater autonomy for the capital city, Fjørgborg. Despite their commitment to a social market economy to maintain traditional Erish egalitarianism, they also believe the part-time economy by itself does a considerable amount in its preservation.


District courts are the only courts allowed to make judgements on questions of fact. Each court is composed of a judge and six jurors, and operate as {{wpl|Adversarial system|adversarial}} proceedings, where the prosecution must successfully persuade the jury of the defendant's guilt. Due to strict constitutional protections with regards to trials, even when a defendant pleads guilty, it is still the decision of a jury whether to accept the arguments of the prosecution and render a guilty verdict. Double jeopardy protections are granted to the acquitted, but a retrial can occur if an appeals court or the Cassation Court determines that the law was not properly applied.
The Royalists emerged during the early 1900s through the merger of the Seskland Loyalists, the last remnant of one of the original Big Two parties, and the Conservative Party. Royalists originally, as their name suggests, had pro-monarchism as an important component of their platform, but this issue faded out of political relevancy by the 1940s. Royalists synthesized the original Loyalist platform of pro-centralism, pro-tradition, and pro-at-home economy with moderate support for a welfare state, and a firm commitment to constitutional democracy. Much like their present rivals, the Royalists were originally limited in their influence, and were even derided as "the dying clutch of the Loyalists". Through the 1930s, they were strongly associated with Seskland and Fjørgborg.


Severe crimes such as murder or treason, or cases involving international law or a trial requested by another country, are tried in an Assizes Court. All Assizes Courts are formally presided over by the monarch, a holdover from old traditions, but these duties are delegated to judges who are recommended by the Judicial Selection Board. In contrast to district courts, where jurors are randomly drawn from the public, the jurors of the Court of Assizes are selected by the Supreme Court from a pool of judges, and proceedings are more {{wpl|Inquisitorial system|inquisitorial}} in nature.
The Royalists ascended at the same time as the Democrats, as the political tides began to shift away from the socialist-liberal divide of the Labour and Freedom parties. Just like the Democrats, its acceptance of the Realm Health Service was a major turning point for the party, helping to break conservatives away from the Labour coalition. After being elected to the Opposition in 1961 instead of the Freedom party, it has consistently elected Senators and remained one of the Big Two.  


===Administrative courts===
===Federalists===


The administrative "track" has jurisdiction over cases involving the government, and is comprised in a similar manner as the judicial courts, with the highest court of appeal being the State Court. Courts in this track have the power to strike down executive policies which are found to not conform with the laws passed by the Folkthing, and are primarily {{wpl|Inquisitorial system|inquisitorial}} in nature.
The Federalists (''Bonders'', '''BN'''), alternatively the Farmers, are a {{wpl|Centrism|centrist}}, {{wpl|Federalism|federalist}} party in the Erishlands. They are the oldest extant political party in the Erishlands, having been one of the original Big Two parties between 1843 and 1889. At the federal level, they are led by Representative Fjælkel Balkesson, and are currently in Government in Winskland, Bredfjelth, and Sjobeck.  


===Constitutional court===
The Federalist platform continues a commitment to ''Endrahten end Systerskapen end Samærbdingo'' ("Concord, fraternity and cooperation"), the confederal motto. Federalists are particularly committed to the representation of rural interests, decentralization, and the free market, but political centrism and, at the state level, direct democracy plays an important component of their modern political platform.


The constitutional track is comprised by the Supreme Court, which is the sole court with jurisdiction over questions of constitutionality. It consists of fifteen Justices who serve non-renewable ten year terms, with three rotating out every two years; five are elected by the Folkthing, five selected by the monarch on advice of the Justice Chancellor, and five elected by district court judges. It has the power to {{wpl|Judicial review|review}} all laws and policies at any level of government, and can hear complaints of violations of constitutional rights through the mechanism of the ''rejtklag'' ("right-complaint"). Alongside the monarch, the Supreme Court is the guarantor of the constitution's spirit, as it can strike down laws or policies which contradict it.
The Federalists were one of the original political parties of the Erishlands, forming through a temporary split in the republican movement between hardline federalists and the more moderate republicans. They gradually declined in federal prominence during the late 1800s, losing their stature as one of the Big Two after the elections of 1892. Instead of fading into obscurity, the party has continued to play an important role in Erish politics. Since Cabinets began to include more than one party starting in 1918, the Federalists have made it a part of their political platform they will only take part in a Government or Opposition if they have elected Senators. Originally, this was an attempt to excite voters, but it has instead come to be the basis of the convention that parties without ministers in the Realm or Opposition cabinet are considered independent.

