Other Jimness > Cinder Spires Spoilers

Democracy?

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knnn:
I'm referring to the following quote:


--- Quote from: Cinder Spires ---Bridget: "We're a civilized society, are we not?
Esterbrook: "Since when, miss? We're a democracy."

--- End quote ---

(Esterbrook then goes into the idea that voting someone out of office is like beheading him, etc).

So what part of the government can be voted out of office?   At first, I was thinking it was maybe like the Consul position back in Roman times (with the nobility being the senate), but the Spirearch position seems to be hereditary and he can apparently unilaterally make cats into citizens and he controls the army.  The Noble houses are presumably hereditary, so what's left?

Second Aristh:
The noble houses send representatives to the governing council, don't they?  It could be something like the British parliament with a House of Lords and a House of Commons.

knnn:

--- Quote from: Second Aristh on January 11, 2016, 02:56:13 AM ---The noble houses send representatives to the governing council, don't they?  It could be something like the British parliament with a House of Lords and a House of Commons.

--- End quote ---

Only the House of Commons are elected (House of lords are generally appointed), and the Spirearch is still a supreme leader with a *lot* of a executive power (see granted citizenship to a cat), and the nobles also seem to have quite a bit of power.

Even if we assume that the government includes a House a Commons, I don't really see them having enough power for the system to be called a "democracy" with a straight face.  Would you consider the UK of King George III's time to be a democracy?

Second Aristh:
Besides the cat citizenship thing, does the spirearch exercise a huge amount of power?  I could accept that as something unofficial that nobody in charge has had time to complain about yet.  He runs the police force for the Spire, but I was under the impression that the Fleet was its own thing. 

skybluemonk:
The Spirearch states that a monarchy was a necessary evil at one time but that as monarch he is now largely obsolete. There is a Council made up of representatives of the Houses and of all the habbles which he considers sometimes boarders as being fair. This presumes some form of election but perhaps guild based we are not told.
As monarch he seems to have respect and as the story progresses not devoid of power.
So a functioning democracy with a hereditary monarch with constitutional role somewhat similar to a British model but only one body. Like an american president he can presumably present policy to the council which they recognise as long as he is politic enough not to challenge but win to his argument ie cat citizen ship which was not out of the blue  or done to address the duel but a wider purpose of a Spire at war. There are deeper plans we have yet to see.

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