Politics... Canterlot Style

[Metemponychosis 1,239]

Hey bronies/pegasisters/guys/girls. Wall of Text Alert.

I want help with something that is kind of important to me. I’m the gamemaster in a role-playing
game with a few friends and we got to a point where I need to specify how equestrian government works. So, what I’m asking for are opinions on the system I figured out. I need help refining it into a believable system and corrections to the English terminology to facilitate other posts. All this assumes that ponies have a tendency to honesty over corruption (most of the time), either because of their nature or because the princesses (or their agents) will give them hell if they are caught doing wrong, and that the Princesses are incorruptible. This also assumes that Cadance has some level of authority in equestrian government. Also, Twilight is “princess in training that should be respected because Celestia and Luna are watching”.

I figured this would be the right forum to post this, anyway...

Thanks in advance and forgive me any spelling or syntax errors. Here it is…

The highest authorities are Princesses Celestia and Luna and they rule with absolute powers with the assistance of a “Royal Constitution” which serves to speed up the bureaucratic process, as guidelines for government officials. However they both have the power to intervene in the process and decide against the law, if they think necessary. If this happens. The parties involved are granted audiences
with the princesses to defend their positions. They form the Royal House, along with their personal assistants.

Annexed to the Royal House is “Public Services” which deals with the press, organize events, schedule

court hearings, deal with dignitaries from other countries and facilitate communication between the ministries and the Royal House. Members of the Royal House’s Public Services are chosen by the princesses and these appointments tend to be for life. If a pony is appointed to a cargo, it’s a good sign that this pony is very competent or that the princesses want to keep an eye on him/her.

Under the Royal House are the ministries responsible for different areas of the country's

admnistration: Mines and Energy, Health, Commerce, Finances, Education, External Relations, Magical Affairs, Meteorology, Defense, Justice, Urban Development, Industry... I'm open to suggestions on other ministries. Ministers are directly elected by the population, but candidature is supervised by the
Royal House. These ministries regulate and supervise their own areas, generating specific regulations and employing their own workers through public exam.

Things that might stop ponies from candidature are stuff like being under official investigation for
any legal or administrative matter, being convicted of any crime in the past, or if the Princesses simply deny the pony’s participation in the process for whatever reasons. There are no political parties but there are affiliations which will support their candidates and fund their campaigns. Ministerial elections are held every four years for ponies, zebras, griffons, mules... From all of Equestria, as long as they are equestrian citizens.

Municipal and regional administration goes like this: every municipality has a mayor, elected

locally. Regional governors work and live in the local metropolis, being elected by the citizens of the municipalities around this city. For example: Ponyville is under Canterlot. Each has its mayor and a regional governor lives in Canterlot. The mayor, will be assisted by a Municipal Council, each member
dedicated to the affairs of a ministry and selected by the mayor, from the municipality’s population. The Regional Council will be formed by the governor and a member for every ministry represented in each municipality’s council, chosen by the governor.

As is the case with ministerial elections, there are no parties, but ponies will form coalitions and

work towards the election of a mayor who will appoint them to form the Municipal Council, and these coalitions will also work towards the election of a governor who is expected to appoint members of their coalition to the Regional Council. The coalitions are very dynamic and tend to be formed as elections approach.

These councils will legislate locally and regionally, within the bounds of the Royal Constitution.

 

I guess it’s a mix of executive and legislative powers I made… More like a mess. XD The judiciary
works like this…

When infractions are found or there are conflicts, these are directed to municipal courts (Municipal
Court of Ponyville, Municipal Court of Appleloosa). These judge individual cases as directed by the Royal Constitution and local legislation, applying sentences according to a penal code that is published and reviewed by the Ministry of Justice or, settling disputes. If a solution cannot be found within the
powers of municipal jurisdiction (disputes between municipalities), or there is no agreement between the parties, the case is directed to a regional court, housed in a major city, which has jurisdiction over smaller cities (the Regional Court of Canterlot would receive cases from Ponyville and smaller cities) as well as their own municipal courts.

Judges in these courts are selected by public exam.

The next and highest instance is the Royal Court held by either Princess Celestia or Princess Luna, whose decision is final. If a pony is convicted of a crime, he/she may appeal to the higher instance up to the Royal Court, but if the pony is found guilty again, this has a tendency of really pissing off the princesses and that’s not healthy. This system works the same way for any inter-regional or inter-municipal disputes, and if it reaches the Royal Court, the Princesses will call for an advisor from the relevant ministry.

