Hollanden
13-10-2007, 20:13
Note: This factbook for convenience tends to assume the male form of pronouns. This should not be interpreted as a gender restriction on office.
Basic Information:
Conventional Long Form: Imperial Republic of Hollanden
Conventional Short Form: Hollanden
Common Abbreviations: IRH
Government Type: Constitutional Monarchy
Capital: Be’an
Major Cities: Ebis, Tulara, Sar, Haven, Delan
Population: Just under two billion
Official language: English
Head of State/Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces: Emperor Elliot Alexander
Head of Government: Emperor Elliot Alexander
Executive Branch – brief explanation:
Choosing an Emperor and Interregnum periods:
An Interregnum period begins as soon as the death of the previous Emperor is announced (the announcement must, by law, be within twelve hours of the death) or, if the Emperor is impeached, once the President of the Senate receives certification of impeachment from the Chief Justice. If an Emperor abdicates his office, there is no interregnum period as the Emperor will be expected to continue governing until his successor is chosen.
The Chancellor of State serves as chief executive during an interregnum period and has all the powers of the Imperial office, though he is still referred to as Chancellor of State (“Acting Executive” may be added after the title when addressing correspondence, if desired).
During the interregnum, all of Hollanden’s borders are sealed and no one is allowed in or out of the country without receiving a special dispensation from the government. This also applies, much to the chagrin of foreign governments, to foreign ambassadors and diplomatic pouches. In fact, the purpose of closing the borders during the interregnum is to prevent foreign governments from having undue influence on the selection of a new Emperor.
The Emperor is chosen by a group of 1, 000 elected representatives of the people, called the Imperial College. College representatives are chosen for ten-year terms, with 100 chosen each year. By law, they may not be members of Parliament when first elected to the College.
Within twenty-four hours of the beginning of an interregnum period, the members are legally obliged to meet together to vote on a new Emperor. While not required, it is traditional for them to meet in Be’an, the capital of Hollanden. Typically the senior member presides over voting.
Once the College has begun their meeting, they are sequestered. They begin voting on the next Emperor by secret ballot, with any citizen of Hollanden eligible to be voted for. Only a two-thirds majority will elect the next Emperor. Occasionally, the College will after several rounds of voting invite frontunners to speak and be questioned. (Interesting Historical Fact: The highest number of ballots required to elect an Emperor was 1, 337 in 1976, electing Emperor John Herald)
Removing an Emperor:
An Emperor serves for life, until abdication, or until he is removed. The last possibility was added by the founders of the modern Hollanden government in order to keep Emperors from assuming dictatorial powers and to keep inept Emperors from serving too long.
An Emperor may be removed by either impeachment or a no-confidence vote.
Impeachment charges may be brought up in either chamber of Parliament. If charges receive a majority vote in the chamber they are brought up in, they are sent to the other chamber to be tried. They may only pass by a two-thirds vote.
A no-confidence vote may be proposed by any member of Parliament. It is considered simultaneously by both chambers of Parliament in a joint session. It may pass with the vote of two-thirds of the Parliament, or with the vote of three-fifths of the Parliament provided it is also approved by the President of the Senate.
The Parliament is currently considering whether to adopt an amendment to allow in certain circumstances a national no-confidence vote so that the public may vote to remove the Emperor with a two-thirds majority.
Powers and Responsibilities:
The Emperor serves as head of state and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. He is also responsible for enforcing the law, the administration of the government, and (with the approval of the Senate) appointing the heads of government offices. With the approval of the Senate, he appoints the judiciary. He has the power to propose a budget to the Parliament. The Emperor has both the right and responsibility to periodically dissolve the lower chamber of Parliament, though no less than six months and no more than five years after the last such dissolution. He may grant commutations and pardons, and he has the power of his own personal influence.
The Emperor does not have the power to veto bills. He may formally request that the Parliament reconsider a bill, he may try to use his influence to keep either the President of the Senate or the Secretary of the Assembly from bringing a bill up for a vote, he may try to challenge a bill’s constitutionality in court, or he may have the bill put up for a national referendum election, but he does not have veto power.