Revision as of 16:16, 7 June 2021

Politics of the Erish Confederation

Geð politíske systémeð Ærskbondem
Polity typeFederal parliamentary constitutional monarchy
ConstitutionConstitution of the Erish Realm
Legislative branch
NameRealm Diet and Confederal Council
TypeBicameral
Presiding officerHjome Wang, Speaker of the Realm Diet
Executive branch
Head of State
TitleMonarch
CurrentlyLjowsne III
AppointerHereditary
Head of Government
TitlePrime Minister
CurrentlyErik Geralkson
AppointerMonarch
Cabinet
NameRealm Cabinet
Current cabinetFirst Geralkson cabinet
LeaderPrime Minister
AppointerMonarch
Ministries15
Judicial branch
NameErish judiciary
Constitutional Court
Chief judgeHrůbert Hendreson
High Court
Chief judgeFrůde Gotfriþsdohter
Political system of the Erishlands

The politics of Erishland take place within the framework of a federal representative democratic constitutional monarchy. Under the Constitution of the Erish Realm, the authority of the state derives from the public will.

The Erish political system operates as a parliamentary constitutional monarchy, wherein the monarch, currently Queen Ljowsne III, is the ceremonial head of state whilst the prime minister—whose official title is "President of the Confederation"—currently Erik Geralkson, is the head of government. Executive power is exercised by the cabinets of both the federal and state governments. Federal legislative power is vested in the Realm Diet (parliament of the Erishlands) and the Confederal Council (representative body of federal and state governments). The judiciary is independent of the executive and legislative branches.

The Erishlands have a multi-party system with two large parties at the federal level, the conservative Royalists and center-left Democrats, and several other smaller but influential parties. The Realm Diet is directly elected by a mixture of two-round proportional and double mandate voting. Voting in federal elections, as well as for state parliaments, is compulsory. The Realm Cabinet is exclusively accountable to a two-party subchamber of the Diet, leading to governments consistently being minority governments.

The Erishlands are an asymmetric federation, wherein the 20 Lands and the Shire of Fjørjborg (states) are cosovereign with the Realm (the federal government), but Førjborg has less autonomy. The forms of government used by the Lands and Shires resemble the federal government, with cabinets that are accountable to a subchamber of their otherwise unicameral, elected legislatures.

Political culture

Modern Erish political culture is marked by a general consensus on social security ensured by the state, a social corporatist economy that includes capital and labor, and a cooperative federation where the federal and state governments both influence one another. Another important aspect of the political culture is an emphasis on collective exercise of political power. The Erish prime minister, for example, is first among equals in the Realm Cabinet, and casts their vote in the Confederal Council on the instructions of the Cabinet.

Coalition governments, in the sense of multiple parties coming together to form a governing majority, are non-existent in Erish politics. The Realm Cabinet is only responsible to the Senators of the Realm Diet, who always come from a majority and minority party. In the contemporary era, these parties have generally been the conservative Royalists and the center-left Democrats. Democrat Cabinets do traditionally include Representatives from the Labour Party, and Royalist Cabinets from the Freedom Party. The presence of multiple parties in both the Realm Diet and Confederal Council has facilitated a culture of negotiation and compromise. Though this gives political minorities greater influence in the political process, it can lead to gridlocks.

In Erish political culture, the Government and Opposition are considered to only include parties with ministers in either the Realm or Opposition Cabinets respectively. All other parties are considered independent, and not necessarily for or against the current Government.

