Parliament of Sierra

The Parliament of Sierra is the  of the federal government of the Kingdom of Sierra composed of two houses: the Senate and the House of Commons. Headquartered at the Parliament Building, a large complex located in a federally owned section of Downtown Los Angeles, the Parliament meets daily to convene on issues and laws relating to Sierra. All 44 senators and 250 representatives (or commoners) are elected by the general populace.

Overview
Article V of the Constitution of Sierra designates all legislative power to the Parliament. All legislation requires being reviewed and agreed upon by both houses although there are several exclusive powers conferred to both houses.

In the Senate, the Prime Minister serves the dual role of representing the Monarch in Parliament as the civil executive head and a voting Speaker. The smaller of the two houses, the Senate is composed of 44 senators or 2 senators elected each from their respective provinces. As the upper house, the Senate oversees the legislative approval of executive actions including acts of royal prerogative. It is often perceived that the Senate is by far the more prestigious of the two chambers as senators represent entire provinces rather than local constituencies and work in a smaller albeit closer environment. In the House of Commons, the Speaker is, by tradition, the most senior member in the House. The House is considered more partisan than its senatorial counterpart and therefore, places a heavier emphasis on party leadership and caucuses.

In both houses, all members serve six-year terms but only one-third face an election every 2 years. The first year of a consecutive term of a senator or commoner was elected determines which of the three electoral "classes" he/she will be enrolled in. Elections are held every 2 years with one of the classes cycled in for the requirement and the process completes every 6 years. Both senators and commoners are elected directly by the people but senators are elected in provincial-wide elections whereas commoners are elected by constituents within their districts.

Two calendar years (730–731 days) including are considered one legislative year. A year begins and ends on each October 16 by every two years of an even number coinciding with Election Day which in itself may see other major elections including that of the Prime Minister. At the beginning of each legislative year, a parliamentary budget, records, calendar, and regulations for both houses must be made before normal sessions can be conducted. Party leadership positions and responsibilities are determined during this time and new members are initiated into Parliament as they orient themselves with the environment. At the conclusion of each year, all records are surmised into an official archival report and plans for the next year are forwarded to the prime minister and monarch.

History
Parliament was established as part of a compromise during the drafting of the Constitution of Sierra between pro-American republicanism and pro-Albish monarchism. Modeling the legislature after the, the Constitution allowed one unique pro-monarchist feature in Parliament which was the prime minister's direct role in Parliament. The prime minister would be a voting member of the Senate as the representative of the monarch and therefore function as both an executive power and a legislator.

During the Parliament's infancy, it found itself divided in an intense political struggle between two major parties: the Royalists and the Democratic-Republicans. The Royalists advocated maintaining the current model of the Sierran monarchy and while the Democratic-Republicans advocated for the further restriction or even abolition of the monarchy and expanded provincial rights. Both houses were marked with high incidences of and in one case, a politically-motivated double murder. As King Smith I's reign waned with the acquisition of numerous overseas territories, both parties sought a conciliatory approach by establishing joint committees and "compromise" groups to sort out differences and disputes. Although throughout the early 20th century, the parties had strong, contrasting views and attacked each other fiercely on the political front, Parliament enjoyed a long period of efficiency and cooperation up until the beginning of the.

Composition, powers, and functions
Article V of the Constitution stipulates most of the Parliament's powers and responsibilities including several explicit and implied powers. Additional powers are granted through either amendments or other federally codified laws.

Parliament has the authority to manage the nation's financial and budgetary policy including the collection of taxes (most notably the federal ), duties, imposts, and excises; to pay debts; and to provide welfare services to Sierrans. It may also borrow money on the credit of the Kingdom; regulate interprovincial and international commerce; coin and print money; and pass.

Aside from financial powers, the Parliament is responsible for providing the Kingdom national defense. The Parliament has the exclusive right of declaring war as outlined in Section VIII of Article V of the Constitution as well as the ability to raise, maintain, and regulate the nation's armed forces.