Beyond this system, ponies can petition directly to the princesses for several reasons. This would

occur in open audiences that are named the Midday Court and the Midnight Court. These are public and anypony that waits in a line can talk directly to the princesses. Usually they get whiny nobles and representatives from guilds or associations petitioning for very specific permissions or their intervention in various issues, both big and small. This will enormously speed up the process of settling disputes, and increasing the chances of both sides being happy with the result, but can land the pony in an uncomfortable position if he/she is trying to do something questionable, like a representative from a construction company trying to cut expenses by fast-talking one of the princesses into granting softer regulations so that they can give less hazard pay for pegasi working in heights.

Finally, Cadance is the “Accessory Princess”, and is sent to solve issues that Celestia and Luna feel

she should be able to handle, usually with the Mane Six in tow, because... It's their show... Twilight is like an intern that spends most of her time listening and studying, and sometimes gets to handle simple issues in Midday Court under supervision.

So, thank you if you read all this. I will read every reply and will try to answer all of them. All ideas/criticisms/suggestions are welcome.

[Rainbow Dash 1,471]

*didnt read half due to lazyness* I think that the way things go is that you have to be an alicorn to rule a kingdom /empire. That being said i think your wall of text is good and sounds accurate.  and is pretty sound

[Sky Warden 2,243]

Sounds good. You describe their system is a detailed way. Their power distribution, organization, etc. Though I don't understand some part. Never mind me, I don't understand law.

I think we can use this as a reference for RPs or fanfics. Nice shot me hearty.

[Replicant 113]

I speed-read the whole thing, and all I can say is that in a fictional universe such as MLP:FiM, on the basis that everyone wants it to work, it will work. Which makes sense with what the show has set up-- presumably upwards of hundreds of ponies with powers and flying skills vs. two slightly-OP alicorns, and no one's taken over yet (What is this, a children's cartoon?!). 

 

Nice job!

[Sunny Fox 5,935]

One comment: The Princesses are hardly incorruptible, as the existence of Nightmare Moon in the first place proves. Even if it was some kind of dark magic that made her change, the fact that she harboured feelings of jealousy for the dark magic to work on is just as bad. But, yeah, I guess you kind of have to assume it at the beginning, for your campaign to work.

[akita-ken 581]

You've covered most of the bases here. What you've described seems to be a modern constitutional monarchy with a twist: the royalty in your government actually have ultimate veto power over any and all decisions. Other than that, it seems to be a rather well thought-out government, with clear separation between the judiciary, executive and legislature. One question though, does your government have a 'parliament' of some sort? I'm going to assume the Royal House is somewhat akin to it, but is there any representation from regional-level administration? Or is the power in the RH purely at the federal level? (i.e. only Royalty?)

Edited February 1, 2013 by akita-ken

[Dariusgib 42]

I would of thought that te canterlot political system would be like Parliment in England from just before Charles I (of course this as it all changes with Charles I

[I used to be a stranger 7,989]

My headcanon is that the Equestrian government operates like the British Government in Yes Minister inside a place called Government Square, which more resembles Fawlty Towers than it does a parliament. With a heaping helpful of the constitutional organization that we see in Super Mario World, The Legend of Zelda and Cucumber Quest.

[Metemponychosis 1,239]

I speed-read the whole thing, and all I can say is that in a fictional universe such as MLP:FiM, on the basis that everyone wants it to work, it will work. Which makes sense with what the show has set up-- presumably upwards of hundreds of ponies with powers and flying skills vs. two slightly-OP alicorns, and no one's taken over yet (What is this, a children's cartoon?!). 

 

Nice job!

We... Take our ponies very seriously. XD

 

Well, the ponies have a very good reason to keep things running smooth: windigos. They are afraid that if they start letting the system fall apart because its being abused, the windigos will return. Doesn't mean that there are no crimes or foreign threats. Otherwise I don't understand the need for a royal guard.

 

Also, it's very easy for us, as the audience to dismiss Celestia and Luna as being nothing more than over-glorified unicorns with wings. Which I don't, or didn't until Canterlot Wedding. But for the ponies it must be very easy to see the princesses as deities.

 

One comment: The Princesses are hardly incorruptible, as the existence of Nightmare Moon in the first place proves. Even if it was some kind of dark magic that made her change, the fact that she harboured feelings of jealousy for the dark magic to work on is just as bad. But, yeah, I guess you kind of have to assume it at the beginning, for your campaign to work.

