Stanham

Stanham is a state situated in northeastern Concadia, and is the 7th largest and 4th most populous state. It is bordered by Extedlingia to the east, Herhowenia to the south, Aling to the southwest, and Yeorough to the west. To the north, Stanham is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean.

Stanham has a population of over 3.2 million, concentrated mainly in the capital of Leigheston and the surrounding areas.

History
One of the older states of the federation, Stanham completed federation in 1669, following the passage of the state constitution (the Constitution of the People's Commonwealth of Stanham) and the replacement of the provisional assembly with the State Parliament.

Leigheston, as the largest city, was named the capital, and has consistently been the seat of government of Stanham since before federation. Initially, the islands now constituting the Province of Buclesland were a part of Stanham's territory, and so throughout the early years of the Commonwealth, mass migration took place from the islands to the mainland. The Commonwealth's coat of arms references the indigenous people of the islands through its inclusion of the pentagram.

In the early 2000s, Stanham voted to amend the constitution and elect their Governor, rather than have them be appointed by the Federal President. Stanham set the trend as the first state to move away from the appointment system (Provinces already elected their Governors).

Stanham once again made history by becoming the first division of the federation to require the inclusion of workers in politics, through passage of the Local Government Reorganisation Act 2023.

Geography and Environment
Stanham is divided into administrative regions known as counties, except for Leigheston, which is a special Metropolitan District. Within counties are smaller divisions such as parishes, shires, boroughs, towns, villages and cities. Each of these administrative divisions have elected governments with varying levels of power depending on the level of local government they fall under.

Economy
Since the move towards major constitutional reform in the early 2000s (beginning with the referendum on whether to elect the Governor), Stanham has been transitioning towards a 'socialist' economic system, one in which the workers own and operate the means of production.

In practicality, this has meant that almost all privately owned business are now worker cooperatives, with elected boards representing the workers of the companies. Many state-wide industries have been nationalised and transferred to the workers, with competition in certain industries eliminated in favour of productivity and affordability. For most industries, coordination is done at the local level by either Worker's Councils or by local government acting under the advice and leadership of the workers of that industry. Local targets are prioritised over state targets, and a focus is placed on the wellbeing of workers.

Federal
At the Federal level, Stanham accounts for 32 members of the House of Commons, including the Prime Minister, who represents the constituency of Leigheston Central.

Stanham also has 12 Senators, as it is constitutionally allotted.

State
Main articles : Parliament of the Commonwealth of Stanham, Government of the Commonwealth of Stanham

At the state level, Stanham is one of the 2 legislatures to operate via a tricameral system (the other being Padia). The Parliament consists of 3 houses: the House of Representatives (the lower house), the State Senate (the upper house) and the Worker's Assembly (the advisory house). This unique form of government was pioneered by the current Prime Minister when they were State Secretary of Labour and Workers in the Stanham government.

The House of Representatives is the primary house of government, with the First Minister and most Cabinet Secretaries being members of this House. Members are elected to 3 year terms with no limit on reelection. This is the House where most legislation is initiated, as most Bills that pass through Parliament are State Bills, meaning they were presented by a member of the government. Private Bills can be presented by the Opposition and other backbench MSPs, however these have a much lower chance of succeeding given the need for them to gain a majority of support in the House.

The State Senate is the upper house of Parliament, and is more of a check on the business of the lower house. Whilst Senators can initiate legislation, their main job is scrutinising and passing Bill's presented by members of the House. Some Senators are members of the government, as Bills need to be guided through the Senate if they are to pass. Senators are elected to 6 year terms, with half the Senate being elected at each election (ie every 3 years). There is no limit on the number of terms a Senator can serve.

The Worker's Assembly is the newest House of Parliament in Stanham, being established in 2026. The members of this House are not elected by general popular vote, but are instead representatives of the various industries that operate within Stanham. Some are elected by local Worker's Councils to represent their interests at the state-wide level, whilst others are elected by the industry as a whole within the state. The members of this house cannot initiate legislation, their main role is to scrutinise the work of the other 2 houses and to advocate for the rights of workers when legislation is being passed through Parliament. This house does not always meet, as there are some pieces of legislation that are not relevant to the house, and the members of this house are also still workers within their respective industry. In order for a piece of legislation to be sent to the Governor to be signed into law, it must receive approval by the Worker's Assembly.

The First Minister is a member of the House of Representatives and is usually the leader of the largest party. They are the head of government and oversee the operation of the state executive branch. They select their candidates for Cabinet positions, who must be approved by the Senate Appointments Committee, except for the State Secretary of Labour and Workers and the State Secretary of Industry and Business. Their appointments must be approved by the Worker's Assembly.

The Governor of Stanham is elected by the people rather than appointed. Following a referendum in 2004, the people of Stanham voted to amend the state constitution, allowing for the election of the governor rather than having them appointed by the President. The Governor is elected for a 6 year term renewable once.

Local
Main article: Local Government in Stanham

Stanham is divided into 6 administrative regions (5 districts and the metropolis of Leigheston). Within these districts are counties, which may divide further into boroughs and cities, however this is not the case for all.

The Metropolis of Leigheston comprises 2 counties, Leigheston Central and Greater Leigheston. It is the smallest administrative region yet the most populated. It is governed by the Leigheston Metropolitan Authority, working in conjunction with the local borough councils.

The 5 districts comprise several counties, all of which have their own governments.

Members of local government are known as Councillors.

Following the Local Government Reorganisation Act 2023, all local government must involve workers in their decision making. This can be done by either introducing a second chamber, a Worker's Council, or by reserving/adding seats to the existing Council for representatives of industries and workers. The general trend following the passage of the Act has been for Administrative Region Governments to adopt the bicameral option, and for smaller boroughs and city councils to have seats for workers representatives.