The Commonwealth System
In 2317, Drake I initiated a system which was nothing new in Trekylon's history. As a result of the foundations of new states on the planet of Gaia, Trekylon acquired new regions. Because the Imperial government could ill-afford to incorporate the new territories as full districts under full Imperial administration, it was decided that an old governmental system would be used. This is the commonwealth system. Trekylon had previous experience in the commonwealth system in its past, as Treksylvania. Under the Imperial Federation commonwealth system, Treksylvania had the advantage of self-government and autonomous foreign policy while accepting the overlordship of the Imperial Federation and lending military assistance in times of war. The commonwealth system had been seen to have "gone out of style" following the full independence of Treksylvania (then Holy Trek), Vulcan, Inuyashia, and many others as a result of a more authoritarian regime emerging in the Imperial Federation, and for a time, was fully abandoned. But in the first years of Drake I's rule, the first signs of a return to the commonwealth system emerged with the renaming of the empire to "Intergalactic Empire and Federal Commonwealth". For a time, this remained the only sign of the return of commonwealth government to the empire, but with the establishment of states on Gaia, the commonwealth label gained a more concrete expression.
Two forms of commonwealth are now the most common in Trekylon:
Self-Governing Commonwealths are those territories where the institutions of Empire are overlayed on existing native institutions. In this version, Imperial oversight is either direct (appointment of an Imperial governor and addition of Imperial Laws to native laws), or indirect (negligible Imperial oversight and appointment of native governor by Parliament). Self-governing commonwealths can either petition to become full districts of the empire, or can become fully independent based on the will of the people. Self-governing commonwealths have a voice only in the Interstellar Trekylon Commonwealth Diet.
Dominions are commonwealths ruled directly by the Empire, but still with some self-government. In many cases, these commonwealths have their own currency in addition to the Imperial Dollar, their own militaries in addition to Imperial garrisons, and their own laws in addition to Imperial Laws. Here, a native is elected governor by the populace, albeit tied to an Imperial-appointed cabinet to tie them closely to the central government. But despite this, this form of commonwealth has a place in the Imperial Parliament and the ITC Diet (though in the Parliament, their voice is heard not as a full parliamentary member, but as a special committee on commonwealth management).
Two other forms of commonwealth, less common:
Royal Commonwealths can come to mean either commonwealths established by the Imperial Court or commonwealths ruled by native kings with an Imperial-appointed cabinet. In the case of the former, it is the Council of Ministers who act as executives, speaking for the emperor and appointing a legislature of natives. in the case of the latter, the native ruling dynasty is retained as executive, with an Imperial legislature appointed by the Parliament.
Senatorial Commonwealths are the least common form of commonwealth due to the fact that the Senate, half of the entire Parliament, believes itself to be incapable of managing commonwealth regions. Such a commonwealth is often turned over to the entirety of the Parliament for dispensation.
WITH THE RESTORATION OF TREKYLON IN THE MILKY WAY GALAXY AND THE PLANET EARTH, THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM COULD BE BETTER UTILIZED IN THE FUTURE. AS OF YET THERE ARE NO PLANS TO TRANSFER THE IMPERIAL CAPITAL BACK TO EARTH.
Two forms of commonwealth are now the most common in Trekylon:
Self-Governing Commonwealths are those territories where the institutions of Empire are overlayed on existing native institutions. In this version, Imperial oversight is either direct (appointment of an Imperial governor and addition of Imperial Laws to native laws), or indirect (negligible Imperial oversight and appointment of native governor by Parliament). Self-governing commonwealths can either petition to become full districts of the empire, or can become fully independent based on the will of the people. Self-governing commonwealths have a voice only in the Interstellar Trekylon Commonwealth Diet.
Dominions are commonwealths ruled directly by the Empire, but still with some self-government. In many cases, these commonwealths have their own currency in addition to the Imperial Dollar, their own militaries in addition to Imperial garrisons, and their own laws in addition to Imperial Laws. Here, a native is elected governor by the populace, albeit tied to an Imperial-appointed cabinet to tie them closely to the central government. But despite this, this form of commonwealth has a place in the Imperial Parliament and the ITC Diet (though in the Parliament, their voice is heard not as a full parliamentary member, but as a special committee on commonwealth management).
Two other forms of commonwealth, less common:
Royal Commonwealths can come to mean either commonwealths established by the Imperial Court or commonwealths ruled by native kings with an Imperial-appointed cabinet. In the case of the former, it is the Council of Ministers who act as executives, speaking for the emperor and appointing a legislature of natives. in the case of the latter, the native ruling dynasty is retained as executive, with an Imperial legislature appointed by the Parliament.
Senatorial Commonwealths are the least common form of commonwealth due to the fact that the Senate, half of the entire Parliament, believes itself to be incapable of managing commonwealth regions. Such a commonwealth is often turned over to the entirety of the Parliament for dispensation.
WITH THE RESTORATION OF TREKYLON IN THE MILKY WAY GALAXY AND THE PLANET EARTH, THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM COULD BE BETTER UTILIZED IN THE FUTURE. AS OF YET THERE ARE NO PLANS TO TRANSFER THE IMPERIAL CAPITAL BACK TO EARTH.