The system of government of the Erishlands is parliamentary, but its dynamics can resemble those of presidencies. The Senators of the Realm Diet effectively function as a standing electoral college for the prime minister and Cabinet. Unlike a presidency, however, the Cabinet can be forced to resign through a vote of no confidence by Senators, and Cabinet decisions are made on a collegial basis, instead of necessarily at the direction of the prime minister.

Constitution

The Constitution of the Erish Confederation (Erish: Grundlogo Ærskbondem) is the supreme law of the Erishlands for both the federal and state governments. It establishes the principles of Erish democracy, lays out a bill of fundamental personal, political, civil, and social rights, and sets the framework for federal and, to a lesser extent, state politics. All of these are binding upon all bodies of the state; to enforce this, the Constitutional Court is able to exercise judicial review over any law or policy.

An important aspect of the Erish constitutional order is the relationship between the federal government, known as the Realm (Erish: Rejkeð), and the state governments. As in other federations, the federal and state governments are cosovereign, and each have exclusive powers in particular areas. However, though federal laws take precedence over state laws, neither level of government is considered supreme, and both levels are able to influence the other. This is most visible in how the official name of the Erishlands is the Erish Confederation (Erish: Ærskbondeð), but it presents itself in international relations as the Erish Realm (Erish: Ærskrejkeð) due to federal jurisdiction in that sphere of politics. Unusually (but in historic compromise between monarchists and republicans), this technically makes the Erishlands a republic, as the prime minister's title of "President of the Confederation" (Erish: Vorsitzern Bondem) implies they are the head of state for the Confederation. In practice, however, virtually all duties of head of state are exercised by the Monarch, who is the head of state for the federal government.

Most amendments to the Erish constitution require approval by three-fifths of the Realm Assembly and of the Confederal Council twice. The second vote takes place after the beginning of the next four-year legislative term. Amendments to certain components of the constitution such as fundamental rights, emergency powers, or the amendment process itself require a two-thirds majority twice.

Monarchy

The Erish monarch, officially the "Queen of the Erish" (Erish: Ido Ærskem) (or "King of the Erish" Iden Ærskem when male) and currently Queen Ljosne III, is the Erish head of state. They have other titles, such as High Priest of the Ardist Order, but these are not official and do not have any bearing upon their duties of state. They are the formal source of executive power, but also symbolically represent the unity of the realm.

The Erish monarch is formally afforded several powers, such as appointing the Realm Cabinet, commanding the Realm Guard, or receiving foreign dignitaries. Because of the language used in the constitution, however, it is clear that almost all powers are to be exercised on the advice of the Realm Cabinet; refusal to sign off on the Realm Cabinet's actions constitutes reserve powers, though these have not been exercised since the late 1800s, and could be overridden by the Realm Cabinet. The monarch is considered, however, to still have the right to be consulted, to advise, and to warn members of the Cabinet during monthly meetings.

In this light, the role of the Erish monarch is embodied in the Royal Oath they must take before the Realm Diet before taking the crown, and further reinforced by their constitutional responsibility to ensure that the laws are exercised according to their spirit. They are a ceremonial head of state, ruling according to the framework of the constitution and the democratic mandate expressed through elections. However, they are also a guarantor of the constitution: within the limits of the powers they are granted by the constitution, the monarch is expected to halt any unconstitutional or immoral action of the government, even if such an act would effectively be symbolic.

Executive branch

The constitution formally vests executive power in the "Office of the Crown", but in practice grants it to the Realm Cabinet. Led by the Erish prime minister, the Cabinet's members, called Ministers, each head a particular Bureau, which is in charge of some aspect of the national bureaucracy. All Ministers, including the prime minister, are accountable to the Senators of the Realm Diet, who can appoint and remove them. In the event of a successful vote of no confidence by an absolute majority of Senators for a Minister or the entire Cabinet, they are forced to resign, and a simple majority can then appoint a replacement.

