The Central Government

The Central Government refers to the collection of institutions responsible for the formulation and effective implementation of policy across the Galactic Empire. It also performs co-ordinating functions, ensuring co-operation between the various subordinate administrative units and governments through which the Empire is controlled. In consequence of its size, broad remit and financial control the Central Government is regarded as the senior of the Empire's three executive branches.

The Chancellor

The head of the Central Government is the Chancellor of the Empire, Tiberius Anar. The Chancellor oversees and co-ordinates the work of the various Imperial Ministries and Agencies, directing their work. He also carries out specialised functions, such as oversight of the Civil Service, that cannot effectively be allocated to his ministerial subordinates.

Ministers

The Imperial Ministers (a title employed to avoid confusion with others bearing the title of minister in subordinate governments) head the Imperial Ministries. Thy normally have responsibility for a unified policy area (education) or for an element of the government's work (e.g. propaanda), though some miniters' areas of responsibility overlap. They carry out their work through extensive staffs of civil servants working form offices on Imperial Centre or in offices based in the regions. Though they were not appointed for their expertise, many of the ministers have developed a high level of understand. This is a source of some frustration for their supposedly expert civil servant staffs, who regard ministers as spokesmen and figureheads for their respective ministries.

The ministers form the Council of Ministers, a co-ordinating body chaired by the Chancellor. The Council usually meets once a month.

Ministries

The Imperial Ministries each receive a budget allocation for their staff and operating costs and a budgetary appropriation to be spent upon the execution of the respective tasks. A large part of each ministry's work consists of allocating the appropriation to their subordinate institutions and accounting for its use. Policy is formulated to direct this expenditure. Ministries also provide a regulatory framework for the areas of Imperial life associated with ther work.

The Imperial Treasury- budgetting, fiscal policy, taxation.

The Ministry of the Interior- internal security, policing, customs, and immigration.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs- supervision and co-ordination of subordinate governments.

The Ministry of Trade- trade standards and operations.

The Ministry of Industry- state owned industry and industrial standards.

The Ministry of Welfare- state provision for citizens' health and wellbeing.

The Ministry of Labour- employment and labour provision.

The Ministry of Propaganda- Censorship and public information and public relations.

The Ministry of Education- state provided primary, secondary, higher and further education.

The Ministry of Public Works- Supervision of public works schemes, public amenities.

The Ministry of Resources- aquisition of resources and their managment.

The Ministry of Economics- Economic planning and monitoring.

Note: as the Empire claims to exercise authority over the entire Galaxy, there is no Foreign Ministry. The Chancellor does, however, maintain an External Relations Directorate within the Chancellery to handle relations with those who maintain their independance from Imperial rule, such as the Hapan Cluster. This maintains the fiction of the the Empire's rule of the whole Galaxy, whilst allowing the Empire to actually function effectively in the real Galaxy.

The Civil Service

The Imperial Civil Service is the body of permanent officials who provide the work force for the Central Government. The most senior civil servant in a ministry is the Secretary, whose simple title masks his true importance. The Secretary is the professional head of the Ministry, a career official appointed to advise the (usually) non-career minister. It is the Secretary’s job to keep the ministry running smoothly and to keep the minister informed. Beneath the Secretary are a number of Deputy Secretaries each of whom is responsible for one area of the ministry’s remit. Each of these departments is made up of divisions headed by Under Secretaries, with a number of Assistant Secretaries below them.