Cabinet:
Chancellor of State: The Honorable Dr. Michael J. Castlen
Director of the Military Office: Adm. James Reach
Prefect General: Maria West
Comptroller of Public Accounts: Richard St. Claire
Commissioner of Human Services: Luke Powers
National Intelligence Coordinator: Richard McArthur
Executor: Karen Davis
Parliament Officials:
President of the Senate: Howard Stess, Sr.
Secretary of the Assembly: David Wells
Parliament:
Parliament consists of an upper chamber, the Senate, and a lower chamber, the Assembly, which taken together have 1,000 members. It is designed to provide a populist, representative balance to the more stable, long-view position of the Emperor. Legislation may originate in either chamber, but only the Senate may approve the Emperor’s Cabinet, judicial, and military appointments.
The Senate:
The Senate is the Upper Chamber of Parliament. It consists of 108 Senators. Senators are allotted to each of the twenty-seven Districts of Hollanden such that each District has nearly equal representation, despite population, while still keeping very small Districts from having undue amounts of power compared to larger ones. This is accomplished by allotting to the nine most populous districts 5 Senators each, to the next nine districts 4 Senators each, and to the nine least populous 3 Senators each.
Unlike the Assembly, Senators have fixed terms of eight years each. The Senate elections are evenly divided so that one fourth of the Senate faces election every two years.
The President of the Senate is its presiding officer and has the power to schedule (or refuse to schedule) legislation to be voted on, to decide together with each party’s Senate leaders on committee assignments, and to break ties in the Senate. As a check on the Emperor’s power, he is also constitutionally required to be informed of most of the Emperor’s executive decisions.
The President of the Senate is elected by a nationwide popular vote every five years, in years ending in five and zero.
The Assembly:
The Assembly is the lower chamber of Parliament. It consists of 892 members, allotted according to population. It was intended to be a slightly more representative body than the Senate.
Unlike the Senate, the Assembly does not have fixed terms. Instead, the Emperor, no less than six months and no more than five years after the previous Assembly election, issues a Declaration Dissolving the Assembly. This sets up an election for each seat in the Assembly within one to three months.
Even if one political party wins a plurality of the vote, it may still lose control of the Assembly if two or more other parties form a coalition that outnumbers the party with the plurality of the vote. It should be noted, however, that it is rare for the party with the plurality to lose control.
The party or coalition of parties with a majority of seats elects a Secretary of the Assembly, traditionally but not necessarily an Assemblyman himself. He has the power to schedule (or refuse to schedule) legislation and to assign committees. As with the President of the Senate, the Emperor is constitutionally obligated to inform the Secretary of the Assembly of most of his executive decisions.
Religious Observances:
Roman Catholic: 60%
Protestant Denominations: 16%
Eastern Orthodox: 10%
Muslim: 8%
Jewish: 4%
Atheist/Other: 2%
Terms of address and other information:
A person from Hollanden is called “a Hollanden”. The people of Hollanden are called “The Hollanden”.
The Emperor may be addressed as “Emperor (Last Name)” or as “Your Highness”. It is not necessary to bow to him unless you are a member of the Hollanden armed forces, in which case you should bend your right knee to the floor and bow your head. The Emperor’s spouse may be referred to as Empress Consort. A female chief executive, of course, should be referred to as Empress and her spouse as Emperor Consort.
The Chancellor of State is typically addressed in correspondence as “The Honorable (Name)”. If the person holds another title, such as Dr, it may be added after “Honorable”. When actually speaking to a Chancellor of State, one may address him as “Mr. (Name)” or simply as “Chancellor”.
Ex.: “To The Honorable Dr. Michael Castlen” [letter]
“Good evening, Dr. Castlen.” [spoken]
“Good evening, Chancellor” [spoken]
The position of Executor is analogous to that of a Chief-of-Staff for the Emperor. A female Executor may be referred to as an “Executrix”, but this is not necessary. The proper form of address is Mr. (Name). In addressing correspondence, it is acceptable, but not necessary, to add the title “Executor” after the name.
Ex.: “To Ms. Karen Davis, Executrix”
Hollanden diplomatic culture has many varied and complicated rules of conduct that are often not completely clear. A visiting diplomat should be warned that a Hollanden diplomat who appears offended at a breach of conduct may be selectively interpreting the cultural codes of conduct in hopes of getting a concession in repayment for the “breach”.
