Government of the Bai Empire

The Government of the Bai Empire is a semi-constitutional parliamentary democracy that consists of the monarch and the five branches of government, modelled on the political philosophy of Bai democracy set out by Prince Hu Fengyao and Ying Masun. Historically, Bai was under an absolute monarchy prior to the Middle Bai Dynasty, with de facto separate branches of the Censorate and Examination for government officials. The current system introduced the legislature and the judiciary.

The current government was founded on the 1962 Fengyang Constitution of the Bai Empire. Unlike most nations, the government is divided into five independent branches: the Executive Yuan (cabinet and monarch), the bicameral Imperial Congress (parliament), the Judicial Yuan, the Censure Yuan (audit agency), and the Examination Yuan (civil service examination agency). The Head of State is the Emperor and the Chancellor (Zongli Dachen) leads the government.

In practice, the system resembles a semi-constitutional system with a uniquely strong monarchy. The monarch retains significant executive and legislative powers, including powers to dismiss the Chancellor and appoint another without the consent of the legislature. The monarch, however, shares limitations found in other constitutional systems, including the lack of a strong veto and no direct control of most administrative policy.

History
Prior to the Middle Bai Dynasty, Bai was ruled under an absolute monarchy through various successive dynasties in Bai history. The Emperor was considered the Son of Heaven and the autocrat of all under Heaven, and generally exercised absolute authority over the Bai Empire. Nevertheless, failure to uphold its governing duties and moral obligations was thought to remove the dynasty's Mandate of Heaven and to justify its overthrow. Hence, the position has always been contested at various times throughout Bai history, leading to rebellions, coups and civil wars.

Nevertheless, the powers of the monarch still varied depending on the political structure. Due to the vastness of the Empire, certain authority was dissolved to the bureaucrats, viceroys and ministers to manage day-to-day provincial and regional affairs. Many of these officials were selected via civil service examinations, reflecting the Empire's emphasis on meritocracy. This practice continues today through the Imperial Civil Service Commission.

The Lin Dynasty was the last absolute imperial dynasty in Bai. However, the Lin Emperor had limited powers, with a "Special Council" comprising Ulethan dignitaries influencing the country's policies as per various trade treaties signed. This ended with the Bai Strengthening Movement, which overthrew the Lin Dynasty and led to the Middle Bai Dynasty. The Chenghong Constitution in 1798 established the country's first constitutional monarchy, creating the bicameral legislature and the judiciary. The new democratic system was inspired by various democratic institutions at the time, particularly the Federal States and Mauretia. The Empire saw its first democratic legislative elections in 1805, although the controversial Peace Preservation Law allowed Prince Hu's allies to contest. Ying Ma Sun, a fellow ally of the Prince, became the first elected Imperial Chancellor, with the Bai Renmin Minzhudang dominating the Imperial Yihuiting. Even under the constitutional monarchy, the Emperor retains significant influence over political affairs.

Nevertheless, repeated interferences by the monarch on legislative affairs, while at times advantageous (such as women suffrage or land reforms), had led to several political crises that plagued the waning years of the Middle Bai Dynasty. These crises culminated in the 1922 Fascist Coup that briefly ended the monarchy and established the one-party Bai Democratic Republic under Yu Shanliu. This Republic was only democratic in name, with its President still exercising absolute control. After its collapse in 1942, Bai descended into warlordism as various governments competed for legitimacy. The current monarchy was restored by Yu Zeming in 1962 through the Eastern Expedition that reunited the country.

The Empress
The head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces is the Empress, who wields significant executive and legislative power. Currently, the Hexi Empress is the monarch of the country. The Empress has the power to appoint the Chancellor (Zongli Dachen), members of the Censure Yuan, members of the Gaojiyuan, provincial governors and Dao viceroys. She also has the power to nominate judges for the Supreme Court, which requires the approval of the Censure Yuan. The Empress is able to veto laws, issue edicts and royal pardons, dissolve the Yihuiting, change certain aspects of the constitution, declare war or impose martial law. However, edicts issued, amendments to the constitution or the implementation martial law are only effective for up to three months, and generally require the approval of the Yihuiting or the Gaojiyuan to be extended or made permanent. The Empress cannot amend the fundamental principles of the constitution, as expressed in the articles guaranteeing human dignity, the separation of powers, the federal structure, and the rule of law.

