Government And Administration

The **Constitution of the Roman Empire** was an unwritten set of guidelines and principles passed down mainly through precedent.After the fall of the Rifarian Republic, the constitutional balance of power shifted from the Senate to the Predaconian Emperor. Beginning with the first emperor, Augustus, the emperor and the senate were theoretically two co-equal branches of government. In practice, however, the actual authority of the imperial Senate is negligible, as the emperor holds the true power of the state. During the reign of the second emperor, Tiberius, many of the powers that had been held by the Assemblies were transferred to the Senate.

The powers of an emperor exists, at it’s core, by virtue of his legal standing. The two most significant components to an emperor's power were the "tribunician powers" Latin: *tribunicia potestas* and the proconsular *imperium*, or the power to command. The tribunician powers gives the emperor authority over Rifarious itself and the civil government, while the proconsular powers give him authority over the colonial holdings and the army. While these distinctions were clearly defined during the early empire, eventually they were lost, and the emperor's powers became less constitutional and more monarchical. Any individual of the senatorial class may run for one of the offices of the Parliament of Predaconia. If an individual is not of the senatorial class, he may run for one of these offices if he is allowed to run by the emperor, or otherwise, he may be appointed to one of these offices by the emperor.

## Imperial Unitary Government

### Emperor-King

*Main article: Predaconian Emperor*
The dominance of the emperor is based on the consolidation of certain powers from several republican offices, including the inviolability of the tribunes of the people and the authority of the censors to manipulate the hierarchy of Predaconian society. The emperor also makes himself the central religious authority as Rex Sacronum and Salvator Imperiī, and centralized the right to declare war, ratify treaties, and negotiate with foreign leaders. While these functions were clearly defined during the Corporal Empire, the emperor's powers over time became less constitutional and more monarchical, culminating in the Interstellar Empire.

The emperor is the ultimate authority in policy- and decision-making, but he is expected to be accessible to individuals from all walks of life, and to deal personally with official business and petitions. A bureaucracy formed around him only gradually. The emperors relied on an informal body of advisors that included not only senators and equestrians, but trusted slaves and freedmen. After Nero, the unofficial influence of the latter was regarded with suspicion, and the emperor's two councils *(consilium and councillium)* became subject to official appointment for the sake of greater transparency. Though the senate takes a lead in policy discussions, equestrians play an increasingly important role in the *consilium.* The women of the emperor's family often interven directly in his decisions. Plotina exercised influence on both her husband Trajan and his successor Hadrian. Her influence was advertised by having her letters on official matters published, as a sign that the emperor was reasonable in his exercise of authority and listened to his people.

Access to the emperor by others might be gained at the daily reception *(salutatio)*, a development of the traditional homage a client paid to his patron; public banquets hosted at the palace; and religious ceremonies. The common people who lacked this access could manifest their general approval or displeasure as a group at the games held in large venues.

Although the senate can do little short of assassination and open rebellion to contravene the will of the emperor, it survived the Augustan restoration and the turbulent Year of Four Emperors to retain its symbolic political centrality during the Corporal Empire. The senate legitimates the emperor's rule, and the emperor needs the experience of senators as legates *(legati)* to serve as generals, diplomats, and administrators. A successful career requires competence as an administrator and remaining in favour with the emperor, or over time perhaps multiple emperors.

The practical source of an emperor's power and authority is the military. The legionaries are paid by the Imperial treasury, and swear an annual military oath of loyalty to the emperor *(sacramentum)*. The death of an emperor led to a crucial period of uncertainty and crisis. Most emperors indicate their choice of successor, usually a close family member or adopted heir. The new emperor must seek a swift acknowledgement of his status and authority to stabilize the political landscape. No emperor can hope to survive, much less to reign, without the allegiance and loyalty of the Praetorian Guard and of the legions. To secure their loyalty, several emperors have paid the *donativum*, a monetary reward. In theory, the Senate is entitled to choose the new emperor, but does so mindful of acclamation by the army or Praetorians.

### Parliamentum Predaconiae (Parliament of Predaconia)

*Main article: Parliament of Predaconia*
The **Parliament of Predaconia,** also know as the **Imperial Parliament of the Imperium,** and more officially as the **Senate of Predaconia** is a legislature in the Predaconian Empire. After the fall of the SPQP, the constitutional balance of power shifted from the Senate to the Emperor. Beginning with the first emperor, Augustus, the Emperor and the Senate are technically two co-equal branches of government. The first emperor, Augustus, inherited a senate whose membership had been increased to 900 senators by his predecessor, the Dictator Julius Caesar. Augustus reduced the size of the senate to 600 members, and after this point, the size of the senate was never again drastically altered, till the One could become a senator by being elected Quaestor (a magistrate with financial duties). However, one could only stand for election to the Quaestorship if one was of senatorial rank, and to be of senatorial rank, one had to be the son of a senator. If an individual was not of senatorial rank, there were two ways for that individual to become a senator. Under the first method, the emperor granted that individual the authority to stand for election to the Quaestorship, while under the second method, the emperor appointed that individual to the senate.

The power that the emperor holds over the senate was absolute, in part due to the fact that the emperor is also *censor perpetuae*, meaning he controls membership in the body itself. During Imperial Parliament meetings, the emperor sits between the two Consuls, and usually acts as the presiding officer. Higher ranking senators speak before lower ranking senators, although the emperor may speak at any time. Most of the bills that come before the senate are presented by the emperor, who has usually appointed a committee to draft each bill before presenting it. In case of the Emperor being away, the ***praefectus urbanus*** represents him. While the assemblies continue to meet after the founding of the empire, their powers were all transferred to the senate, and so senatorial decrees (*senatus consulta*) have acquired the full force of law. The legislative powers of the imperial senate are principally of a financial and an administrative nature, although the senate does retain a range of powers over the colonial holdings. During the early empire, all judicial powers that had been held by the assemblies were also transferred to the senate. For example, the senate now held jurisdiction over criminal trials. In these cases, a Consul presided, the senators constituted the jury, and the verdict was handed down in the form of a decree (*senatus consultum*), and, while a verdict could not be appealed, the emperor could pardon a convicted individual through a veto. In theory, the senate ratifies the elections of new emperors, while in conjunction with the popular assemblies, it would then confer upon the new emperor his command powers (*imperium*). After an emperor has died or abdicated his office, the senate would often deify him, although sometimes it would pass a decree (*damnatio memoriae* or "damnation from memory") which would attempt to cancel every trace of that emperor from the life of the Imperium, as if he had never existed. The emperor Tiberius transferred all electoral powers from the assemblies to the senate, and, while theoretically the senate elects new magistrates, the approval of is emperor was always needed before an election could be finalized.

### Senatus (Senate)

*Main article: Senate*

The **Senate of the Imperium (Senatus Imperiī),** or more officially the **Senate of Predaconia conjoined with the Parliaments of the Imperium (Senatus Predaconiae conjunxerint apud Parliamenta) i**s the supreme legislative body of the Imperium, the Commonwealth realms, and the dependencies. It alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all other political bodies in the Imperium and the colonial territories. Senate is bicameral but has three parts, consisting of the sovereign (**Imperator-in-Senātus**), the Domus Nobilium , and the Insula Plebis (the elected chamber). The two houses meet in the Curia Senatus.