More information may be added as the research team sees fit. Please feel free to ask any questions about Hollanden and the research team will get back to you.
Basic Information:
Conventional Long Form: Imperial Republic of Hollanden
Conventional Short Form: Hollanden
Common Abbreviations: IRH
Government Type: Constitutional Monarchy
Capital: Be’an
Major Cities: Ebis, Tulara, Sar, Haven, Delan
Population: Just under two billion
Official language: English
Head of State/Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces: Emperor Elliot Alexander
Head of Government: Emperor Elliot Alexander
Executive Branch – brief explanation:
Choosing an Emperor and Interregnum periods:
An Interregnum period begins as soon as the death of the previous Emperor is announced (the announcement must, by law, be within twelve hours of the death) or, if the Emperor is impeached, once the President of the Senate receives certification of impeachment from the Chief Justice. If an Emperor abdicates his office, there is no interregnum period as the Emperor will be expected to continue governing until his successor is chosen.
The Chancellor of State serves as chief executive during an interregnum period and has all the powers of the Imperial office, though he is still referred to as Chancellor of State (“Acting Executive” may be added after the title when addressing correspondence, if desired).
During the interregnum, all of Hollanden’s borders are sealed and no one is allowed in or out of the country without receiving a special dispensation from the government. This also applies, much to the chagrin of foreign governments, to foreign ambassadors and diplomatic pouches. In fact, the purpose of closing the borders during the interregnum is to prevent foreign governments from having undue influence on the selection of a new Emperor.
The Emperor is chosen by a group of 1, 000 elected representatives of the people, called the Imperial College. College representatives are chosen for ten-year terms, with 100 chosen each year. By law, they may not be members of Parliament when first elected to the College.
Within twenty-four hours of the beginning of an interregnum period, the members are legally obliged to meet together to vote on a new Emperor. While not required, it is traditional for them to meet in Be’an, the capital of Hollanden. Typically the senior member presides over voting.
Once the College has begun their meeting, they are sequestered. They begin voting on the next Emperor by secret ballot, with any citizen of Hollanden eligible to be voted for. Only a two-thirds majority will elect the next Emperor. Occasionally, the College will after several rounds of voting invite frontunners to speak and be questioned. (Interesting Historical Fact: The highest number of ballots required to elect an Emperor was 1, 337 in 1976, electing Emperor John Herald)
Removing an Emperor:
An Emperor serves for life, until abdication, or until he is removed. The last possibility was added by the founders of the modern Hollanden government in order to keep Emperors from assuming dictatorial powers and to keep inept Emperors from serving too long.
An Emperor may be removed by either impeachment or a no-confidence vote.
Impeachment charges may be brought up in either chamber of Parliament. If charges receive a majority vote in the chamber they are brought up in, they are sent to the other chamber to be tried. They may only pass by a two-thirds vote.
A no-confidence vote may be proposed by any member of Parliament. It is considered simultaneously by both chambers of Parliament in a joint session. It may pass with the vote of two-thirds of the Parliament, or with the vote of three-fifths of the Parliament provided it is also approved by the President of the Senate.
The Parliament is currently considering whether to adopt an amendment to allow in certain circumstances a national no-confidence vote so that the public may vote to remove the Emperor with a two-thirds majority.
Powers and Responsibilities:
The Emperor serves as head of state and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. He is also responsible for enforcing the law, the administration of the government, and (with the approval of the Senate) appointing the heads of government offices. With the approval of the Senate, he appoints the judiciary. He has the power to propose a budget to the Parliament. The Emperor has both the right and responsibility to periodically dissolve the lower chamber of Parliament, though no less than six months and no more than five years after the last such dissolution. He may grant commutations and pardons, and he has the power of his own personal influence.
The Emperor does not have the power to veto bills. He may formally request that the Parliament reconsider a bill, he may try to use his influence to keep either the President of the Senate or the Secretary of the Assembly from bringing a bill up for a vote, he may try to challenge a bill’s constitutionality in court, or he may have the bill put up for a national referendum election, but he does not have veto power.
Cabinet:
Chancellor of State: The Honorable Dr. Michael J. Castlen
Director of the Military Office: Adm. James Reach
Prefect General: Maria West
Comptroller of Public Accounts: Richard St. Claire
Commissioner of Human Services: Luke Powers
National Intelligence Coordinator: Richard McArthur
Executor: Karen Davis
Parliament Officials:
President of the Senate: Howard Stess, Sr.
