Speaker for the People

The face of the Space Defense Legion government, the Speaker for the People is a citizen-focused role of communication, education, and dissemination. The Speaker is responsible for interfacing with the public to impartially explain the current happenings within the Body of Government and the Space Defense Legion as a whole. The Speaker is granted an annual budget, as well as full freedom to manage the Ministry of Speakers, the Legion's government-funded news agency.

Appointment

The Speaker for the People is elected for a single six-year term using the standard Legion election process. Potential candidates submit their names and resumes for evaluation to the Body of Consultants, who verify the included information as correct before compiling the names for the election cycle. Over the course of the next two years, Legion citizens will have the opportunity to vote and whittle down the list until final candidate selection. Speakers are limited to serving a single term, and cannot run for re-election, although they can continue a career at the Ministry of Speakers as an employee of the next elected Speaker.

Duties

The Speaker for the People represents both the voice of the Legion Citizenship and the best informed non-partisan source of news on current governmental projects and votes. They manage the Ministry of Speakers, which serves as a government-funded news agency detailing current Body of Appointees votes and Body of Consultants projects, as well as important news from the Body of Unions, Body of Law, Ministry of Might, Ministry of Minds, Ministry of Infrastructure, Ministry of Incorruption, and other government organizations. The Ministry of Speakers is also responsible for interfacing with the citizenry in a multitude of forums, from question and answer sessions, to frequently asked questions, to easy forms for contacting the appropriate appointees and consultants by topic. They're also in charge of running the Provisional Election for new citizens, including the communications necessary to teach the processes.

Responsibilities

The Speaker is provided with an annual budget for the Ministry of Speakers, and is permitted to employ whoever they wish in whatever capacity they determine necessary to fulfill the obligations of their office. In special cases, additional budget may be requested through the Body of Appointees, although this process is reserved for large-term improvement projects. The smooth operation of the Ministry ultimately falls on the Speaker's shoulders, although they are encouraged to delegate any and all tasks they believe better handled by someone else within their staff.

Benefits

Speakers are rewarded with a generous pension for their services. Popular Speakers are also often asked to continue their work in the Ministry of Speakers, which serves to reinforce the non-partisan requirements of the role. The more politically-neutral a Speaker, the less likely they are to offend their successor, thus increasing their chances of a job offer. Additionally, since each Speaker is limited to a single term, once elected they are free to focus on the requirements of the role rather than limiting their choices and actions to those most likely to result in re-election.

Grounds for Removal/Dismissal

If the Body of Appointees or Body of Consultants believe the current Speaker is not adequately performing their duties, they may vote to unseat the Speaker. If one Body approves the motion, the second must vote to concur or deny the request. If the motion is approved by both, the role of Speaker is added to the currently-running election cycle, or the next if the current cycle has less than one month remaining. The prior Speaker (or the Speaker before them, if the prior Speaker is unavailable) will be called upon to temporarily fill the recently vacated spot until a new Speaker is elected. The ousted Speaker is encouraged to submit their name to run again, although this is not a requirement. If they accept the offer and win re-election, they will complete the duration of their original term. If they fail to win the election, they are removed from their position and may not run again. They also lose the standard pension awarded to all Speakers upon the completion of their term. If they choose not to run again, their term is considered complete and they lose the ability to run again in the future or accept a role as provisional Speaker should a successor also be ousted, but they will be permitted to retain their pension.

Type

Civic, Political

Form of Address

Speaker

Length of Term

6 years
Term Limit
1 term

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