ELECTIONS
How was the head of state (or other chief national authority) selected? What powers does the office exercise?
Elected by a majority vote from both the Upper and Lower House. The President of the Republic holds power over all issues of foreign policy, organisation of the All-Holocovar Republican Party and generally acts as a mediator for all decisions taken by the party.
How was the head of government selected? What powers does the office exercise?
Head of State is the same as the Head of Government
How is the national legislature selected?
The Lower house is elected every 5 years by the legislatures of the subdivisions, who are themselves made up from elected representatives from cities, towns and villages. The upper house is self selecting: members designate a successor, who requires confirmation from the President of the Republic.
Are elections considered free and fair? Are irregularities serious enough that they alter the results significantly?
People willing to run for elections must have approval from party organs, so there are no irregularities per se as it's public information. Though most attention lies on local direct democratic voting for local issues rather than elections for public officials, the direct democratic votes are generally fairly free, the government intervening only if an issue being voted on is either unconstitutional or would harm the Republic.
Does the opposition have a realistic chance of gaining support and power through elections?
No, as there officially isn't any opposition, but the All-Holocovar Republican Party is a big tent party with multiple internal factions which themselves vary alot depending on the subdivision they're from.
Is voting voluntary? If so, which was the average turnout in recent elections?
In most parts of the country voting is voluntary while in a few it is mandatory, though turnout generally lies around 60-70% for the election of the legislature while direct democratic voting for local issues within subdivisions may fluctuate but is generally at 70%.
SEPARATION OF POWERS AND FUNCTIONING OF GOVERNMENT
In case national representatives were freely elected, are they able to succesfully develop and implement new policies? Does government authority extend over the full national territory?
Representatives of the lower house are free to implement policies within their subdivisions, voting on issues of a national scale may bring the intervention of the unelected upper house.
Do foreign powers (democratic or not), or unelected entities (the military, religious or economic oligarchies...) exercise undue influence over the government?
On local levels religious organisations tend to have a major impact on decisions being voted on, while the diversity of Holocovoy doesn't really allow for any one ethnocultural group to influence the government.
Does the legislature have the legislative initiative? What restrictions are placed on its ability to pass laws, including constitutional amendments?
Laws that the lower house passes must be reviewed by the upper house and constitutional amendments depend on the initiative of the President of the Republic.
Is the executive able to subvert the legislature through legal or extralegal means (such as arbitrary dissolutions, lack of an adequate budget, or vetoes)?
The head executive is extremely dependant on the upper house, which in most regards holds supreme authority in the Republic, but he can intervene in some matters, but only as a respected arbiter.
From 0-10 (0 = clean, 10 = most corrupt), how pervasive is corruption (in government, business, etc.)? (Small explanation appreciated)
5, it depends on the regions and how poor they are, officials from rural areas have tended to illegally hoard money in an organized manner with neighbouring subdivisions in some instances.
From 0-10 (0 = completely opaque, 10 = completely transparent), how transparent is government activity? (Small explanation appreciated)
6, as alot of issues are voted by a direct democratic vote, decisions are generally known by the public, the functioning of intra party politics is generally quite opaque.
Is there an independent judiciary, or is it subject to political pressure?
The judiciary is independant nominally but can often come under pressure from the executive and upper house.
CIVIL LIBERTIES
Is there an independent media?
Independant newspapers exist and most subdivisions have their own communal newspapers. Though it can come under scrutiny for "defamation against the government" depending on what is being said.
Is there freedom of religion, including non-belief?
All religious groups are given significant autonomy and lawmaking power over their own followers, while atheists aren't officially considered an ethnocultural minority, leading to freedom of non-belief to be an issue of the subdivisions.
Is education free of political interference or indoctrination?
Education has alot of patriotic indoctrination, whether by decision of the government or just the professors themselves.
Are citizens able to express dissent in practice, without fearing retribution? How pervasive is surveillance?
Freedom to disagree with your local government is protected by the federal government but the federal government doesn't allow dissent against it's existence, so people seeking radical change from the current political structure on a national level can be subject to fines. Most areas are under camera surveillance from the federal government.
Is there freedom of assembly? Are peaceful protests allowed, and are they able to proceed in practice?
Protests against local governors are allowed but surveilled while the legality of protests on a federal level can be decided by the upper house.
Are there basic guarantees of due process (in civil and criminal matters), and are they upheld in practice?
Yes and yes.
Are independent trade unions and NGOs able to operate freely?
Yes, though they generally choose to cooperate with local governments and most firms are cooperatives.
Do individuals enjoy freedom of movement inside the country and of international travel, including in education, residence or employment?
They are allowed to travel internationally but for internal travel the federal government only recognizes the right to leave your subdivision, so a local government can't forcefully keep you inside, but another subdivision may turn down your request to enter it.
Do individuals enjoy basic social freedoms (do they have control over appearence? are they able to freely choose marriage partners and size of family? how common is domestic and sexual violence?)?
All matters of morality that aren't overly damaging to the nation as a whole are left up to subdivisions, but generally appearance, marriage and family size are heavily regulated by local government as even with a direct democratic vote most citizens are traditionalists/conservatives. Domestic violence is worryingly common and eradicating it has been the focus of many local governments.
Are individuals able to freely set up their own business? Are property rights adequately protected?
Individuals may set up their own buisness but are limited in the number of people they can employ, if a firm employs to many people or owns too great of a market share, it will be either turned into a cooperative society or be subject to trust regulations which will break it up.
PARTICIPATION AND GUARANTEES OF EQUALITY
How is citizenship determined? Include a brief overview of the naturalization process, if available.
All people who have lived in Holocovoy for atleast 3 years may apply for citizenship for which they also require basic knowledge of Holocovar history and the language.
Who is able to vote in elections, if they exist at all?
Everyone over the age of 18 not serving a sentence is able to vote in any election.
Are different segments of the population (men, women, the LGBT community, ethnic minorities...) treated equally in law and in practice?
Ethnic and cultural minorities are given self rule and their autonomy is valued as one of the founding values of the Republic, the rest are up to local governments but in general aren't that great for any of them.
Are the above groups well represented in government?
Only ethnic and cultural minorities, women form only 17% of the legislature for example.
Do individuals have realistic opportunities for upward social mobility?
No, most people are stuck as rural farmers or minor industrial workers and the government has said that it has no intention of doing anything about this as local peasants are very valued, forming the backbone of Holocovar lifestyle and culture.
OPTIONAL ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
Are the government or nonstate groups deliberately and systematically changing the demographics of the country so as to dilute or eliminate a particular group?
No, we are not committing genocide.
Any suggestions for future editions of the index?
Perhaps questions on if it's a direct democracy or representative democracy and on the power of federal and local governments. Great questionnaire though!
