Senate Sourcebook
History of the Senate | Administrative Structure | The Charter | Legislation | Concise Bibliography
"The New Republic is a mutual self- protection pact among over four hundred sapient species, and an economic partnership between eleven thousand inhabited worlds."
Republic and Empire
The history of the Republic Senate dates back to the founding of the Republic
and the Jedi Order, fifteen millennia prior to the Battle of Yavin. The Senate
served as the governing body of the Republic, while the Jedi Order served as its defenders. The Republic began as a mutual protection and economic alliance among a number of planets in the galactic core. Soon thereafter, the Senate, and therefore the seat of government, was established on the planet Coruscant,
coordinates 0-0-0 in the standard galactic coordinate system, signifying its
central location in the galaxy.
The Senate grew with the Republic – in the early days of the Republic, each
delegation represented a single member world, and then an entire planetary
system. When the number of member worlds, and therefore the number of
delegations, became too large for the Senate to be effective, member worlds were organized into sectors of fifty inhabited star systems, each sending one
delegation. When the number of sectors became too large, sectors were organized
into roughly a thousand regions, each represented by one delegation to the
Senate.
Since the Republic was founded on democratic principles, each member delegation, no matter how large or small, important or unimportant, received one vote in all matters, procedural and substantive. All delegations were part of the full Senate assembly, of which the Supreme Chancellor, elected by the delegations, presided. The assembly was in turn divided into individual committees, each specializing in specific fields of government administration, and which were responsible for creating legislation to be reviewed by the full assembly.
Although legislation passed by the Senate was binding to all member worlds, most of the everyday legislation followed by citizens of the Republic was created at the planetary, sector, or regional level. Therefore, the main functions of the Senate were to mediate disputes between members, provide for the common defense, and regulate inter-system trade. The Jedi, who answered to the Supreme Chancellor, became traveling representatives of the Senate responsible not only for protecting the Republic and its citizens, but also to serve as representatives of the Republic and as mediators for individual disputes.
However, the waning years of the Republic were a time of corruption and great
social injustice. The Senate became divided between those who genuinely wished
to uphold the values and ideals of the Republic and those who wished to further
their own goals. After a series of weak and ineffectual Supreme Chancellors and
a crisis involving the invasion of the planet Naboo by the Trade Federation over a tariff passed in the Senate, the time had come for strong leadership to end the corruption.
The Imperial Senate
There is no distinct dividing line marking the end of the Republic and the
beginning of the Galactic Empire. Rather, there is a period of overlap starting
from the election of Senator Palpatine of Naboo to the office of Supreme
Chancellor, until the Declaration of a New Order – the formal establishment of
the Empire.
Palpatine was an efficient and effective leader who quickly brought an end to
corruption in the Senate, through greatly increasing the power of the Supreme
Chancellor. Eventually, the Senate lost most of its power and became little more than an advisory council to the Supreme Chancellor. Secure in his power and position, Palpatine issued the Declaration of a New Order and declared himself Emperor twenty years before the Battle of Yavin.
The people of the new Empire enthusiastically supported the vision outlined in
the Declaration of a New Order. Many senators wholeheartedly supported the new
government while a number of more cautious senators chose to watch and wait to
see how the new government would handle the affairs of state. It promised to
trade strength for frailty, order for chaos, and decisiveness for uncertainty.
In retrospect, the foundation of the Empire had already been set down during
Palpatine’s chancellorship and therefore the transition from Republic to Empire
was relatively smooth.
During the first few years of the Empire, Coruscant was renamed Imperial Center, the galaxy saw the single largest military buildup in history, and a council of Moffs was established to more efficiently govern individual sectors and regions of the Empire. Popular support for the policies of Palpatine’s administration was high. Then began the reign of terror. The Empire initiated the Great Purge, all but exterminating the Jedi Order. Antislavery laws were repealed and legislation legalizing the persecution of nonhumans was passed. Peaceful demonstrations were dispersed using brute force, often killing and maiming thousands, as during the Ghorman Massacre. The planets of the Empire were no longer given a say in the government, but were now kept in line by the sector squadrons of the Imperial Navy, each containing twenty-four Imperial-class Star Destroyers. Disillusioned senators who had tried unsuccessfully to use legal means, and the time-honored system of checks and balances, now sought to end Palpatine’s rule through rebellion.
