The Role of Government

The Centauri Conglomerate has a long standing commitment to 'small government'. The main functions of central government are to provide an organisational framework for the society. Society itself is held together by a complex system of contracts. Citizens enter in to a contract with the Government and various independent agencies. In effect, Centauri Law is Contract Law. Citizens have a contract with the rest of society to behave in a civilised way.

The key part of Government of The Office of the Regulator. This is there to ensure that contracts are observed.

Elected Representation

The government's activity is coordinated by an executive board, called the Centauri Democratic Board (CDB). This is chaired by the Chief Executive.

The members of the democratic board are elected directly by 'Stakeholders'. This is generally all eligible entities, both corporate and corporeal.

The Corporate Representative Panel.
Corporations are legal entities and are therefore fully regarded as citizens, and therefore they have democratic involvement.

The Citizen Representative Panel.
Elected representatives. Each world in the conglomerate selects by vote representatives for the main Panel. Local Panels exist on each world.

Government Organisation - Overview

There are only a few major government departments. For example health and social security insurance are not controlled by government (although it is Regulated). Since most of what are called 'public service' in other polities are provided either via private contracts or government subcontracts, regulating and compliance monitoring are the most important activities of central government.

The Office of The Regulator - probably biggest and most powerful government department. Responsible for policing the web of contract law and compliance that underpins all of Centauri society. Has wide power to terminate contracts of all sorts.

The Office of Finance - responsible for coordination of financial resources and taxation.

The Office of Opinion Research - This informs the performance and targets of all government departments. It is also has extensive focus group evidence for whether government sponsored contracts will be terminated. It is also a source of key information on government performance. Answerable primarily to the two Representative Panels.

The Office of Marketing and Corporate Relations - handles diplomacy and relations with outside entities. Much of this is delegated locally, though.

The Office of Defence - this is a small department that handles relations with the various military contractors employed to run the Centauri military. It also coordinates dissemination of defence policy and targets handed down by the CDB. There is only a very rudimentary 'high command' - which is mainly coordination staff.

Centauri Colonies

The Conglomerate doesn't have colonies as such. It has entered in to a number of interrelated mutually beneficial contracts with local system governments. These contracts offer protection, marketing and infrastructure support in return for resources etc. So systems 'join' the Conglomerate by signing a contract and becoming a member of the Conglomerate. In theory, any system can leave at any time by activating the break clause in their contract. The Conglomerate doesn't have planetary governors - it does provide extensive consultancy services to the local government. In each quadrant the local Chief Executive is in effect a head of operations for a local franchise - with very little real direct control over colonies (though a very large amount of influence).

In Centauri eyes any system or part of a system or individual can join the Conglomerate on request*. This can sometimes cause difficulties with other polities, who often misunderstand this as a challenge to sovereignty or even a land-grab.

* terms and conditions apply.