Politics in Fusou

The **politics of Fusou** take place in a semi-democratic system determined by the Hirabayashi Constitution. In order for a law to pass, it must be approved by the majority (101 seats, out of 200) of Parliament, by the President, & by the Doubly-Crowned Shogun. Since the candidates for presidency & parliament must be approved by the Body for Protection of the Shogun's Integrity, actual opposition to the Shogun & to the current constitution is essentially nonexistent in the Fusan government.

### Roles & Bodies

#### Doubly-Crowned Shogun

The Doubly-Crowned Shogun is a combination of the former positions of *Emperor* & *Shogun*. The position was created by Hirabayashi Masuhiro, for himself, at the end of the Burazāzu War. In the constitution, succession to the post is required as necessary when;

* the reigning Doubly-Crowned Shogun has perished
* the reigning Doubly-Crowned Shogun has stepped down
* the reigning Doubly-Crowned Shogun is incapacitated in a way which will permanently hinder his or her ability to lead the country, as defined by a consensus of the majority of the Judiciary Assembly, the Prime Minister, & the Grand Secretariat.

Succession to the Doubly-Crowned Shogunate follows a semi-Salic system of Primogeniture, which guarantees the eldest child of the previous Shogun as the heir while restricting the succession to the previous Shogun's male line of descent, unless it is extinct, at which point the system would flip over to the female line. So far, no woman has ever become Shogun.

The Shogun is tasked with;

* being a general leader of the country, both legislatively & socially
* heeding advice from the Cabinet & Grand Secretariat
* appointing the Judiciary Assembly
* appointing the Body for Protection of the Shogun's Integrity
* acting as the final vote in regards to proposed legislative law
* acting as commander of the military

#### Prime Minister

The Prime Minister is a democratically elected position in Fusou. Candidates for Prime Minister must be approved by the Body for Protection of the Shogun's Integrity. Every four years, elections are held for the position (concurrent with the parliamentary elections), with the candidate who wins the popular vote winning the election.

The Prime Minister is tasked with;

* appointing the Cabinet
* approving laws passed by Parliament, for review by the Shogun

The Prime Minister has a Deputy Prime Minister, which they appoint. The Deputy Prime Minister acts as a secretary to the Prime Minister, and as their successor in case the Prime Minister perishes, resigns, or is incapacitated, as defined by a consensus of the majority of the Judiciary Assembly, the Doubly-Crowned Shogun, & the Grand Secretariat. If both are compromised, succession passes to the members of Cabinet, following a prearranged system, whereby certain ministerial posts are preferred over others.

#### Grand Secretariat

The Grand Secretariat is appointed by the Parliament, following a majority vote in their favor. The Grand Secretariat has no actual legislative or executive power, however they act as an advisor to the Doubly-Crowned Shogun, Parliament, & the Body for Protection of the Shogun's Identity. The Grand Secretariat is a well-respected role in Fusou, being the spiritual successor to the original Grand Secretariats, which acted as the intermediary between the Shogun & the Emperor in the time when the roles were separate.

#### Body for Protection of the Shogun's Identity

The Body for Protection of the Shogun's Identity, or *BPSI*, is a 15-member council which approves candidates for election to the Parliament & the Prime Ministry. Because of this, politicians against the Shogunate or the Fusan system are entirely barred from holding positions of power within the government. Members of the BPSI are personally appointed by the Shogun, and serve either until their death or until they are relieved by the Shogun. In order to bar a candidate from entry into any electoral race, the majority of BPSI members must agree to do so.

#### Judiciary Assembly

The Judiciary Assembly is the highest civil & legal court in Fusou. It consists of 15 members, which must be personally appointed by the Shogun. They serve until their death, or until they are relieved by the Shogun.

The Judiciary Assembly is tasked with;

* presiding over prominent cases in civil law
* launching judicial inquiries into all governmental positions, sans the Shogun, if they believe there to be wrongdoing
* maintaining rule of law within Fusou

#### Parliament

Parliament is the primary democratic legislative body of Fusou. Elections to parliament are held concurrently with the election of the Prime Minister. It consists of 200 members, each of whom is elected as the sole parliamentary representative from their respective constituencies. Candidates for Parliament must be approved by the Body for Protection of the Shogun's Identity. Parliament holds legislative power, as a law must win the majority support of Parliament in order to be passed. If a MP perishes, resigns, or is incapacitated (to be deemed by the Judiciary Assembly), their seat will remain vacant until the next election.