Head of government

The Erish prime minister, officially the President of the Confederation (Erish: Vorsitzern Bondem), is the Erish head of government. Officially the head of the Confederal Affairs Bureau (Erish: Bondssakorbyróen), they are the first among equals presiding officer of the Realm Cabinet as well as the Confederal Council. Like all other ministers, they are required to be a Senator from the Realm Diet, and, because they must command the support of the majority of them, have thus always been the leaders of the majority party of Senators. The prime minister is constitutionally required to be a Senator.

The Erish prime minister is the leading political figure in Erish federal politics, but compared to prime ministers in other parliamentary democracies, the Erish prime minister is fairly limited in their power. This is because the Realm Cabinet originally operated, and to a great extent still operates, more as a collegial body of equals than necessarily at the direction of a particular minister. The Erish prime minister was originally called the Realm Minister, who just represented the Cabinet in the Confederal Council (the title being analogous to those formally of Land or Shire Minister for state Confederal Ministers). Despite then (and still) being the only constitutionally recognized minister, the Realm Minister was, though important, not the leading figure of the Cabinet, with the Foreign, Interior, and Defense Ministers being more prominent. During the late 1800s, the Realm Minister gradually gained more and more influence, such that by 1889 they were chairing meetings of the Cabinet. In 1925, some of the office's roles were constitutionalized and they gained the title of President of the Confederation. This development is unique to the federal government; in the states, either the interior minister or a dedicated president minister has taken on the role of head of state government.

The Erish prime minister's original, and still constitutionally first role is to preside over the Confederal Council, and represent the Realm Cabinet's positions in its proceedings. Their position as the presiding officer of the Council is somewhat ceremonial. The prime minister also chairs the weekly meeting of the Realm Cabinet, and can set its agenda. Cabinet decisions, however, are made collectively or by individual Ministers, instead of at the direction of the prime minister. Nevertheless, the prime minister serves as the face of the Cabinet to both the Confederal Council and the public.

The current prime minister, the Democrat Senator Erik Geralkson, took the office for the first time on 6 December 2020. Following the norms of Erish politics, he is the leader of his party, and his Cabinet is a minority government. In the first Geralkson Cabinet, 10 Ministers come from the Democrats, and 5 from the Labour Party.

Cabinet and government departments

The Realm Cabinet (Erish: Rejkesrådeð) is the leading executive body at the federal level, composed of Ministers (Erish: Þegner) who are each responsible for some component of the national bureaucracy which executes federal laws. Apart from the prime minister, whose position is constitutionally established, each Ministry is an office established by federal law to lead a particular Bureau (of which there are currently 15). There are no junior ministers or ministers without portfolio. Only Senators and Representatives are allowed to be Ministers; by custom, the Foreign, Interior, and Defense Ministers are Senators, whilst the others are Representatives.

In Erish politics, the Cabinet is always a minority government, which since 1971 has been formed by either the Democrats or Royalists, though the two parties respectively appoint Labour and Freedom Representatives as part of their cabinet by convention. The number of Ministries split between parties in Democrat-Labour and Royalist-Freedom cabinets is traditionally based off the share of the vote in the first round of votes for Senators in a federal election. However, because only Senators from the Government and Opposition parties are allowed to participate in a vote of no confidence, the junior partner cannot participate in one; customarily, junior partners are thus allowed to contradict the Cabinet's positions, insofar as they do not contradict their own portfolios. Loss of supply is not considered a vote of no confidence, and a vote of no confidence does not (and cannot) trigger a snap election, but simply leads to a new Cabinet being appointed.

The Bureaus which each Minister leads are composed of smaller departments headed by directors, and are tasked with executing some aspect of the Bureau's area of policy; they themselves are composed of smaller agencies that comprise the vast majority of the actual civil service. These directors and other high officers are appointed by the crown on advice of the relevant Minister, and are obligated to follow the policy directives of their Minister. However, they can only be removed by the monarch exercising their reserve power to dismiss executive officials; though many have terms that by statute are aligned with elections, they are expected to be politically neutral servants who work in their posts regardless of which party is in power. However, because much federal law is executed by state governments (which the federal Ministers can give policy directives to with the consent of the Confederal Council), the size of the federal bureaucracy is relatively small, comprising only 100,000 employees.

