Minecraft:Government of Erisiana
Erisiana is governed by the House of Eris and Discord House. The seat of government is in Mountain Home, but may be moved to Malaclypse at some later date. There are four levels of authority: national; communal or territorial; district; and city, village, or town.
National
The national government is in charge of most major military defences, most foreign relations, and controls the national police force. National law takes precedence over all other law (except territories; see below), and the national government may pass any law it wishes. In practice, however, most provinces and territories are given enormous autonomy.
All areas which are part of Erisiana must be in either a territory or a province.
Only the national government may secede or acquire new land, and will assign it to a territory or province accordingly.
Territory
Territories are a special entity not unlike the special administrative regions of China. They are given enormous amounts of autonomy, and can pass any law, even if it is inconsistent with national law. They are not subdivided. Territories are owned outright by the House of Eris of Discord House (or jointly). In all other respects, they are similar to provinces.
Joint Sovereignty Areas
Joint Sovereignty Areas (JSA's) are a special case of territory. They are held by Erisiana and one or more foreign empires. Their governance usually consists of some form of joint council, but specific government types may be formed on a case by case basis.
JSA's are often found at the border of empires.
Prominent JSA's include:
- New Seattle (jointly held with all other empires)
- Unity Bridge (jointly held with Ancien, and by proxy the House of Eris)
Province
Provinces are not unlike states; they control large areas, and usually contain at least one commune as a major anchor city. Provinces are governed by a Supreme Inquisitor and a council consisting of all the inquisitors of all the districts in the province.
Provinces may pass any law not inconsistent with national law. They are responsible for organising district governments and appointing district Inquisitors and Grand Inquisitors for communes.
Examples of provinces include:
- Malaclypse Province
- Ravenhurst Province
- Mojo Province
Commune
The next tier of governance is the commune. This is an agglomeration of districts, but not all districts are in communes. Communes may pass any law not inconsistent with provincial or national law, and all communal laws take precedence over the laws of its constituent districts.
Communes have a Grand Inquisitor and an associate Grand Inquisitor. The Grand Inquisitor is appointed by the provincial government. The Grand Inquisitor governs alongside a council consisting of all the Inquisitor of the constituent districts.
All districts within communes must have an Associate Inquisitor, as the areas are often enormously populated.
Examples of communes include:
- Ravenhurst (Hodge and Podge)
- Malaclypse (Bureaucracy, Confusion, Chaos, Discord, The Aftermath, St. Tib's)
District
Districts are usually the direct subunit of provinces (akin to American counties), unless under the jurisdiction of a commune (see above). All districts require a capital, which must be in the constituent district, before they are created. The only exception is the provincial unorganised district (of which all territory which is part of the province but not part of another district is automatically part of), which is under direct control of the provincial government. No conturbation of more than three buildings may be under the jurisdiction of an unorganised district, and must incorporate into the nearest district or create their own.
Each district (including the unorganised district) has an appointed Inquisitor; unless under the jurisdiction of a commune (see above), the Inquisitor is appointed by the provincial government. Associate Inquisitors are recommended for more populous districts (even if not part of a commune), but are not required except for districts under the jurisdiction of a commune. Associate Inquisitors are appointed by the inquisitor for the district.
District Inquisitors are directly responsible for all judicial functions in the district, and are in charge of the district police. They also function as a local ombudsman of sorts for issues, but may execute anyone who whines too much.
All districts are required to have a constabulary, fire department, and post office.
City
Cities are smaller than communes (which are effectively very large cities) but bigger than towns. They have an Inquisitor and usually (but not always) an Associate Inquisitor. The Inquisitor and Associate Inquisitor may be (and almost always are) the same person as the Inquisitor and Associate Inquisitor for the constituent district for that city. Each city must have at least its own constabulary, fire department, pub, marijuana dispensary, and post office.
Examples of cities include:
Town
Towns are similar to cities, but usually smaller. They do not have their own Inquisitor, though the district Inquisitor offices may be located there. Each town must have at least a pub and marijuana dispensary; some larger towns also have constabularies, fire departments, and post offices (often co-located with district services).
Examples of towns include:
Neighbourhood or hamlet
Neighbourhoods or hamlets are not governing subdivisions, but simply logical divisions. There is no separate governance, but if sufficiently isolated, branches of the city, town, or district services may be present.
Examples of neighbourhoods include:
- Chaos, Malaclypse Commune, split into two areas
- Upper Chaos
- Lower Chaos
- Central Loop, Hodge
- Shady Acres Mobile Home Community, Portsmouth
Examples of hamlets include:
- Docklands, Zarathud
- Columbia Island, Zarathud