True. You just gave me an excellent idea for an entire story arc: reformists seeking to remove powers from the princesses using this as an excuse.

Thanks. I feel kind of stupid for not thinking of this...

[kirbyboi 587]

TL;DR

 

I read most of it, and for the most part is sounds great! Maybe you can have the two princesses (who are day and night) kinda have their own party, like Republicans/Democrats, or Conservatives/Liberals. Maybe that might work out! 

 

But it sounds great, and good luck!

[Metemponychosis 1,239]

You've covered most of the bases here. What you've described seems to be a modern constitutional monarchy with a twist: the royalty in your government actually have ultimate veto power over any and all decisions. Other than that, it seems to be a rather well thought-out government, with clear separation between the judiciary, executive and legislature. One question though, does your government have a 'parliament' of some sort? I'm going to assume the Royal House is somewhat akin to it, but is there any representation from regional-level administration? Or is the power in the RH purely at the federal level? (i.e. only Royalty?)

When I was thinking about this I thought of copying the Westminster System. But I don't know if the Queen gets to release prisoners because she "has uses for their abilities"... And the existence of a parliament would give a good reason for ponies like Blueblood and Fancypants to exist. Then I thought that it would not fit my almost Utopian Equestria because the systems we have in our world were made, or evolved, to counter corruption. In this Equestria, this system was created to assist the princesses rule after they "got rid" of Discord.

 

In my Equestria, most of the ponies trust Princess Celestia and Princess Luna to use their powers either to help ponies somehow being abused; and to keep the power of the nobility in check. On the other hand, the princesses don't feel the need to micromanage everything, which is why ponies are allowed to choose their immediate administrators, allowing them to give local power to ponies who will develop their towns in the way they want. The princesses "veto power" is more an extension of their power to dictate over all spheres of power and at all levels of administration. Municipal Council wants to make a green bridge? It's fine, as long as Celestia doesn't want a blue bridge. Of course this is a silly example, but these ARE ponies. : )

 

There is no direct representation of the regional administration in the Royal House because they are more like assistants and advisors to the princesses.  They have no authority of their own, unless the princesses are backing them. But they are still influential in the government, because they frequently advise the princesses in their decisions.

 

So, the Royal House is actually a group of ponies who will meet Princess Celestia in her throne room when there's an scheduled meeting or if she calls to them during Midday Court. Each one of them represents one of the ministries along with any extra advisors the "Head of Public Services" (always present) deems necessary. Those representing the ministries are expected to know of, and understand their ministry's intentions and make sure that that they are defended when the princess is deciding over something. The Head of Public Services is more like a mediator between the ministerial representation and the princess. The Royal House also includes a Scribe, responsible for taking notes of the princess's final decision on the matters being discussed, for the record. I suppose that it would make more sense if the ministries appointed their own representatives, but Celestia prefer's this way.

 

And this is Celestia's side of the Royal House. Luna has other ponies working with her. Just to make things more interesting, we even use a different nomenclature. She has a Grand-Vizier who presides over 12 viziers appointed BY the ministries that serve as advisors. At least they work the same way, with the Grand-Vizier also acting as Scribe.

 

I should have put this in the original post, but it was already big enough. Do you think I should adapt a parliament instead of the Royal House?

[Scootalove 10,684]

I pretty much love that we are talking about Politics especially in Canterlot.

Luna and Celestia remind me of President/Vice President, and well Cadance + Shining Armor really do make you think about something about a monarchy in England. King and Queen, sort of thing.

Edited February 1, 2013 by ~Chaotic Lightning~

[Metemponychosis 1,239]

TL;DR

 

I read most of it, and for the most part is sounds great! Maybe you can have the two princesses (who are day and night) kinda have their own party, like Republicans/Democrats, or Conservatives/Liberals. Maybe that might work out! 

 

But it sounds great, and good luck!

Wouldn't work. They are supposed to rule in unison, one during the day and the other during the night. They can't have absolutely opposing views.

 

But which one do you figure would be Republican? 

 

I pretty much love that we are talking about Politics especially in Canterlot.

Luna and Celestia remind me of President/Vice President, and well Cadance + Shining Armor really do make you think about something about a monarchy in England. King and Queen, sort of thing.

In this disposition, they are co-rulers. I think it fits better if both Luna and Celestia share their power rather than Celestia ruling over Luna.

Cadance is there just to look pretty. 

Shinning Armor is still Captain of the Royal Guard in my head. I don't really want to see him gone to be king in the Crystal Empire or something.