Government of Westarctica
Structural diagram of the government of Westarctica The government of Westarctica is an absolute monarchy with the nation's ruler, Grand Duke Travis, as the national sovereign. In contrast to a constitutional monarchy, where the monarch possesses a certain legal and ceremonial role but no real power, the sovereign of Westarctica retains the personal power to enact laws, appoint members of government, and function as the judiciary.
As of 2018, several governmental positions remain without a personal appointment. Until such an appointment occurs or as long as that appointment remains open, the Grand Duke is the appointment's de facto holder.
The diagram above is a non-exhaustive chart of most of the current government appointments, filled and open, and grouped by color. On the left side are shown the peers of Westarctica. These are the nation's highest ranking nobility, and they are sometimes consulted by the Grand Duke on important national issues. While they have no formal decision-making power, their voices may have a large influence over national decisions. Occasionally the Grand Duke may invite them to express their desires in a one-peer-one-vote system, though he is not legally bound by the outcome of such a vote.
Other government positions that report directly to the Grand Duke are the High Commissioner of Westarctica (currently an open appointment), the Prime Minister (also open), and the governors and viceroys of Westarctica's territorial claims on Peter I Island, Calsahara, and the Balleny Islands. The High Commissioner's role is to assist with the provisioning of whatever national commissions the Grand Duke deems necessary, for as long as they are deemed necessary. Commissions are ad hoc appointments, usually for a limited and specific purpose. Currently there are two such commissioners, one as Commissioner of the Treasury and the other as the Commissioner of the Civilian Corps. The purpose of the former's role, for example, is the production of Westarctican banknotes, the ice mark, and thus the management of the Central Bank of Westarctica, but these duties include no actual financial responsibilities which in fact are held by the Minister of Finance. Commissioner appointments are considered "cabinet level appointments" without being formal members of the Royal Council.
The largest group of government appointments are those that make up the Royal Council proper, most of which include the title "Minister" or occasionally "Director" (such as the Director of Communications). They include the Minister of Citizenship & Immigration, the Minister of the Treasury (currently an open appointment), the Minister of Defense, the Minister of Blockchain, the Minister of Information, the Foreign Minister, the Minister of Communications (currently an open appointment for which the present Director of Communication is being groomed), the King of Arms, and the Minister of Technology. The Prime Minister is considered the head of these ministries, the Foreign Office Ministry directs the various Honorary Consuls of the state, and the Ministry of Defense is responsible for the military components of Westarctica, its Captain of the Guards and Royal Guards, though these may also be called upon by the sovereign directly at need.