The Chancellor
The Chancellor of the Bai Empire, also known as the Zongli Dachen (Baiyu: 总理大臣), is the head of government in the Bai Empire and the leader of the Bai Cabinet. Under the semi-constitutional monarchy system of the Empire, many considered the position to be the second-highest office after the monarch. Working directly with the monarch, the Chancellor commands the legislative process and has powers that include dictating the agenda of the Gaojiyuan and selecting a cabinet. The Chancellor is appointed by the monarch and must enjoy the confidence of the Yihuiting (lower house) to remain in office. As such, the Chancellor is typically the leading figure of the majority party in the Yihuiting.

The Chancellor serves for up to two six-year terms. The powers of the Chancellor are limited, and the Chancellor can be removed via impeachment of the Censure Yuan, a loss in confidence by the Yihuiting, or dismissal by the monarch. The incumbent Chancellor is Huang Cailin, who took office on 7 July 2022.

Legislature
The Empire's legislative organ is the Imperial Congress. It is a bicaramel parliament consisting of the Renmin Yihuiting (People's Senate) and the Gaojiyuan (High Council). The 1888 members of the Yihuiting, known as the lower house, are elected by popular vote through general elections, usually held every five years. Yihuiting members could also be recalled and a by-election would be held to replace the removed member. Voting is mandatory for eligible adults over 18 years of age, with a secret ballot for all elected offices. The main function of the Yihuiting is to debate and pass laws, with exclusive power to introduce bills related to taxation and public spending. These would be sent to the monarch for approval.

The 328 members of the Gaojiyuan are elected by the provincial legislatures and/or appointed by the monarch, with the recommendation of the Chancellor. The main functions of the Gaojiyuan are to review and revise bills that have been passed by the Yihuiting. While it does not have the power to introduce bills related to taxation or public spending, it can propose amendments to such bills. The Gaojiyuan also elects members for the Censorate.

Both houses have their own committees and subcommittees, which have the power to investigate and make recommendations on various issues.

Judiciary
The Judicial Yuan is the highest judicial organ. It interprets the constitution and other laws and decrees, judges administrative suits, and disciplines public functionaries. The president and vice-president of the Judicial Yuan and additional thirteen justices form the Council of Grand Justices. They are nominated by the monarch, with the consent of the Censure Yuan. The judges can be removed by the Censure Yuan. The highest court, the Supreme Court, consists of several civil and criminal divisions, each of which is formed by a presiding judge and four associate judges, all appointed for life. In 1993, a separate constitutional court was established to resolve constitutional disputes. There is no trial by jury but the right to a fair public trial is protected by law and respected in practice; many cases are presided over by multiple judges.

Censorate
The Censure Yuan is the auditing agency (censorate) for the Bai Empire that monitors, regulates and disciplines government officials and their activities. The current Censure Yuan is based on the censorate, a separate supervisory branch in previous dynasties. Like the previous censorates, it has the powers to impeach government officials, including the Chancellor, following which the cases would be forwarded to the Judicial Yuan for adjudication. Other unique powers include approving or rejecting nominations for high-level government positions, including Cabinet members, federal judges, and ambassadors. Members of the Censure Yuan are nominated by the Gaojiyuan and appointed by the monarch. In addition, the Censure also audits the national budget.

Civil service commission
The Examination Yuan is in charge of validating the qualification of civil servants. A revised model of the old imperial examination system used in previous dynasties, its activities have recently been expanded to cover the national education system. The members of the Examination are nominated by the Censure Yuan and appointed by the monarch.