Like all other Representatives, any Minister that is a Representative is required to hold a town hall meeting with their constituents at least once every three months. Due to their role, these have more media attention, and usually more attendees.

Legislative branch

The federal legislative branch of the Erishlands consists of two separate parliaments, the Realm Diet and the Confederal Council. The Realm Diet is for certain purposes, namely confidence in the Realm Cabinet, divided into two chambers, the Realm Assembly and the Great Assembly, only the latter of which can hold a vote of no confidence. The Confederal Council represents the governments of the Lands, the Shire of Fjørgborg, and the federal government. With the different powers and responsibilities between the Realm Diet and the Confederal Council, the Erish federal legislature is in effect bicameral in most regards.

Realm Diet

The Realm Diet (Erish: Rejkesdagen) is the Erish federal parliament, and the only directly elected institution of the federal government. It resembles a lower house in other federal parliamentary democracies.

Members of the Realm Diet are divided into two classes, Representatives (Erish: Vortred'rer) and Senators (Erish: Ældrer), who represent the Erish people as citizens of their states and the confederation respectively. The total number of Representatives and Senators increases every twelve years in response to population growth, with the current number as of 2020 being 208 Representatives and 69 Senators. The entire Realm Diet is elected every four years by citizens over the age of 21. Representatives are elected using double mandate voting, which combines plurality and proportional into a single vote that elects the two Representatives in each constituency. Senators are elected nationally through a two-round election, where the two parties that receive the most votes in the first round gain Senators, with their share of seats being determined by their proportion of the vote in the second round two weeks later. A midterm election can only be called by the Cabinet over a deadlocked bill, with the newly elected Diet serving the remainder of the four-year term.

The Realm Diet has several roles in the Erish political system. Along with the Confederal Council, which it is considered independent of, it is a main body in the federal legislative process. It is the more powerful of the two, as it has de facto unilateral authority over matters of exclusively federal jurisdiction. In practice, though, many federal laws relate to areas of shared jurisdiction with the states, and thus the consent of the Confederal Council is required for them. For certain purposes, the Realm Diet itself operates like a bicameral legislature.

2020 federal election

The Erishlands held federal elections on 21 November 2020 to elect the members of the 58th Realm Diet. At stake were all 271 seats of the previous Realm Diet, as well as 4 new Representative and 2 new Senator seats as a result of the 2020 federal census. After the Republicans and Royalists gained the greatest amount of votes in the votes for Senators, they proceeded to a second round on 5 December 2020.

The Democrats won the highest percentage of the Representative vote with 24.1 percent, as well as the two rounds of the Senator vote, leading it become the Government and the largest party in the Realm Diet. The Royalists suffered their worst losses in decades, falling almost four percentage points in their Representative vote, but still managed to win Opposition and the second largest amount of seats, despite polling in the preceding months suggesting the Federalists might be poised to gain Opposition. On 6 December 2020, the day following the second round of votes, the Royalist Næsz Cabinet tendered its resignation, and joined with Democrats in nominating the Opposition Cabinet, led by Democrat Senator Erik Geralkson, to become the new Realm Cabinet. On 3 January 2021, the 58th Realm Diet began its term.

