In which Chancellor Hephanir must face her most gruelling opponent yet; democracy. Despite the ratification of decisions required by direct democratic votes from the public, Great Caliban still requires an extensive legislative and administrative body to run the planet's local and global government. On the day-to-day level of government, an entrenched class of un-elected civil servants and bureaucrats ensure that the machine of government continues to run smoothly, implementing the proposals ratified by general assent. Above these, local councillors are elected on the city and province level, with governors managing the regions of former nation-states, each of which are re-appointed on five-year cycles by constitutent voting. It is to these elected councillors that the unelected bureaucracy must answer. Each state has a representative in Council, elected separately from the state governors. With the expansion of Great Caliban to other worlds, it is possible that a chamber may be erected for planetary representatives, but state Representatives serve well enough to represent the interests of their people in Council - for the purpose of the Council is not to pass laws but to draft them for ratification by general assent. No change to law may be made without the honoured tradition of 'general assent', but existing laws may be implemented freely by governors until the law is changed or if it contravenes another, superceding law (for instance, anti-corruption laws). Finally, the Chancellor herself is appointed directly by general assent every five years, leaving her at least theoretically detached from party politics. In theory, any citizen of Great Caliban may stand for any position of government, even the Chancery. In practice, the chief barrier to election to any government post, whether a local councillor or the Chancery, is simply that of voters knowing your name. On a local level, a well-respected member of a community with some fame can achieve government, but the higher echelons of government require advanced propaganda and media instruments to make one's name known; both the Chancellor and her immediate opponents are all well-publicised, and even reviled Representatives get re-elected over more competent but unknown candidates simply because voters have heard of them. It is for this reason that celebrity figures (such as Heghanon, first Kammarian to cross the void of interstellar space) can seriously threaten the Chancery, even if they have little to no prior governing experience..