Three of the most influential senators – Bail Organa of Alderaan, Garm Bel Iblis of Corellia, and Mon Mothma of Chandrilla – met in secret and signed the
Corellian Treaty, forming the Alliance to Restore the Republic, more commonly
referred to as the Rebellion or the Rebel Alliance. However, the threat of
Rebellion allowed Palpatine to endorse the Tarkin Doctrine of rule by fear and
force. A year before the Battle of Endor, Palpatine declared a state of
emergency and disbanded the Imperial Senate. Thus the institution that
represented the last remnants of the values and ideals of the Republic was swept away.
The Provisional Council
The ultimate goal of the Alliance was to end the Emperor’s tyrannical rule and
to restore freedom and justice to the galaxy. To achieve these ends, the Rebel
Alliance used tactics from subversion to large-scale military actions, such as
the Battle of Endor.
The Battle of Endor and the death of the Emperor four years after the Battle of
Yavin signaled the end of the Empire. One month later, the Declaration of a New
Republic was issued by eight of the most important members of the Rebel Alliance setting forth the goals, values, and ideals of the new government. These eight, Mon Mothma of Chandrilla, Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan, Borsk Fey’lya of Kothlis, Admiral Ackbar of Calamari, Sian Tevv of Sullust, Doman Beruss of Corellia, Kerrithrarr of Kashyyyk, and Verrinnefra B’thog Indriummsegh of Elom, became the first Inner Council of the New Republic provisional government, the Provisional Council.
The main goal of the New Republic during the time of the Provisional Council was to capture Coruscant. At the time, the Provisional Council, and therefore the New Republic, did not have an official designated seat of government or capital world. Instead, the Provisional and Inner Councils met on various member worlds, such as Noquivzor. To move the government to Coruscant would be more symbolic than strategic, and would establish the legitimacy of the New Republic, for the seat of galactic government had always been on Coruscant since the beginning of the Republic. Until then, the Provisional Government’s goals would be to provide guidance for the new government and to work out a new series of principles and laws.
The First Senate
Shortly after the capture of Coruscant and the relocation of the New Republic
government seven years after the Battle of Yavin, the New Republic Senate was
established during Restoration Day. The speech of Princess Leia Organa, New
Republic Minister of State, reflected the beliefs and principles of the First
Senate:
“Today we become a galactic family – a family of the great and the small, the
young and the old, with honor to all and favor to none.”
Mon Mothma became the first Chief of State of the New Republic, and under the
new Charter, also the President of the Senate and the Commander in Chief of the
Armed Forces. During her administration, the New Republic government remained
very similar to that of the provisional government, with the New Republic Senate Assembly assuming the duties of the Provisional Council and with the Inner Council at its head.
The Senate was able to provide the protection and guidance necessary to end the
threat posed by the Empire following the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn nine
years after the Battle of Yavin. However, it was not able to defend against a
major Imperial counteroffensive lead by a resurrected Emperor that saw the
recapture of Coruscant a year after Thrawn’s death, and thus the New Republic
found itself again on the run.
The Senate during the Black Fleet Crisis
Upon the successful recapture of Coruscant eleven years after the Battle of
Yavin, the New Republic Senate began the first of a series of government
restructuring programs. Specialized councils were established, each with greater power than ordinary Senate committees, with the responsibility of providing for a specific aspect of government. These included the Council on the Common Defense, the Council on Security and Intelligence, the Justice Council, the Ministry Council, the Council on Science and Technology, and the Commerce Council.
The Inner Council was replaced by the Ruling Council made up of the chairpersons of the eight Senate councils, with the power to remove the Chief of State from office to protect against having the head of government become too powerful, as Palpatine did as Supreme Chancellor.
During the Second Senate, Mon Mothma retired from public life and named Princess Leia Organa Solo her successor. With the approval of the Senate, Organa Solo became the second Chief of State of the New Republic.
Many important events with long lasting repercussions occurred during the
presidency of Organa Solo. The most important of these was the opening of
diplomatic talks with the Duskhan League, an alliance of Yevethan worlds in the
Koornacht Cluster. This in turn led to what is commonly referred to as the Black Fleet Crisis, during which Organa Solo extended the power of the Chief of State, amidst two petitions of recall from the Ruling Council and a petition of no confidence in the Senate, in order to protect the New Republic from the
fanatical Yevethans and their ruthless campaign of genocide.
Also, around this time, many former Imperial worlds petitioned for and were
granted membership to the New Republic. However, many of these worlds retained
their individual governments, and as a result, their delegations to the Senate
often advocated views associated with the late Empire such as xenophobia, and
generally caused deadlock within the Senate.