Realm Diet 2020.png
Party Representatives Senators Total
1st round 2nd round
Votes % Seats Votes % Votes % Seats Seats
Democrats (FS) 3,531,259 24.1 50 4,020,549 27.5 7,658,095 52.7 37 87
Royalists (IT) 2,620,639 17.9 39 3,171,397 21.7 6,777,060 46.6 32 71
Freedom Party (FR) 2,171,941 14.8 31 2,284,726 15.6 – – – 31
Federalists (BN) 2,004,018 13.7 31 2,750,772 18.8 – – – 31
Labour Party (AR) 1,920,696 13.1 28 2,307,135 15.8 – – – 28
Justice Party (RH) 747,873 5.1 10 – – – – – 10
Christian Democrats (HR) 728,933 5.0 9 – – – – – 9
Tarkalter Party (TK) 357,375 2.4 6 – – – – – 6
New Right (NH) 160,542 1.1 2 – – – – – 2
Independents (UA) 172,579 1.2 2 – – – – – 2
Others 128,432 0.9 0 – – – – – 0
Invalid/blank votes 95,288 0.7 – 104,996 0.7 99,424 0.7 – –
Total 14,639,575 100.0 208 14,639,575 100.0 14,534,579 100.0 69 277
Registered voters/turnout 15,812,038 92.6 – 15,812,038 92.6 15,812,038 91.9 – –
Source: Realm Election Commission (2020)

Great Assembly

The Great Assembly (Erish: Stůrþingeð) consists of the 69 Senators of the Realm Diet. Due to the Senators being elected by two-round voting, it is a two-party chamber with a majority and minority party. Senators of the majority are unofficially known as the Government (Erish: Vorwaldingo), and the minority is constitutionally recognized as the Opposition (Erish: Oppositjóno); in common language, these terms are extended to include any party with a minister in the Realm or Opposition Cabinet. As of 2021, the Government consists of 37 Democrat Senators, and the Opposition of 32 Royalist Senators.

Its most important function is control over the Realm Cabinet. Each and every Minister of the Cabinet is nominated by a simple majority of Senators and then appointed by the Monarch. The absolute majority of Senators can remove a Minister or the entire Cabinet through a vote of no confidence. The confinement of this control over the executive to the Great Assembly limits the fusion of powers between the executive and legislature that arises through the parliamentary system.

The other important role of the Great Assembly is that it is the national platform for the Opposition. The Opposition has the right to appoint a shadow cabinet, the Opposition Cabinet, which presents the alternative to current Government policy, and gets to comment on all bills proposed by the Realm Cabinet before they are introduced to the Realm Diet. It also questions the Government during the weekly Question Time, can convene the Realm Diet, instigate parliamentary inquiries, or challenge the legality of laws or Cabinet policies with automatic standing.

The national election of Senators, and the use of the two-party election, is intended to allow for indirect election of the Realm Cabinet. It also supplements the local perspectives of Representatives with a more national, long-term view to federal politics. In most cases, the same two parties are elected to have Senators until a major political realignment occurs, enabling Senators to have longer average incumbencies. Moreover, with the Opposition Cabinet having a right to confidential briefings from senior executive officers, it ensures smooth transitions of power. Indeed, it has been a constitutional convention since 1908 that, after it is clear the current Government has lost an election, the Cabinet resigns and joins with the Opposition to immediately appoint the new Cabinet, instead of waiting for the next legislative term to begin.

Realm Assembly

The Realm Assembly (Erish: Rejkesþingeð) consists of the 208 Representatives of the Realm Diet. Its functions are less visible than the Great Assembly's, but are just as important, as they further preserve a separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches. It is the sole body which can authorize military deployments, legislate with regards to the judiciary and independent oversight institutions, or instigate impeachments. It also approves the boundaries drawn up by the Realm Electoral Commission every twelve years for the redistricting of its constituencies.

Representatives originally represented local constituencies along with Senators, with Senators merely being a class of Representatives they elected. In 1900, voting was reformed to the current electoral system of Senators being nationally elected, but Representatives remaining locally elected. The double mandate system has facilitated the rise of a Multi-party system and the occasional seating of independent Representatives whilst preserving constituency-based representation. It has also caused Governments to consistently lack majorities in the Realm Diet, helping establish through necessity the modern culture of negotiation and compromise. To maintain their link with their constituents, all Representatives are constitutionally required to hold town hall meetings at least once every three months.

