The Triumvirate

At the dawn of the Umbrian Republic, its founding statesmen believed that executive authority was too great, and too prone to corruption, to rest in a single person. Instead, they devised a system whereby those responsibilities would be split between three equals, and decisions reached by majority vote.

This model persists to the present. Each of the three Triumvirs is elected on a rotational basis to serve a term of six years. Voting occurs across all of the systems in the Republic, with each system being given points based on an algorithm which attempts to balance system representation with the disparately sized populations that inhabit them.

Once elected, the Triumvirs are responsible for upholding the Republic's Constitution and the Common Law, which outlines the form of the Republic's government, the rights of Umbrian citizens, and various rules and regulations which apply across the Republic's member worlds.

The initial Triumvirs were seen as custodians of the Senate's legislative authority by ensuring fair and equitable application of the laws that body passed. Modern developments would change that, increasing their standing with the broader body politic.

Triumvirs are now capable of marshalling groups of loyal senators to influence policy decisions and expand their power amongst their fellow Triumvirs. This has even resulted in circumstances where a single Triumvir can threaten the powers of their peers by using their clout in the Senate to undermine another Triumvir’s positions.

While these digressions from normal behavior are worrying, the Republic's political structure remains relatively free of executive overreach. Even those Triumvirs who are able to manipulate the existing system often find themselves at odds with the people, and the regular senatorial election cycles ensure that no base of power can last long in the face of popular opposition.