Ardin:Featured Article/November 2020

The Chamber of Commons (: Camara dei Comuni, : Bürgerkammer) is the unicameral legislature of the Free City of Tross.

The Chamber of Commons was established in 1291 as part of a complex government structure, together with the Chamber of Patricians and the Lord Provost, all of which shared legislative, executive and judicial power. The system was inspired by the theory of, combining democracy, aristocracy and monarchy. Members of the Chamber of Commons, which represented democracy, were elected for life by a small class of bürger or sitidani, wealthy merchants, bankers and civil servants. The granting of this status was tied to a number of conditions, including duration of continuous residency, value of the property owned in the city, and "good standing among the citizenry". This last condition in particular, due to its highly subjective nature, was a common source of corruption and favouritism.

The Chamber of Commons consists of 93 members elected for six-year terms, with a third of seats up for election every two years. Elections are held under the system, with the city's nine boroughs functioning as multi-member constituencies, while Hinterland elects a single member every two years under an  system. Vacancies are filled using the countback method. (Full article...)