Finally, after being criticized for New Republic involvement in the Koornacht
Cluster, Almania (during which the Senate Hall was destroyed), and the Corellian System, and because of discord within the Senate, especially between the traditional and pro-Imperial senators, Chief of State Leia Organa Solo took an indefinite leave of absence, upon which the Calibop senator Ponc Gavrisom was chosen as the caretaker Chief of State.
The Third Senate
Ponc Gavrisom’s ascension to the office of Chief of State, the construction of a new Senate Grand Convocation Chamber, and a new round of major government restructuring marked the beginning of the Third Senate. The power of government was shifted more to the local, planetary, system, sector, and regional levels to avoid the centralization of power that marked the Palpatine era. The New Republic Senate’s role was thus reduced to little more than providing for the common defense and mediating inter-system disputes. While any legislation passed by it was still binding, the new limit of one bill per delegation per year prevented gridlock, since any proposed legislation would have to pass the scrutiny of both the committee in which it was introduced as well as the full Senate.
Another development made during the restructuring was the creation of the New
Republic Observers, an organization that functioned much like the Jedi Order
during much of the Republic. The job of the Observers was to move about the New
Republic and to report to the Senate what they saw or heard, especially with
regard to improper government activities that local authorities preferred to
keep out of sight.
The major event of the Third Senate was the Caamas Document crisis, which
threatened to begin a civil war between pro-Bothan and anti-Bothan factions of
the New Republic. The crisis, which began with the uncovering of the Caamas
Document at Wayland, ended with the signing of a final peace treaty between the
New Republic and the Imperial Remnant, finally ending the thirty-seven year
Galactic Civil War.
(adapted from Cracken's Threat Dossier, with corrections made where necessary)
The New Republic is a voluntary confederation organized on democratic principles under a common Charter and in accord with the ideals and purposes embodied in the Declaration of a New Republic. Primary (voting) membership is available to any independent sovereign political entity representing one or more unified planetary populations, or to other recognized and definable territories. Membership follows an application process (during which the candidate member reviews the Charter and other governing statutes and agrees to abide by them) and an assessment process (during which the candidate member's annual support contribution is determined).
Affiliate (non-voting) membership is available to subordinate political units (for example, the individual members of a league of worlds) and to duly recognized representatives of sentient species not constituting a political unit.
Observer (non-voting) membership is available to nonmember allies of the New Republic.
The Declaration of a New Republic sets forth the principles to which the New Republic is dedicated; the common Charter is the actual mechanism by which planets become members, and specifies both the rights and duties of members, and the various institutions of government and their powers. The common Charter was a creation of the transitional Provisional Council.
The government of the New Republic is organized around a unicameral legislative body called the Senate, replacing the Provisional Council. Primary members are represented in the Senate by a Senator. Each Senator has a single vote, regardless of the population represented. Affifiate members are represented on Coruscant by a Legate, who may speak in general sessionsof the Senate, but may not vote on official Senate business (to avoid dual representation) or serve in the Senate's various working bodies.
As a body with a large and potentially unlimited membership, the Senate-in-whole is an almost impossibly unweildy structure for getting work done. Concequently, most of the real governance is performed by the Senate's councils, committees, and commissions. The daily business of the Senate proper is primarily speech-making and public debate. When the Senate meets as a committee of the whole, it is sometimes referred to as the New Republic Assembly.
The President of the Senate, elected by a three-by-five majority of the Senators, is Chief of State of the New Republic and Commander-in-Chief of the Fleet.
[Tradition varies on the proper form of address for the President. Mon Mothma preferred "Chief of State," but the address has varied under Leia Organa Solo depending on context. In general, Senators, the Senate bureaucracy, and the Coruscant media refer ro the President, while the General Ministry, member worlds, and the population of the New Republic often refer to the Chief of State, depending on local languages and history. Part of the problem and confusion arises from the lingering association of the term President with the last holder of that office before the Empire - Senator Palpatine. Most of the subsequent Presidents of the Imperial Senate were lapdogs of the Emperor. The term retains a certain stain; this contributed to Organa Solo's difficulties during the recent crisis. The concerted effort by certain public relations aides to bring the term "President" into common use invoked old fears of Presidential tyranny. - Na'al.]
The President can be recalled by a majority vote of the Senate on presentation of a petition of no-confidence by a majority of the Ruling, or Inner, Council, or by a quarter of the primary members of the Senate. The election of a President bay be blocked by the Ruling Council on a unanimous vote. In practice, the power of the Ruling Council to void an election and initiate the recall of a sitting President means any candidate proposed by or approved by the Ruling Council is likely to be elected by the Senate. The Ruling Council consists of the chairmen of the Senate councils and the President of the Senate. The President may select any member of the Ruling Council to conduct the business of the Senate in her absence from that body.
