Government of the Republic of La Rossa

Government of La Rossa

The Flag of La Rossa
Overview
State	Republic of La Rossa
Leader	Alessandro Spadi (Dux)
Advisors	Advisory Council
Headquarters	Morelio Family Palace, Lorma (current)
Annual Budget	87.3 billion argottos
Dux Bartolomeo Marone	The current composition of the Advisory Council

The Government of La Rossa is the central executive authority of the Republic of La Rossa. It is headed by the Dux, who serves as the nation's head of state and head of government, and is elected democratically in a national elections. Unlike most democratic republics, La Rossa's government has no rigid or formally defined structure, instead taking its role through a long tradition of the Dux's near-absolute authority in decision-making. As a result, although recognized long-standing institutions exist to carry out the decrees of Duxes past and present, such institutions may be created or abolished through short process.

Within the government, all formal power rests within the Dux, although over the years several institutions have had officials elected or appointed to oversee the nation's functioning, especially after the nation's industrialization. Following the aftermath of the Spirit Revolution, the five-member Advisory Council was established with the ability to override the Dux's decisions, although the Dux is the only one with the power to put forward a decree. The members of the Advisory Council, unlike the Dux, are elected locally, and represent the city-provinces from which the Dux does not rule. In most common contexts, the "Government of La Rossa" exclusively refers to the Dux and the positions appointed by them.

Powers

Although most power formally lies with the Dux, the breadth of tasks required to be performed by the position have led to most executive functioning to be split among a number of appointed figures, spread across seven departments. Taking care of the roles required for the everyday functioning of the nation, the departments of the Rossan government are responsible for implementing the nation's laws into functional policy. Deriving powers from those laws, they tend to assume broad legal powers that are set towards accomplishing the goals set forward by the Dux's decrees, which oftentimes serve as guidelines rather than rigid policy schemes. As a result, while their leadership figures are appointed by the Dux and directly subject to them, such positions are capable of wielding considerable bureaucratic power in the ways they set towards fulfilling their mandated policy conditions. The powers of the government are not unrestrained, however, and if a department is found to be in breach of the nation's laws, its actions may be prosecuted in a court of law.

Institutions, structure and functioning

Department of Treasury

The Department of Treasury is the nation's oldest department, and although it was only officially formalized in 220 TT, its roles have historically been performed since early written history on the island. Tasked with collecting, investing and managing the national funds, the Department of Treasury raises revenue through taxation, used to fund the functioning of the rest of the government.

In the case of government spending overshadowing raised revenues, government bonds, as well as loans from private banks, are used to make up the rest.

Department of War

The Department of War was created in 13 PC, following domestic efforts to separate the Rossan Police Force from the Rossan Armed Forces, which were both previously managed under the same organization under the Department of Internal Affairs. The Department of War primarily oversees the functioning of the Rossan Armed Forces, alongside several departmental sub-branches tasked with enhancing the national military's functions, including research programs, radio networks and reconnaissance. While a significant portion of the department's research (whether done by the government or through private contractors) remains classified, occasionally projects deemed not fit for military use end up seeing applications in the civilian market, such as, for example, the aeronave. The military's top brass is employed at the department, with the highest-ranking officers requiring the Dux's approval (acting in capacity as admiral) to be promoted to the rank of colonel. Although nothing obligates the Dux to do so, since the department's founding, every one of its heads has previously held the position of colonel, usually following a promotion made by a previous Dux.

Department of Security

Formed in 68 PC, the Department of Security is the youngest department of the Rossan government. Its primary role, as set forward by its founding decree, is the protection of La Rossa from subversive acts of foreign nations through intelligence and counterintelligence programs. Functioning as the nation's secret service and espionage agency, it has consolidated several minor programs from the Department of Internal Affairs and the Department of War into their own department, with the rationale of allowing them to more effectively counteract foreign threats. Formed following an assassination attempt on Dux Bartolomeo Marone, the department has been placed in charge of the Dux's personal security, both through physical presence and intelligence-based counter-terrorist measures.