Politics in the Imperium

[Arkangilos]

I think the beheading proves that the HLoT are pretty important and powerful. When they died the Imperium descended into anarchy for a time. Largely caused by who would become the next High Lords.

 

So I'd imagine that while there are 12 there isn't as much in terms of craziness, but when one dies there are a lot of deals, violence, assassinations, etc. to make sure the next guy becomes a high lord.

[Void Knight]

When I compared the High Lords to the US Supreme Court, I meant it more in that they are the final interpreters of how the law operates within their state.  If a court case gets all the way up to the Supreme Court, it's treated with the highest importance because no one can appeal their case once it gets to the Supreme Court.

 

The High Lords differ immensely from SCOTUS because the High Lords are all executives within their organizations.  The High Lords doesn't interpret the Imperium's laws because it would impossible to do so with the Imperium's sizes.  As the High Lords are executives, they would be comparable to the commander-in-chief function of many modern day executives.  When it comes to something like an offensive Macharian Crusade or defended from a Black Crusade, the High Lords would organize the massive forces required for such operations, because the strength a High Lord has in their organization allows them to pull vast amounts of forces together.

 

A comparison between modern day Judicial departments to the Imperium would probably be the Inquisition.  The Imperium's laws are pretty much pay your taxes and don't side with any group beside the Imperium or you will be punished (the siding with any groups includes being a psyched or having any unacceptable mutations).  How an Inquisitor discovers and punishes "lawbreakers" is up to their interpretation, be it just executing the heretics in question or exterminatusing the entire planet. 

[Raven6826]

Id say the Tea party is closer to the Inquisition...

[Arkangilos]

When I compared the High Lords to the US Supreme Court, I meant it more in that they are the final interpreters of how the law operates within their state.  If a court case gets all the way up to the Supreme Court, it's treated with the highest importance because no one can appeal their case once it gets to the Supreme Court.

 

The High Lords differ immensely from SCOTUS because the High Lords are all executives within their organizations.  The High Lords doesn't interpret the Imperium's laws because it would impossible to do so with the Imperium's sizes.  As the High Lords are executives, they would be comparable to the commander-in-chief function of many modern day executives.  When it comes to something like an offensive Macharian Crusade or defended from a Black Crusade, the High Lords would organize the massive forces required for such operations, because the strength a High Lord has in their organization allows them to pull vast amounts of forces together.

 

A comparison between modern day Judicial departments to the Imperium would probably be the Inquisition.  The Imperium's laws are pretty much pay your taxes and don't side with any group beside the Imperium or you will be punished (the siding with any groups includes being a psyched or having any unacceptable mutations).  How an Inquisitor discovers and punishes "lawbreakers" is up to their interpretation, be it just executing the heretics in question or exterminatusing the entire planet. 

Actually, I'd say the modern day judicial comparison would be the Arbites, which are more of the Supreme Court, Grand Juries, and Police Force rolled into one. They have laws, rules, regulations, former rulings, etc. to determine their actions. They have entire libraries full of court cases to use when they are unsure how to procede. 

 

The Inquisition is nothing like modern day judicial systems. 

[Void Knight]

 

When I compared the High Lords to the US Supreme Court, I meant it more in that they are the final interpreters of how the law operates within their state.  If a court case gets all the way up to the Supreme Court, it's treated with the highest importance because no one can appeal their case once it gets to the Supreme Court.

 

The High Lords differ immensely from SCOTUS because the High Lords are all executives within their organizations.  The High Lords doesn't interpret the Imperium's laws because it would impossible to do so with the Imperium's sizes.  As the High Lords are executives, they would be comparable to the commander-in-chief function of many modern day executives.  When it comes to something like an offensive Macharian Crusade or defended from a Black Crusade, the High Lords would organize the massive forces required for such operations, because the strength a High Lord has in their organization allows them to pull vast amounts of forces together.

 

A comparison between modern day Judicial departments to the Imperium would probably be the Inquisition.  The Imperium's laws are pretty much pay your taxes and don't side with any group beside the Imperium or you will be punished (the siding with any groups includes being a psyched or having any unacceptable mutations).  How an Inquisitor discovers and punishes "lawbreakers" is up to their interpretation, be it just executing the heretics in question or exterminatusing the entire planet. 

Actually, I'd say the modern day judicial comparison would be the Arbites, which are more of the Supreme Court, Grand Juries, and Police Force rolled into one. They have laws, rules, regulations, former rulings, etc. to determine their actions. They have entire libraries full of court cases to use when they are unsure how to procede. 

 

The Inquisition is nothing like modern day judicial systems. 

 

I agree.  I was thinking of coupling the comparison of modern judicial systems to both the Inquisition and the Arbites but I thought the Arbites were more the police side the justice system.  But then again the Arbites are a reference to the Judges so they have a literal comparison to the justice system.

[orzolaser125]

The Arbites and inquisition seem to have a lot of overlapping responsibility, though the Inquisition seems to be above the law, being able to requision the services of any imperial servant, and answer directly to the emperor (if he can still talk lol). The Arbites are the judicial/police all in one, in other words they enforce, while the inquisition is above them. The Inquisition is not part of the Adeptus Terra, the Imperial government, in the first place.

[Cypher 102]

An excellent series to check out is Matthew Farrer's Shira Calpurnia series.  The books are Crossfire, Legacy, and Blind.  These go into a lot of detail with the political intrigue between the Adeptus Ministorum, Adeptus Arbites, Adeptus Mechanicus, Imperial Navy, and even the Inquisition in the Hydraphur system.  This series gives you an idea of the political conflicts of just one of the Imperium's more important systems.

 

http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/crossfire-ebook.html

 

http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/legacy-ebook.html

 

http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/blind-ebook.html

[alfred_the_great]

An excellent series to check out is Matthew Farrer's Shira Calpurnia series.  The books are Crossfire, Legacy, and Blind.  These go into a lot of detail with the political intrigue between the Adeptus Ministorum, Adeptus Arbites, Adeptus Mechanicus, Imperial Navy, and even the Inquisition in the Hydraphur system.  This series gives you an idea of the political conflicts of just one of the Imperium's more important systems.

 

http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/crossfire-ebook.html

 

http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/legacy-ebook.html

 

http://www.blacklibrary.com/all-products/blind-ebook.html

 

I think Matt's series is probably the best for a look at "real life" in the Imperium.  They're nicely detailed, and entirely believable: sometimes the greatest evil isn't some horrific daemon coming through the ether, it is man's petty jealousy.

[Cypher 102]

The Eisenhorn, Ravenor, and Bequin trilogies are also up there for best looks at life in the Imperium away from the front lines.

[Frater Cornelius]

Whatever their policy, I image they do eveything in their power to maximize the level of Grimdark across the Imperium :D

[Luther - the fallen]

in the Eisenhorn trilogy there's a very good discussion about the politics in the Imperium between the Inquisitor and his staff, I think it's in the second book (it's been a few years since I last red them) here they discuss how the old families run the Imperium, and how one guy (the Warmaster) might be headed for a post as Lord militant or even a seat on the High lords, and how the other families will respond to it. it's really good reading, and IMO it give a good perspective on how the politics work.

 

- Luther