If the president should become incapacitated, incommunicado, or die, the chairman of the Ministry Council selects an acting Chief of State from among the following: any former President, the current Minister of State, any former Minister of State.
The General Ministry is the non-military bureaucracy of the New Republic. It is organized into several large permanent Ministries, smaller task-oriented service Agencies, and several semi-independent Institutes. The various Senate councils have oversight and financing authority over the corresponding Ministries.
The Cabinet consists of the heads of the various ministries and is headed by the Minister of State. This body is the link between the Chief of State and the Ministries.
The First Administrator, appointed by the Ministry Council with the approval of the President of the Senate, heads the New Republic General Ministry. He reports to the Chief of State.
The members of the Court of Justice are selected by the Senate Justice Council from a list of nominees presented by the President of the Senate. The First Justice is elected by the other members of the Court from among their number. Nominally independent, the power of the Court of Justice is limited by its narrowly defined jurisdiction: to review charges of violations of the Charter by members of by the other branches of the New Republic's government. The Court of Justice does not serve as the court of last appeal for ordinary civil and criminal cases; those are settled by local judicial authorities on member worlds.
The New Republic Defense Force is the military arm of the New Republic. It operates five full fleets, each consisting of hundreds of warships, transports, and support vessels, divided into battle groups and task forces, in addition to ground troop divisions and starfighter wings.
Since the reorganization of the military into a single unified command, the former Minister of Defense is now called the Supreme Commander, and the posts of Minister of the Army and Minister of the Navy have been abolished.
The Supreme Commander, appointed by the Defense Council with the approval of the President of the Senate, heads the Defense Force. He reports to the Chief of State.
As stated by Chief of State Ponc Gavrisom, the Preamble to the Charter “exhorts
all member worlds to behave towards one another in an acceptable and civilized
manner.”
The body of the Charter contains the basic laws of the New Republic, as well as
the rules of procedure for the Senate. It has had numerous amendments made to
it, especially during the periods of major government restructuring, since
it was first drafted. However, most of the core principles and values have
remained the same.
Chief of State Leia Organa Solo once described the New Republic as both a mutual
self-protection pact and an economic partnership between member worlds. To that
end, the Charter of the New Republic allowed for mutual defense and the
enforcement of the Treaties and Articles of Membership, which provided open
markets, monetary controls, dispute resolution, representation in the Senate,
and military protection. Section 45 of the Treaties also allowed the New
Republic to commandeer any elements of individual defense fleets in times of
emergency for the purpose of defense.
Sections outlining the legal guidelines generally allow for the continuation of
legal traditions of member worlds and deal more with the interactions between
different races and worlds. For example, the Charter specifically forbids
penalizing an entire people for the crimes of a few, a section oft quoted during
the Caamas Document crisis.
Article Five of the Charter specifically outlines the powers of each part of the government, from the Chief of State to the entire Senate. The emergency powers provisions within allow for the Chief of State to, among things, declare states of emergency and war, and to issue executive orders as necessary. Article Five was used by Mon Mothma when she created Alpha Blue, a highly classified intelligence agency in Executive Order D9020616, and by Leia Organa Solo when she declared war on the Duskhan League.
Another important section of the Charter is Article Eleven, which proclaims a
principle of free navigation. Admiral Ackbar explained this principle in the
following statement:
“Both interstellar space and hyperspace are owned by none and open to all. We
recognize no territorial claims beyond the boundaries of a single star system.”
Article Eleven was used as a justification for the Fifth Fleet’s entry into the
Farlax Sector during the Black Fleet Crisis.
"With each Senator limited to introducing one bill per year, and a straight
up-down vote required to get that bill out of committee, most of the proposed
legislation never found the support necessary to make it to the full Senate.
Only a small fraction of the few, moreover, ever survived the Senate's scrutiny
to actually become law." (Specter of the Past, p 112). The following
are some of the pieces of legislation that were passed and enacted by the
Senate.
Historic Battle Site Protection Act
The Historic
Battle Site Protection Act established more than two dozen restricted areas and claimed ownership of all combat debris everywhere in the name of the Alliance War Museum.
New Republic Senate Resolution 54.325
This
resolution declared slavery illegal throughout the New Republic.
Military Secrets Act
This act gives the Chief of State the authority to bypass the security risks of a full senate vote on a certain bill or resolution if it gathers the required vote in committee.