Parliament is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom of America, organized as a bicameral legislature with an elected House of Commons and a hereditary House of Lords. Cabinet members, except for the War Minister (the chairman of the Imperial General Staff, a serving military officer,) must be sitting members of one of the two houses.
The Commons is the lower house. All legislation, taxation, and appropriation bills must be initiated in it. The members of the Commons are directly elected by voters in their districts who are over 18 years of age and whose households possess an income of at least $5.00 per annum. Even most poor farming households meet this minimum standard. Elections are held either every seven years, when the prime minister voluntarily calls for a new election, the king prorogues Parliament, or the sitting government loses a vote of no confidence.
The House of Commons has four hundred members.
List of Current Members of the House of Commons
The Lords is the upper house. Members of the Lords are appointed for life by Crown appointment among the pool of hereditary peers. Not all peers have a seat, for the Lords is limited to one hundred members only.
It must approve or deny all legislation passed in the lower house. It may not alter any bills passed in the Commons, nor may initiate any legislation. The Lords must confirm Crown appointments of judges and governors general by a two thirds vote.
Political parties and coalitions play an important role in government. The head of the ruling coalition is automatically the prime minister, and is responsible for apportioning cabinet posts. The Constitutional Monarchist Party has dominated every Parliament since the foundation of the monarchy in 2019. The Monarchist Party, American Indian Party, and Farmer's Coalition (recently absorbed by the Constitutional Monarchists) have also been members since the early days and always have had cabinet seats reflect their particular interests. The "Loyal" Opposition is headed by the Kennedy Democratic Party, aligned with the Christian Party, the Communists, Facists and the newly-created Aryan Party.
The UKA's Parliament, at first glance, seems like it should be the dominant political entity in the governmental structure. With power of the purse, legislative powers, and providing the bulk of cabinet ministers, Parliament should be. However, the monarchy has numerous hidden and coercive powers over Parliament that are not instantly appearent. The Crown controls both the police and the military, and has the ability to impose its will by force when it thinks it necessary. Futhermore, the king has considerable influence with the Constitutional Monarchist and Monarchist Parties, and thus can help shape legislation. Finally, with the power to appoint members to the House of Lords, the king has a further method of protecting its interest in legislation. The true check and balance power the Parliament owns, and uses, is the power of the purse. With sole power to levy taxes and make appropriations, Parliament can pull the rug out from under the king's initiatives by letting the money run out.
Note: AftermathTM is a roleplaying game by FGU, long out of print but highly recommended. This website is my own creation, not the work of FGU's authors, and is entirely fictional and solely for the entertainment of my readers. Any characters named after any individuals, living or dead, societies, cultures, nations, or religions are fictional, set in an alternate universe, and make no pretense to the truth, even as I see it!