Galactic Senate The Galactic Senate , also referred to as the Galactic Congress or the Republic Senate , was the governing body of the Galactic Republic . It consisted of hundreds of senator s who represented the many worlds of the galaxy , and was led by a Supreme Chancellor that was elected by and from the representatives . Its primary concern was mediating disputes between varying worlds and dictating the laws and regulations necessary to maintain the Republic . During the reign of the Galactic Empire , the Galactic Senate was known as the Imperial Senate . However , this Senate was largely powerless , with its members discouraged from disagreeing with the policies of Emperor Sheev Palpatine . Immediately before the Battle of Yavin , Palpatine officially dissolved the Imperial Senate . After their victory at the Battle of Endor , the Rebel Alliance was reorganized into the New Republic . One of the Republic ' s first acts was restoring the Galactic Senate , which was done so on the Republic ' s first capital world , Chandrila . As the capital of the Republic rotated among its member worlds , so did the new Senate . History . During the early years of the Galactic Republic , the Senate would come to serve as the democratic means of solving disputes within the new government as detailed in the Galactic Constitution , and would sit in the Senate Rotunda on Coruscant , located in the Senate District on the capital world of the Republic . The Senate and the Supreme Chancellor were protected by the blue - robe d Senate Guard s who stood watch and blended in well with the formal surroundings . They served as a symbol of order in the early Republic owing to its absence of a formal standing army . The guards could also be found at the entrances to many of the delegate platforms and at the entrances to the Senate rotunda itself . During the Invasion of Naboo , Senator Sheev Palpatine was elected Supreme Chancellor , which ultimately started his rise to Galactic Emperor . Just before the beginning of the Clone Wars , the Sith Lord Darth Tyranus warned the Jedi Knight Obi - Wan Kenobi that the Senate had fallen under the influence of a Dark Lord of the Sith . His warning was disregarded as an attempt to confuse the Jedi , but it turned out to be true , as Supreme Chancellor Palpatine was actually the Sith Lord Darth Sidious . The war resulted in the Senate voting for more and more power to Palpatine in the process stripping away its own power , with changes in the Galactic Constitution prompting questions even from the chancellor ' s own Loyalist Committee . Following the Jedi Order ' s revelation that he was indeed the Dark Lord of the Sith and had masterminded the entire war in order to amass emergency powers , Palpatine would then declare himself the first Galactic Emperor , reorganizing the Republic into the Galactic Empire and the Galactic Senate into the Imperial Senate . Stripped of much its power , the Senate continued to grow weaker under the Empire , which enforced its power largely through a system of Regional Governors . Several years later and shortly before the Battle of Yavin , he formally disbanded the Senate , sweeping away the last remnant of the Old Republic . Shortly after the Battle of Endor , the Rebel Alliance reorganized into the New Republic and restored the Galactic Senate on its first capital planet of Chandrila . Organization . The Galactic Senate was led by a democratically elected Supreme Chancellor that held the ability to call for special sessions of congress , but could just as easily be removed as voted into office through a Vote of No Confidence from the various senators that served under them . Supporting the High Chancellor was the Vice Chair , who would help set the agenda for the senate and call for votes on varying pieces of legislation . Senators would represent varying worlds or sectors across the galaxy , while Junior Representative s could voice the opinions of a minority population or political party of an already represented planet . Despite this position , the Representative could not actively vote on or introduce new legislation , but could perform these duties if the instated senator was on a leave of absence or otherwise unavailable . Members of varying corporations , guilds , federations , and businesses received representation in the Senate , with members of the Trade Federation and others exploiting this position for monetary gain , and causing dissatisfied systems to view the Senate as corrupt . The Galactic Senate Chamber located in the Senate Building would serve as the meeting hall for the Galactic Senate , and would be lined with one thousand and twenty - four repulsorpod s which could detach from their positions along the wall and float into the center of the chamber . Despite being the stage for which galactic debate would ensue , most work was done behind the scenes in formal and informal subcommittees in the Senate Office Building , which contained the offices of varying senators and the Chancellor ' s office at the top . Under the Supreme Chancellor existed the Office of the Chancellor which would consist of his immediate staff . The Senate was divided into numerous committees and subcommittees , each to handle various issues of Galactic government and lawmaking . Some of them were : Powers . The Galactic Senate would serve as the primary legislative body of the Galactic Republic . It was responsible for creating laws , mediating disputes , making treaties , and regulating commerce . It possessed the authority to levy taxes , declare war , declare Free Trade Zone s and manage almost every action necessary to preserve the stability of the Republic . Despite its vast authority , it did not prosecute offenders , leaving the judicial system in the hands of the Supreme Court and peacekeeping efforts largely in the hands of the Judicial Department . The Senate could not order the Jedi Order into action , but could often pressure it into carrying out its directives . Senate - related documents . The following are documents passed by the Galactic Senate or relating to its functioning : Architecture . The exterior of the Senate building consisted of a large courtyard known as the Senate Plaza which displayed several statues of the Republic ' s ancient founders . The interior held the Galactic Senate Chamber which could hold one thousand and twenty - four repulsorpods that detached from the chamber wall , and were equipped with voice - amplifying microphones , translators , and hovercams that recorded the various proceedings . At the center of the chamber was a podium where the Supreme Chancellor and the Vice Chair would preside over meetings of the Senate . Members . Members of the Galactic Senate , included Behind the scenes . The Galactic Senate was first mentioned in the now Legends of " " , ghostwritten by Alan Dean Foster and published in 1976 . In background material composed by George Lucas in 1977 for licensees of the Expanded Universe , the " Republican Senate " represented a total of 24 , 372 systems and elected a Chancellor to a four year term . There was a term limit of one term . During a crisis , a Chancellor extended his term to 12 years and finally declared himself Emperor , first by rhetorically attacking the bureaucracy and then by aligning himself with it . The Jedi sided with the Senate after it attempted to impeach him . This story appears to be the germ of much of the events of the Prequel trilogy .