Confederal Council

Distribution of votes as of 21 March 2021:
  Labour: 3 votes
  Democrats: 22 votes
  Center: 11 votes
  Royalists: 18 votes
  Freedom: 16 votes

The Confederal Council (Erish: Bondsrådeð) is a constitutional institution that has a role most similar to upper houses, though it is formally neither a legislative body nor even a body of the federal government. Nonetheless, the Council takes part in the legislative process alongside the Realm Diet, having an absolute veto on legislation affecting state jurisdiction and a suspensory veto on all others. The Council meets at a separate place from the Realm Diet, which it all but completely carries out its functions independently of. Under certain circumstances, it can be convened at the same time as the Realm Diet, but it never meets in joint assembly, even for the annual Speech from the Crown.

The Confederal Council consists of 22 Confederal Ministers, each of whom is a minister of a state or federal cabinet dedicated to their representation. In conformity with the principle of collective responsibility, they are not free to vote according to their own position, but must instead represent the position of their cabinet. Moreover, each delegation has a vote weighted in degressive proportionality to the population of their state; in the case of the federal delegation, it has always had one vote. As the Council represents the state and federal cabinets, other Ministers are entitled to attend, participate, and vote in Council proceedings, in which case the votes are cast as a bloc.

Because the Council represents the state and federal governments, apart from the federal delegation, its makeup is independent of the federal election times. Thus, the makeup of the Council can potentially change every year. States are constitutionally mandated to have their parliaments follow a model akin to that of the Realm Diet, with a class of legislators elected through a statewide vote who have control over their cabinets. Consequently, not only are state and federal delegations of a single party, but they are indirectly elected.

The Confederal Council is presided over by the federal Confederal Minister, the prime minister, although their stature as presiding officer is somewhat ceremonial. Duties such as setting the agenda are carried out by the two Deputy Presidents, with the prime minister only becoming involved in such decisions in the event of a tie.

Every six months, the Confederal Council convenes as the Confederal Diet (Erish: Bondsdagen), with the prime ministers of the federal and state governments attending along with the Foreign, Interior, and Defense Ministers of the Realm Cabinet. Apart from legislation referred to it by the Council, the Confederal Diet does not vote on legislation, but instead meets to help set the general political agenda of the country. Whilst the Confederal Diet submits a report of its agreed-to (but non-binding) positions to the Realm Diet, the actual proceedings are not public.

Political parties

The Erishlands have a distinct mixture of two party and multiparty politics. In Erish politics, control over the Cabinet normally alternates within a pair of "Big Two" parties until a major political realignment occurs; since 1971, the center-left Democrats and conservative Royalists have been the "Big Two". However, parliaments regularly seat several more parties, with the current Realm Diet seating 9 different parties as well as 2 independents, and the Democrats and Royalists have consistent coalitions with the Labour and Freedom parties respectively. This results in a political climate where the single party in power has a fairly stable government that is principally supported by the majority of the electorate, but coalition-building and compromise is a necessity.

Democrats

The Democrats (Folkstøjrers, FS), also translated as the Republicans, are a center-left political party in Erishland. It is currently the major left-wing party in Erish federal politics, after supplanting the Labour Party in 1973 as one of the "Big Two" parties. It is currently led by the Erish prime minister, Erik Geralkson, and is in Government of the federal government and 6 Lands.

The Democrats' politics are often compared by observers to social democracy, but they are considered within the Erishlands to be a revival of the tradition of Erish republicanism. Its slogan, Owte Fryxte ("without fear"), is a reference to the Constitution's definition of freedom in classical Erish republican terms. The party stands for a comprehensive welfare state, labor, minority, and states' rights, and regulatory measures to combat concentration of economic power, but distinguishes itself from the Labour Party in a firm commitment against transitioning towards a socialist economy.

