The form and hierarchy of a city-state
What is a city-state and how does it function? A brief description of Avalon's political structures follows.
The form of a city is simple in theory and complex in reality. The most common form that a city takes is that of a democracy, where the head of a city is its royal patron, a figurehead role. They however delegate responsibility to the City Council who run the city. The true leader of the city is the Prince, chosen by of all chosen Barons. The Prince is the source of all appointments within the city (Barons aside), and without an effective Prince, a city is crippled. The Prince must be a strong personality, to pull a city together and keep its morale high. Barons, who chose the Prince and therefore control appointments and the government, are usually elected by universal suffrage of all citizens. Often, the cities are democracies, whilst the villages and towns are dictatorships, with their leaders appointed by the gods.
