The rules of Governorship are at once simple and profound. A Governor has absolute authority in his vicinage, and absolute responsibility for its well-being. These two basic tenets have never changed. As the supreme administrator for an area, the Governor appoints staff members, and senior officials to deal with the mundane business matters, and to head up specialty operations such as schools, maintenance, parks, etc. He may also levy taxes for the building and maintaining of public buildings in his vicinage, and for any special projects they feel the area needs. The tenure of a Governor is primarily decided by his local popularity, and political savvy. As most of the vicinages have twenty thousand people (give or take), politics is based primarily on personality, and the potential benefits a candidate could bring to the neighborhood. Affiliations to a particular ideology or special interest do not necessarily equate with gaining votes. Charismatic leaders often manage to win their vicinage and stay in office, strictly due to charm and influence (as long as the people in the area do not have their trust abused and are not particularly inconvenienced in their daily lives). A Governor holds office until he is voted out, retires or dies. There is no maximum term.

The seven Governors sit in a body known as the Assembly of Governors, or simply -- the Assembly. Together they meet to discuss problems that concern Morada as a whole, or difficulties and business that encompass multiple vicinages. During one of the first meetings of the Assembly, the Governors appointed one of their group as Prime Minister -- someone who would be responsible for leading the general meetings and following through on agendas, and who could deal directly with the King, if circumstances should warrant it. The Prime Minister's tenure is based on how long he can keep his basic Governorship, or until the balance of the other Governors rest against him and he is relieved of office by the Assembly due to a 'no confidence' vote. With such a small number of voting personages in the Assembly, cooperation is a key factor. The swaying of a Governor's vote can have major ramifications in the passing or failing of legislation. It is not uncommon (though hardly discussed) to have one person of a certain viewpoint, 'influence' another individual's stand by the giving of gifts, donations of money, or the more subtle (and often persuasive) method of threats and blackmail. In several instances (as long as the individuals do not get caught by their peers) the view of "what ever works" is acceptable political practice. It is yet to be determined just how far this Machiavellian concept has trickled down into the governmental structure. Several citizens believe that their Vicinage was 'won' by a Governor who 'bought' his way into the office.

Although Morada's government has no true 'Party System' there are certain ideals and ideologies that have shown themselves to be prevalent during the last twenty years. Theoretically, the governors vote as need (or their conscience) dictates and hold no real affiliations with the rest of the Assembly. In practice, they end up voting as will support others who think in like ways, and therefore create a divided Assembly on most matters. The two main divisions at this time are the Progressives and the Traditionalists. The Progressives tend towards modernization of the island, increasing trade, and bringing in more American and European businesses as a way of boosting the economy. The Traditionalists would like to keep the island small, self-sustaining, and to hold to the cultures and ways of the past. These are very broad ideals, and it is not uncommon for a Governor to vote strictly Traditional on one issue then take a more Progressive stance on another. Overlapping these two main affiliations are the Isolationists, the Moderates, the Environmentalists, the Socialists, etc.

At the time this system was set up, King Matthew I sat upon the Moradian throne. He was wise and loved by almost everyone on the island -- truly a popular leader. With the advent of the vicinages and the Governors, his rule became more of a titular one, though he still commanded a great deal of support from the people at large. The first Governors did well to stay on the right side of the King, if they wanted to keep their offices.

One power that the Moradian King still possesses is the ability to call for general elections. The king may, at any time, announce that elections are to be held. This announcement must come a minimum of 3 months before scheduling the actual election. At such time, all vicinages must hold elections for Governor. The incumbent Governor may run, and in many cases runs unopposed, but at this time any citizen may be nominated for office simply by gaining 100 signatures on a Petition for Nomination.

In addition, the King or any of the Governors may call for Vote of Confidence in the Assembly. There are two forms that such a vote may take. If the Vote of Confidence is directed at the Prime Minister (PM), then the Governors must either confirm the current PM, or vote "no confidence". A simple majority vote of no confidence serves to oust the PM, and the Assembly must elect a new one. The second form of the Vote of Confidence is directed against a specific Governor. As with the first, a simple majority vote in the Assembly is enough to either confirm or oust a Governor. If an individual Governor is ousted, then the king has the option of calling an election in that specific vicinage or calling for general elections in all vicinages. This is a powerful political tool. When the king publicly calls for a Vote of Confidence against a specific Governor, that usually signals the end of that Governor's career. The Governors use Votes of Confidence against the PM as means of political in-fighting. However, the Governors seldom call for votes of confidence against other specific Governors without royal support because such a vote gives the king an excuse to call a general election.

The Assembly may enact laws and regulations in keeping with the precepts of the Moradian constitution. Constitutional laws and regulations must be ratified by the king. If the king vetoes a law or regulation that has been passed by the Assembly, then the matter must go before a general referendum, and the citizens of Morada vote on the specific issue. If a law passes by referendum vote, then it is enacted. In the reverse, royal decrees must be ratified by the Assembly to be enacted. If a royal decree is defeated in the Assembly, then the king may choose to put the matter before the people in a referendum vote. Referendum votes on royal decrees are usually accompanied by general elections. Such are the dangers of voting against the king.

Along with the administration of their respective Vicinages, the Governors are also responsible for the management of various 'portfolios', and are thereby known as Ministers of that portfolio. An example would be the Governor of Vicinage 3 who has been made responsible for the 'defense' of Morada, and it's internal security. Therefore, he is the Minister of National Security. Each appointment to a ministry is approved by the Assembly as a whole (this approval also extends to the ministries without portfolio that are assigned by the King for special projects).

The position of Royal Steward is a unique factor in Moradian government. The Royal Steward is appointed by the king, and is responsible for the direction and management of the royal properties and resources. This includes the management of many of the city services and several of the public utilities, which are held as Royal Corporations. Not all public utilities fall under the Royal Steward. Most utilities that were formed after the advent of the Assembly fall under the Minister of Transportation and Development, and some utilities and public services are managed at the individual vicinage level. There is constant pressure on the king to nationalize utilities and services held by the Royal Corporation. This is slowly happening as the king is forced to make political concessions.