Imperial Mandate

This page (or section) is a work in progress by its author(s) and should not be considered final.

Not to be confused with Crown Mandate, a name given to certain subdivisions of the Union of Free Cities.

In nations of the Vistara Commonwealth (excluding Maanbriak), an Imperial Mandate (Vistarian: Keizerlijke Mandaat) or Empress' Mandate (Emperor's Mandate when the monarch is male) is the right for a civilian government to create and carry out the execution of laws under the oversight of the See of Supremacy. While existing in the democracies of the Commonwealth alongside the consent of the governed, the two are not inherently linked and can be at odds with each other in many cases.

Philosophical views on the nature of Imperial Mandates can vary across different political views, regions and systems within the Vistara Commonwealth, with debate over the amount of power the practice actually grants, or should grant, the Empress of the Vistara in the dissolving and formation of governments.

Fundamental aspects

Depending on the political system of the nation, Imperial Mandates exist based on one or more fundamental factors, most often assent and confidence.

Assent

In all Imperial Mandate systems, a government is required to hold the assent of the monarch in order to rule as a legitimate body. This can be given passively, through the acknowledgement of the current government and the granting of assent to legislative acts passed through the legislature, or it can be done actively through a statement in times of crisis. In Vistaraland, Twelijnland and K'undzeti, there are explicit provisions for the removal of a government if the monarch expresses disapproval towards its current formation, regardless of the opinions of the public or legislature.

Approaches to Imperial Mandates

Modern approaches

Equivalency theory

As an evolution of ideals held by the Reformists, Equivalency theory is a liberal interpretation of the modern status of Imperial Assent in parliamentary constitutional monarchies such as Vistaraland and K'undzeti. It argues that, although Imperial Mandates represent a de jure requirement of monarchical support for a government, the necessity of popular support in order to maintain the monarchy therefore creates a de facto system where assent only exists as a result of confidence. According to this theory, the notion of an Imperial Mandate does not retain any significant differences from the systems of other constitutional monarchies besides the titles.