Government of the Federal Republic of Concadia

The Concadian Government, also known as the Federal Government, is the national government of Concadia, a federal parliamentary constitutional republic. Like other Westminster-style systems of government, the Concadian Government is made up of three branches: the executive (the Prime Minister, the Ministers, and government ministries), the legislative (the Parliament of Concadia), and the judicial.

The legislative branch, the Federal Parliament, is made up of two chambers, the House of Commons (lower house) and the House of Senators (upper house). The House of Commons has 550 members, with 503 representing an individual constituency of approximately 100,000 people and 47 being list MPs. The House of Senators has 252 members, with each state, province and territory electing 12 members. The Concadian Government in its executive capacity is formed by the party or coalition with a majority in the House of Commons, with the Prime Minister being the parliamentary leader who has the support of a majority of MPs in the House of Commons. The Prime Minister is formally appointed to their role by the President.

The government is based in the nation's capital, Artovia, in the Concadian Capital Territory. The head offices of all 21 federal ministries lie in Artovia, along with Parliament House and the Supreme Court. The judicial branch of government, headed by the Supreme Court of Concadia, is independent of the legislative and executive branch, and ensures that government acts according to the constitution and law.

Structure
The Constitution of Concadia creates a democratic bicameral legislature, the Parliament of Concadia, which consists of the House of Commons and the House of Senators. The Constitution provides for the Concadian Government's legislative powers and allocates certain powers and responsibilities to the Federal Government. All remaining powers are retained by the states, provinces and territories. Furthermore, each state, province and territory has its own constitution, so that Concadia has 22 Parliaments, none of which can encroach upon the powers of any other. The Supreme Court of Concadia arbitrates on any disputes which arise between the Federal Government and the states, provinces and territories, or among the states, provinces and territories themselves.

The Parliament of Concadia can propose changes to the Constitution. To become effective, the proposal must be put to a referendum of all voting-age Concadians.

Whilst the Concadian Capital Territory is independent in its own right of the Federal Government, the CCT Constitution states that the powers of the Congress and the Government are devolved by the Federal Government. This means that the powers of the CCT can be overridden by the Federal Parliament or Government. The Governor of the CCT is also the Secretary of State for Federal Affairs, meaning that the CCT has direct Federal oversight.

The third level of government is local government, in the form of borough, county and metropolitan councils. These councils are comprised of elected representatives known as councillors. Their powers are devolved to them by the state or territory they are in.

Separation of powers is the principle that the three branches of government undertake their activities separately from each other.

Legislature
Main article: Parliament of the Federal Republic of Concadia

The legislature makes the laws, and supervises the activities of the other two branches of government with a view to changing the laws when appropriate. The Concadian Parliament is bicameral, consisting of the 252-member House of Senators and the 550-member House of Commons.

All states, provinces and territories are entitled to 12 Senators in order to provide for equal federal level representation for the provinces, whose House of Commons delegations are minuscule compared to the states and the CCT. Senators serve ten-year terms, with half the Senate being elected every five years alongside the House of Commons. Senators representing the provinces serve five-year terms. Senators are elected via the single transferable vote system.

The members of the House of Commons are elected via the mixed member proportional system, with 503 representing single-member constituencies and 47 being list MPs. Each single-member constituency is roughly 100,000 people.

The powers of the House of Commons are greater than those of the House of Senators, with several Acts of Parliament reducing the upper chamber's power to block legislation following a situation in the early 20th century when opposite parties controlled the chambers.

The leader of the party or coalition of parties that has a majority in the House of Commons is asked to form a government by the President and is named Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister and Cabinet are responsible to Parliament which they must be members of. General elections are held at least once every 5 years. Following a vote of no confidence or a two-thirds majority vote in the House of Commons, an election can be called early. This only affects the House of Commons as the terms of Senators are fixed (excluding the Senators for the Provinces). A motion to dissolve can be passed by both Houses of Parliament to dissolve the entire Parliament and begin a full general election of both chambers. Such an election is rare since it requires a two-thirds majority in both Houses, however there have been instances where it has happened. The most recent general election was on 2 May 2030.

The Federal Parliament and all state, provincial and territorial Parliaments operate off of the Westminster system, with a recognised Leader of the Opposition, usually the leader of the second largest party, and a Shadow Cabinet of Opposition members who 'shadow' each member of the Ministry, asking questions on matters within the Minister's portfolio. Although the Government, by virtue of commanding a majority of members in the lower house of the legislature, can usually pass its legislation and control the workings of the house, the Opposition can considerably delay the passage of legislation and obstruct government business if it chooses.

The day-to-day business of the House of Commons is usually negotiated between the Leader of the House, appointed by the Prime Minister, and the Shadow Leader of the House, appointed by the Leader of the Opposition.

Head of State
Main article: President of the Federal Republic of Concadia, Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Concadia

The Concadian Head of State is the President, elected every 6 years by the system of alternative-vote. Under the Constitution they have powers relating to ministerial appointments, judicial appointments, diplomatic appointments, approving and vetoing Bills and declaring war. Many of these powers are exercised on the advice of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The role of President is more ceremonial, acting as a representative of the nation both internally and externally.

Alongside the President is the Vice-President, elected on a joint ticket and serving the same term. They powers enjoyed by the VP are more focused on Parliament and are not exercised on the advice of the Prime Minister.

Executive Council
Main article: Federal Executive Council

The Federal Executive Council is a formal body which exists as an advisory committee to the President and Vice-President. Members of the Council are entitled to be styled 'The Right Honourable' for life. The Council is large and includes all members of the Federal Cabinet, all Governors, all First Ministers, Premiers and Chief Ministers, the Federal Leader of the Opposition and some senior Shadow Cabinet Ministers and senior members of the judiciary. Due to its large composition it rarely meets in a formal capacity, and is instead used as a forum to discuss highly confidential information. The Cabinet is the 'standing committee' of the Council that makes the decisions.

Cabinet
Main article: Federal Cabinet of Concadia

The Cabinet of Concadia is the council of senior Ministers, responsible to the Federal Parliament. The Ministers are appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister, and they serve at the President's pleasure. Cabinet meetings are strictly private and happen once a week where vital issues are discussed and policy is formulated. Outside of Cabinet there are other junior Ministers who are responsible for specific areas of policy and who report directly to a Cabinet Minister. These junior Ministers are known as Ministers of State and Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State.