Paramount Assembly
The Paramount Assembly is one of three legislative bodies comprising the tricameral legislature operating within the Illuminatian government's Ultrabureau of the Legislative (UBL). The Paramount Assembly works parallel to the other two legislative houses—the Primary Assembly and the Ancillary Assembly.
The Paramount Assembly is the only legislative body in the ultrabureau that is not elected by process of direct democracy through a vote of the general population. Instead, the Paramount Assembly is composed primarily of members elected by vote of each of Illuminatia's local Tertiary assemblies, in addition to a portion of its members who are elected by vote of the full Primary Assembly and another portion of its member elected by the vote of the Ancillary Assembly.
The Paramount Assembly has a large portion—but not all—of its membership determined by a geographic electorate, making it and the Primary Assembly the two continent-wide legislative bodies that maintain a geographic component to their constituencies. With only one representative elected per Tertiary Assembly, the Paramount Assembly is also the only one of the three houses of legislature that does not have multimember constituencies.
The Paramount Assembly operates as a counterpart house of representation, parallel to the Primary and Ancillary assemblies, and is neither an upper or lower house relative to the two other legislative bodies. The Paramount Assembly is the smallest of the three houses of the legislative ultrabureau.
The Paramount Assembly's members are considered to be considerably more technocratic than any other legislative or judicial body, as its members are often selected from known persons with special knowledge of government. As a result, the members of the Paramount Assembly tend to be much more educated in matters relating to government, law, the judiciary, and politics in general. The members of this house tend to be the closest Illuminatia has to politicians.
Legislative process
- See article: Legislative process
Illuminatia's Paramount Assembly provides a second entry and exit point for legislation in Illuminatia's legislative ultrabureau. Legislation can be introduced in and passed unilaterally in the Paramount Assembly without approval of either the Primary or Ancillary assemblies, but only with a supermajority vote in Paramount Assembly exceeding 75%. Approval of legislation with this supermajority in the Paramount Assembly qualifies the legislation to be forwarded directly to the Ultrabureau of the Executive (UBE) for final approval by Illuminatia's chief executive(s).
Failing unilateral approval in the Paramount Assembly with a supermajority, legislation may also pass from the Paramount Assembly with a lesser majority or plurality vote and instead find final approval with a supermajority vote in either the Primary or Ancillary assemblies.
Legislation can also find final approval in the UBL through a linear process requiring a standard 50% majority or other agreed-upon level of majority in both the Primary Assembly and the Ancillary Assembly.
After final approval through either legislative process in the UBL, accepted legislation is traditionally forwarded to the UBE for final approval by Illuminatia's chief executive(s). Legislation approved via the appropriate UBL legislative processes but rejected by the Executive can instead be overcome with approval, jointly, in both the Ultrabureau of the Judiciary and the Ultrabureau of Control. This legislative process elegantly illustrates the effectiveness of both a tricameral legislature as well as the checks and balances afforded by a four-branch government.