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| - The monarchy of the Imperium of Barrayar is the monarchy of Barrayar and its subject planets. The Emperor Serg Vorbarra and the Imperial Family take many duties of government, official, ceremonial and representative. As a semi-parliamentary monarch, the Emperor is partially restricted in the functions of government. Imperial power is intended to be, under ordinary circumstances, a ruling power, balancing the other powers (the Government and the Council of Counts). The sovereign powers are ordinarily partly delegated to other entities by various laws.
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| abstract
| - The monarchy of the Imperium of Barrayar is the monarchy of Barrayar and its subject planets. The Emperor Serg Vorbarra and the Imperial Family take many duties of government, official, ceremonial and representative. As a semi-parliamentary monarch, the Emperor is partially restricted in the functions of government. Imperial power is intended to be, under ordinary circumstances, a ruling power, balancing the other powers (the Government and the Council of Counts). The sovereign powers are ordinarily partly delegated to other entities by various laws.
* Legislative power is exercised by the Crown-in-Council. The Council of Counts can approve or reject the laws, although decrees and regulations are issued under the sole responsibility of the Emperor.
* Executive power is exercised by the Government of the Empire, on the basis of directives issued by the Emperor and subject to the confidence relationship between the Prime Minister of the Empire and the Emperor. However, the Emperor still retains the exclusive right to appoint officials and public employees, as well as to issue orders without the need of the Ministers' countersigns.
* Judicial power is exercised by Judges and Prosecutors, which enjoy judicial independence from the government but not full independence from the Emperor. The centre of the Barrayaran autocracy is the person of the Emperor himself, a sovereign with near absolute authority. The rights of state power in their most extent belong to the Emperor. Power is further entrusted by him to persons and institutions, acting in his name, by his orders, and within the limits laid down for them by law. The purpose of the system is to benefit the entire country. A metaphor exists likening Emperor to the father, and all of the subjects of the Empire, to his children. The other key feature is related to patrimonialism. In Barrayar the Emperor owns a relevant proportion of the state (the entire planet of Sergyar, lands, enterprises, etc.). To the common people, the Emperor is seen as responsible for all good in their lives, while all disasters came from meddling bureaucrats, functionaries, and nobles. The meaning and the basic function of the Monarchy is to ensure the "transcendence", the stability and continuity of political authority, so as to create an immutable and supreme point of reference and gravitation for all the political organism, beyond any particular interest. There is an atmosphere of loyalty because of which the function overcomes, to a certain point, the person who embodies it, so as not to be affected by possible insufficient human qualification of the actual Emperor. The Monarchy has, in addition to participation crucial to the three classic powers, a fourth power, higher than the other three powers: this power is to act as arbiter and moderator. The supreme command of the nation in arms comes from the power of acting as the supreme arbiter. In his capacity as supreme power, the Emperor, and the institution of the Monarchy, retains the right and the duty to intervene, mainly in cases of emergency. The Sovereign has the fundamental right and duty to determine, support, correct and confirm a certain political line: in this way it becomes the National policy. Descending to the duty to sanction the best way possible, the Emperor has a very active part in the government, and with his powers he must act as a counterweight to the interests of a party, to their deviations and their excesses. In the presence of a real monarchy, the value of service is enhanced and a higher value to the Republican State. The service to the State and to the Emperor is an honour and a privilege, not a given paid employment. The Monarchy is then a grinding influence on the national political climate. The Emperor of Barrayar traditionally sits on a camp stool. The tradition began with Emperor Dorca The Just, who pacified the Counts mostly by military means and therefore he chose a camp stool instead of a throne to show them he could be a soldier in battle and to exercise the supreme command as the commander-in-chief.
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