Government
The Emperor's seat, and the heart of Imperial Administration, is the Imperial Palace, a massive construct that covers most of what used to be the continent of Asia; the "Inner Palace" is built on top, within, and under the Himalayan mountain range.
Though the Emperor is the nominal head of state, in practice the highest tier of command is the Council of the High Lords of Terra, based in the Inner Palace, that has ruled for over ten millennia in the Emperor's name. Under this top echelon is a multi-tiered hierarchy consisting of countless departments, agencies, and organisations, both military and civilian, charged with implementing the decisions of the High Lords, and with the day-to-day administration of the Imperium as a whole. However because of its vast territory and the great distances separating Imperial star systems, the Imperium is by necessity decentralised; the final, localised tier of Imperial Authority is usually the Office of Planetary Governor, whose responsibility is limited to a single world.
Outside and above the Imperial hierarchy is the Imperial Inquisition, the all-powerful and much feared secret police and main intelligence agency. The Inquisition may answer only to the Council of the High Lords; historically it has even had the power (and opportunity) to investigate and sanction individual members of the Council.
Read more about this topic: Imperium (Warhammer 40,000)
Famous quotes containing the word government:
“The government is not God. It does not have the right to take away that which it can’t return even if it wants to.”
—Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860–1904)
“It doesn’t matter who you vote for, the government always gets in.”
—Graffiti. London (1970s)
“I will never accept that I got a free ride. It wasn’t free at all. My ancestors were brought here against their will. They were made to work and help build the country. I worked in the cotton fields from the age of seven. I worked in the laundry for twenty- three years. I worked for the national organization for nine years. I just retired from city government after twelve-and-a- half years.”
—Johnnie Tillmon (b. 1926)