Secretary of the Assembly: David Wells
Parliament:
Parliament consists of an upper chamber, the Senate, and a lower chamber, the Assembly, which taken together have 1,000 members. It is designed to provide a populist, representative balance to the more stable, long-view position of the Emperor. Legislation may originate in either chamber, but only the Senate may approve the Emperor’s Cabinet, judicial, and military appointments.
The Senate:
The Senate is the Upper Chamber of Parliament. It consists of 108 Senators. Senators are allotted to each of the twenty-seven Districts of Hollanden such that each District has nearly equal representation, despite population, while still keeping very small Districts from having undue amounts of power compared to larger ones. This is accomplished by allotting to the nine most populous districts 5 Senators each, to the next nine districts 4 Senators each, and to the nine least populous 3 Senators each.
Unlike the Assembly, Senators have fixed terms of eight years each. The Senate elections are evenly divided so that one fourth of the Senate faces election every two years.
The President of the Senate is its presiding officer and has the power to schedule (or refuse to schedule) legislation to be voted on, to decide together with each party’s Senate leaders on committee assignments, and to break ties in the Senate. As a check on the Emperor’s power, he is also constitutionally required to be informed of most of the Emperor’s executive decisions.
The President of the Senate is elected by a nationwide popular vote every five years, in years ending in five and zero.
The Assembly:
The Assembly is the lower chamber of Parliament. It consists of 892 members, allotted according to population. It was intended to be a slightly more representative body than the Senate.
Unlike the Senate, the Assembly does not have fixed terms. Instead, the Emperor, no less than six months and no more than five years after the previous Assembly election, issues a Declaration Dissolving the Assembly. This sets up an election for each seat in the Assembly within one to three months.
Even if one political party wins a plurality of the vote, it may still lose control of the Assembly if two or more other parties form a coalition that outnumbers the party with the plurality of the vote. It should be noted, however, that it is rare for the party with the plurality to lose control.
The party or coalition of parties with a majority of seats elects a Secretary of the Assembly, traditionally but not necessarily an Assemblyman himself. He has the power to schedule (or refuse to schedule) legislation and to assign committees. As with the President of the Senate, the Emperor is constitutionally obligated to inform the Secretary of the Assembly of most of his executive decisions.
Religious Observances:
Roman Catholic: 60%
Protestant Denominations: 16%
Eastern Orthodox: 10%
Muslim: 8%
Jewish: 4%
Atheist/Other: 2%
Terms of address and other information:
A person from Hollanden is called “a Hollanden”. The people of Hollanden are called “The Hollanden”.
The Emperor may be addressed as “Emperor (Last Name)” or as “Your Highness”. It is not necessary to bow to him unless you are a member of the Hollanden armed forces, in which case you should bend your right knee to the floor and bow your head. The Emperor’s spouse may be referred to as Empress Consort. A female chief executive, of course, should be referred to as Empress and her spouse as Emperor Consort.
The Chancellor of State is typically addressed in correspondence as “The Honorable (Name)”. If the person holds another title, such as Dr, it may be added after “Honorable”. When actually speaking to a Chancellor of State, one may address him as “Mr. (Name)” or simply as “Chancellor”.
Ex.: “To The Honorable Dr. Michael Castlen” [letter]
“Good evening, Dr. Castlen.” [spoken]
“Good evening, Chancellor” [spoken]
The position of Executor is analogous to that of a Chief-of-Staff for the Emperor. A female Executor may be referred to as an “Executrix”, but this is not necessary. The proper form of address is Mr. (Name). In addressing correspondence, it is acceptable, but not necessary, to add the title “Executor” after the name.
Ex.: “To Ms. Karen Davis, Executrix”
Hollanden diplomatic culture has many varied and complicated rules of conduct that are often not completely clear. A visiting diplomat should be warned that a Hollanden diplomat who appears offended at a breach of conduct may be selectively interpreting the cultural codes of conduct in hopes of getting a concession in repayment for the “breach”.
More information may be added as the research team sees fit. Please feel free to ask any questions about Hollanden and the research team will get back to you.