Government
The government of the ASB is based in the city of New Amsterdam. Its system is basically Parliamentary, in that the legislature chooses the executive. However, it is different from other parliamentary governments in that there is no single Head of State; members of the Grand Council of State fill this role jointly. All credit for designing the ASB's political system goes to Gwen "Turquoise Blue" of AH.Com.
Key institutions of the government include:
Key institutions of the government include:
- Parliament, the directly elected legislature. Representation is by state, and each state has the freedom to choose how it elects its members.
- The Grand Council of State, who jointly are the "Heads of State." Parliament must approve the GCoS by a 3/4 margin, which means that most members are broadly popular and represent a range of parties.
- The President of the GCoS. The President's role is to preside over that body and, since the post has been merged with the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, to represent the ASB abroad.
- The Chief Minster, the head of government.
- The Congress of Nations, a vestigial body that represents state governments. It was stripped of almost all its power in 1899.
- The Chiefly Council, another vestigial body representing hereditary chiefs and members of prominent titled families. There was a time when its members dreamed of forming themselves into an "upper house" of Parliament, but this never panned out.