The Democrats trace their origins to the republican movements that led to the creation of the Constitution in 1840, but there is no clear lineage from the short-lived Republicans (1840-3) to the modern Democrats. The Democrats of today were founded in 1919, presenting themselves as a middle road between the then-Big Two parties, Labour and Freedom. Democrats recognized the need for meaningful social security, labour reforms, and even some degree of capital redistribution, but were skeptical of nationalization of industry, promoting collectivization, and supporting the at-home economy. Democrats initially enjoyed only limited success, only making gains in urban areas without strong labor movements; but thirty years before it would become one of the Big Two, it had only 7 seats in the Realm Diet in 1941.

Between the 1940s and 1970s, the Democrats began to emerge as the predominant left-wing party, consistently making gains alongside the Royalists in areas traditionally held by both Labour and Freedom. With some adjustments to its platform, namely shifting towards support for the Realm Health Service, its message gained a significantly broad appeal across the Erishlands. It first gained Senators in 1965, forming the Opposition to the Royalists for the first time, but lost its Senators in 1969 to Labour the following election. In 1973, it was elected to Government for the first time, and has since stayed one of the Big Two parties.

Royalists

The Royalists (Idetrowgers, IT) are a conservative political party in the Erishlands. It is currently the major right-wing party in Erish politics, replacing the Freedom Party as one of the Big Two after the 1961 election. Following the defeat of prime minister Ulle Næsz in the 2020 federal election, Senator Stærkwig Gerþrøjsdohter has taken leadership of the Opposition; the Royalists are in Government in 7 Lands.

The Royalists have a conservative platform embodied by their party slogan Ett voreneð Rejke ("one united realm"), which implies a singular, traditional Erish country ruled by a central government. Royalists advocate a strong federal government, traditional values, and greater autonomy for the capital city, Fjørgborg. Despite their commitment to a social market economy to maintain traditional Erish egalitarianism, they also believe the part-time economy by itself does a considerable amount in its preservation.

The Royalists emerged during the early 1900s through the merger of the Seskland Loyalists, the last remnant of one of the original Big Two parties, and the Conservative Party. Royalists originally, as their name suggests, had pro-monarchism as an important component of their platform, but this issue faded out of political relevancy by the 1940s. Royalists synthesized the original Loyalist platform of pro-centralism, pro-tradition, and pro-at-home economy with moderate support for a welfare state, and a firm commitment to constitutional democracy. Much like their present rivals, the Royalists were originally limited in their influence, and were even derided as "the dying clutch of the Loyalists". Through the 1930s, they were strongly associated with Seskland and Fjørgborg.

The Royalists ascended at the same time as the Democrats, as the political tides began to shift away from the socialist-liberal divide of the Labour and Freedom parties. Just like the Democrats, its acceptance of the Realm Health Service was a major turning point for the party, helping to break conservatives away from the Labour coalition. After being elected to the Opposition in 1961 instead of the Freedom party, it has consistently elected Senators and remained one of the Big Two.

Federalists

The Federalists (Bonders, BN), alternatively the Farmers, are a centrist, federalist party in the Erishlands. They are the oldest extant political party in the Erishlands, having been one of the original Big Two parties between 1843 and 1889. At the federal level, they are led by Representative Fjælkel Balkesson, and are currently in Government in Winskland, Bredfjelth, and Sjobeck.

The Federalist platform continues a commitment to Endrahten end Systerskapen end Samærbdingo ("Concord, fraternity and cooperation"), the confederal motto. Federalists are particularly committed to the representation of rural interests, decentralization, and the free market, but political centrism and, at the state level, direct democracy plays an important component of their modern political platform.

The Federalists were one of the original political parties of the Erishlands, forming through a temporary split in the republican movement between hardline federalists and the more moderate republicans. They gradually declined in federal prominence during the late 1800s, losing their stature as one of the Big Two after the elections of 1892. Instead of fading into obscurity, the party has continued to play an important role in Erish politics. Since Cabinets began to include more than one party starting in 1918, the Federalists have made it a part of their political platform they will only take part in a Government or Opposition if they have elected Senators. Originally, this was an attempt to excite voters, but it has instead come to be the basis of the convention that parties without ministers in the Realm or Opposition cabinet are considered independent.

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