Senators

Each habitable world in the Republic is represented by at least one Senator. Elected to a six year term of service, these men and women are responsible for speaking on behalf of their population's needs and preferences in the Republic's legislative body, the Senate. Amongst the most influential and important individuals in the Republic, the competition for these positions is cutthroat, and once elected, many will stop at nothing to maintain their power.

While this may seem sinister, it in fact often reinforces the need for these individuals to be responsive to the wishes and demands of their constituents. In order to retain their positions, they must demonstrate that they have produced results for the populations that put them in power. 

Election campaigns focus on the candidate's position on various topics and issues, and their own ability to connect with voters and convince them of their qualifications and willingness to uphold their campaign promises.

Though it is true that some senators have succeeded in entrenching themselves through cronyism and webs of patronage, more still succeed by building grassroots organizations and broad bases of support.

The method for electing senators varies from planet to planet, but conventions in the Republic's constitution exist to ensure that due representation is afforded to all through the concept of one person, one vote. Ballots often contain a lengthy roster of candidates, but many worlds cap the number of participants through the use of intermediary votes to whittle down those with broad support from long shot bids by fringe candidates or attention seekers.

Elections alternate every two years, with one third of the Senate turning over each election cycle. This lends itself to responsive politics; while senators are secure in knowing they have a full six year term to serve, public opinion can influence the composition of the Senate if the larger body politic believes its interests are being ignored.

Once elected, the senators-elect travel to Umbria, where they will be sworn in before a full assembly of the Senate. From this point forward, there is little set precedent for how the senators choose to represent their constituents. As important as a strong, experienced staff is, equally important is the ability to network and promote oneself.

Ambitious and energetic senators will need to be able to influence their peers in order to achieve their objectives. They must be flexible, willing to manage the trade-offs involved in political negotiations without overpromising or compromising other elements of their agenda.

This requires both long-term and short-term planning, and those incapable of managing the big picture frequently struggle to serve more than a single term.

Additionally, establishing frequent dialogue with key civil servants enables the senator and their staff to receive valuable insight from those executing existing policy. Cultivating ties with key members of the pundit class and media is also an important way the senators can boost their public profile and advance their agenda with the broader public.

All of these steps are necessary to successfully drive outcomes, but this leads to a challenging paradox: the amassing of power and influence largely depends on their ability to build relationships with their fellow senators, but they must always be conscious of how the compromises necessitated by political reality are perceived at home.

Failure to keep their electorate content will likely result in a strong challenge to their reelection once their term expires. As a result, many can become timid or overly tactful in approaching sensitive topics, and rare is the Senator who will take the first step on controversial policies.

Some have argued that this has led to a prioritization of the short term over policies and proposals which require long term investment to realize. Those same critics point to the Senate's sluggish reaction to the Ascomanni War as proof that something must change for the Republic to endure this unprecedented challenge.