Government Structure

Boshka Intelligence Agency

Federal Election Commission

General Services Administration

Securities & Exchange Commission

Small Business Administration

Social Security Administration

Peace Coprs

Independent Establishments and Government Corporations

(partial list)

How Boshka Government Works

The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Boshka divides the federal government into three branches to make sure no individual or group will have too much power:

Legislative—Makes laws (House of Commons - The Senate)
Executive—Carries out laws (President, Cabinet, most federal agencies)
Judicial—Evaluates laws (Supreme Court and other courts)

Each branch of government can change acts of the other branches:

The President can veto legislation created by the House of Commons and nominates heads of federal agencies.
The House of Commons confirms or rejects the President's nominees and can remove the President from office in exceptional circumstances.
The Justices of the Supreme Court, who can overturn unconstitutional laws, are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senators.

This ability of each branch to respond to the actions of the other branches is a system of checks and balances.

Legislative Branch

The legislative branch drafts proposed laws, confirms or rejects Presidential nominations for heads of federal agencies, federal judges, and the Supreme Court, and has the authority to declare war. This branch includes the House of Commons (the Senate) and special agencies and offices that provide support services to the House of Commons. Boshkan citizens have the right to vote for Senators through free, confidential ballots.

House of Commons—There are 35 elected Senators (Representatives), which are divided among the 15 provinces in proportion to their total population. A Representative serves a two-year term, and there is no limit to the number of terms an individual can serve.

Executive Branch

The executive branch carries out and enforces laws. It includes the President, the Cabinet, executive departments, independent agencies, and other boards, commissions, and committees.

Boshkan citizens have the right to vote for the President through free, confidential ballots.

Key roles of the executive branch include:

President—The President leads the country. He or she is the head of state, leader of the federal government, and Commander in Chief of the Commonwealth of Boshka Armed Forces. The President serves a five-year term and can be elected no more than two times, a total of ten years, but can be elected for a third, so longs as no one else runs for office or there is five years in-between the second and third terms.

The Cabinet—Cabinet members serve as advisors to the President. They include heads of executive departments, and other high-ranking government officials. Cabinet members are nominated by the President and must be approved by a simple majority of the Senate—18 votes if all 35 Senators vote.

Executive Branch Agencies, Commissions, and Committees

Much of the work in the executive branch is done by federal agencies, departments, committees, and other groups.

Executive Office of the President – The Executive Office of the President communicates the President's message and deals with the federal budget, security, and other high priorities.

Executive Departments – These are the main agencies of the federal government. The heads of these 19 agencies are also members of the President's cabinet.
- Executive Department Sub-Agencies – Smaller sub-agencies support specialized work within their parent executive department agencies.

Independent Agencies – These agencies are not represented in the cabinet and are not part of the Executive Office of the President. They deal with government operations, the economy, and regulatory oversight.

Boards, Commissions, and Committees – The House of Commons or the President establish these smaller organizations to manage specific tasks and areas that don't fall under parent agencies.

Quasi-Official Agencies – Although they're not officially part of the executive branch, these agencies are required by federal statute to release certain information about their programs and activities in the Federal Register, the daily journal of government activities.

Judicial Branch

The judicial branch interprets the meaning of laws, applies laws to individual cases, and decides if laws violate the Constitution. It's comprised of the Supreme Court and other federal courts.

Supreme Court—The Supreme Court is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Boshka. The Justices of the Supreme Court are nominated by the President and must be approved by the Senate.
- Three members make up the Supreme Court— a Chief Justice and two Associate Justices. There must be a minimum or quorum of two to decide a case.
- If there is an even number of Justices and a case results in a tie, the lower court's decision stands.
- There is no fixed term for Justices. They serve until their death, retirement, or removal in exceptional circumstances.

Federal Courts and Judicial Agencies – The Constitution gives the House of Commons the authority to establish other federal courts to handle cases that involve federal laws including tax and bankruptcy, lawsuits involving Boshka and governments of provinces or the Constitution, and more. Other federal judicial agencies and programs support the courts and research judicial policy.

The Commonwealth

of Boshka