#### The Cabinet

The Cabinet is a constitutionally mandated body of XXX heads of Fusou's executive departments, which act as both managers of their respective departments as well as specialized advisors to the Shogun in regards to their field. Cabinet members are approved solely by the Prime Minister. As of 1908, the positions & roles within cabinet are as follows;

* *Chancellor of the Exchequer* - responsible for the Treasury, and for all matters relating to economics & finances.
* *Deputy Minister for Home Affairs* - responsible for national security, law enforcement, & emergency management.
* *Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs* - responsible for managing the diplomatic ties & relationships of Fusou.
* *Deputy Minister for Commerce & Industry* - responsible for managing Fusou's economic & industrial growth.
* *Deputy Minister of Agriculture & Forestry* - responsible for maintaining proper agricultural & forestry regulations within Fusou.
* *Deputy Minister of War* - responsible for managing the military & Fusou's strategic operations.
* *Deputy Minister of Education* - responsible for managing the public education of Fusou.
* *Deputy Minister of Society & Culture* - responsible for directing & preserving the cultural growth of Fusou.
* *Deputy Minister of Health & Sanitation* - responsible for helping to manage Fusou's public health.
* *Deputy Minister of Railways* - responsible for the creation & upkeep of Fusou's public railways.
* *General Secretary for Non-Metropolitan Territories* - responsible for all matters relating the Fusou's colonies & territories abroad.

### Political Parties

Fusan political parties are electoral alliances between separate MPs, which sometimes include the Prime Minister. While the creation of new political parties is not disallowed, only 4 are represented in parliament.

The plurality (76) of MPs are independent, while the remainder have all aligned themselves with a party.

#### Represented

##### Meiyoaru Kurīku

The "Honorable Clique" is the largest & the oldest of Fusou's political parties, holding 53 seats. Economically, it promotes a big government, wide-scale public spending, and revising global capitalism to fit the will of the empire. The Meiyoaru Kurīku is also in favor of increasing the military's budget.

Socially, the party is widely conservative & nationalist, being opposed to societal or cultural reform. Politically, they are entirely devouted to the current Shogun-centric system, and wish to work alongside the Shogun to expand Fusan influence both within its own administration but also abroad, in both the colonies & other countries. The Meiyoaru Kurīku seeks pragmatic, but firm, diplomatic solutions, wishing to remove all outsider influence from the continent of Akaina while emboldening Fusou's own grip on its territories.

Meiyoaru Kurīku is supported widely across the country, especially from moderates. They also enjoy the support of several key zaibatsu.

##### Keizai Senkyo Sensen

The "Economic Electoral Front" holds 29 seats. It is the Meiyoaru Kurīku's primary opposition in parliament, which still favors the Shogun's political control, however wishes to lax control over the economy for hopes of seeing economic growth in the private sector. The party fears that Fusou's rapid economic growth over the past couple of decades might falter if government grip over the budget keeps increasing.

Socially & politically, the party largely agrees with the Meiyoaru Kurīku. Unlike the Meiyoaru Kurīku, however, the KSS sees some benefit in more cooperation with the powers of Velravin; while still wishing to limit the influence of Velravin over Akaina, the KSS is much more pragmatic in this regard than the MK.

##### Zenkoku-Tekina Ikioi

"National Momentum" is the youngest, and the most controversial, of Fusou's political parties. Only recently approved to run as candidates in 1900, the party rapidly grew with their second electoral bid in 1904, capturing 25 seats. The ZTI considered by many to be the most radical of the Fusan political parties, particularly in regards to anti-colonialism; vehemently against all forms of exploitation, the ZTI wish to work both diplomatically & militarily to end colonialism as quickly as possible. While this does pose a threat to Fusou's own empire, they were allowed to stand for parliament at the Shogun's personal request, due to their use in acting as anti-colonial agents.

##### Jundo Nougoki

"Purity Movement" controls 17 seats. The JN is less of a political party and more of a club between its members. Their stated purpose is "the protection of Fusan markets & culture from global trade," and have expressed support of intense protectionist policies.

They are opposed to Fusou's membership within the Vahaelmon Zone.