Vodkaslavian Political Divisions

**Political Divisions** (also referred to as **Administrative Districts**) **of the United Socialist States of Vodkaslavia** are the various recognized governing entities that together form Vodkaslavia. The first-level political (administrative) divisions of the USSV are the **state** and the **district**. There are 133 states and 340 districts, which are bound in a union with each other. Each state and district holds governmental jurisdiction over a defined stellar territory, and shares its sovereignty with Vodkaslavia's federal government.

All state and district governments are modeled after the lower federal government and consist of three branches (though there are no laws stating that this is the official layout for the governments): executive, legislative, and judicial. They retain plenary power to make laws covering anything not preempted by the USSV Constitution, federal statutes, or treaties ratified by the House of the Makers, and are organized as presidential systems where the governor is both head of government and head of state (even though this too is not required). The various states are then typically subdivided into planets (inhabited and uninhabited). Some districts use different terms for their subdivision name, but mean the same in the end.

Inhabited Planets are divided into their own states/districts/territories that are recognized by their local government. These are organized into counties. Population centers within counties are organized into municipalities.

Uninhabited Planets are typically divided by land features, or solely by any areas in which there is a presence of population, like a mining center, research base, military base, or other.

On numerous occasions the Vodkaslavian Supreme Court has affirmed that the many individual political entities and Vodkaslavia as a whole are each sovereign jurisdictions under the Constitution. Due to the shared sovereignty between each state/district and the federal government, Vodkaslavians are citizens of both the federal republic and of the state in which they reside. States, however, are not sovereign in the Westphalian sense in international law which says that each State has sovereignty over its territory and domestic affairs, to the exclusion of all external powers, on the principle of non-interference in another State's domestic affairs, and that each State (no matter how large or small) is equal in international law. Additionally, the Vodkaslavian states and districts do not possess international legal sovereignty, meaning that they are not recognized by other sovereign States such as, for example, Olsteam, the Stellar Domain, or Benzinidti.

## **States**

> *See Also: Vodkaslavian Calendar (To Understand Date System)*
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The first primary political entity of Vodkaslavia is the state. A few states—(List Here)—call themselves "commonwealths," while some others—(List Here)—call themselves "provinces." The words *commonwealth* in this context refers to the common "wealth", or welfare, of the public. Neither term, commonwealth nor province, have any legal impact.

Initially, State was the only termed used while describing Vodkaslavian political entities before the acquisition of the Voydics System on 0 O.R., Past 8. After the acquisition, the entirety of the "Vodka Entity" (term used when describing citizens from Vodkayomics) was labeled as a district amongst the many others under Steam's rule. The term State became as it is now after the fall of the Empire of Steam and the admittance of the Voydics System as a legal entity among Vodkaslavia.

## **Districts**

The second primary political entity of Vodkaslavia is the district. Some districts—(List Here)—call themselves territories. The term has no legal impact.

The use of the term District to describe political entities came after a massive debate, when the Noodle District attempted to get statehood over the entirety of its holdings. The existing states at the time were not fond of this idea, and after four months of heated debate and trials, it was decided that it would be granted District-hood instead. From then on, whenever large swaths of systems wish to join the union, unless they can be separated into States, it is deemed a District.

### **Colonies**

> *Main Articles: The Colony of Vodkaistan, and The Colony of Vodka Atolls*
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