This may be not be a welcomed idea in the forums but let's see. If there is a new imperial empire. What if it was a republic? Instead of an emperor we have a head of state that has limited control of the empire. While the Elder council and this head of state is elected by the people of tamriel? And the elder counil will act as a "congress". And the provinces will have a Governor that is ofcourse elected by the denizens of that province. What do you think?

Won't work in the current situation, since no king or emperor will be sane enough to "give up" power to the masses without a gun pointed to his head, but it could work for a later game as a splinter faction of the Empire, or as the government of a province.

Kings and other rulers play a more important mythic role in TES than in real life (the Septims and Dragonfires, the murder of Skyrim's High King as a catalyst for the end of the world, etc.) A republic would spell the end of Tamriel. Not to mention, the end result would be the same in terms of gameplay, with a provincial governor appointed by Cyrodiil's head of state. After all, Britain was a republic but that certainly didn't mean its territories were.

A republic brings to much bureaucracy to the landscape. I certainly don't want that in a world full of interesting political diversity. Even though I hate tyranny, tyranny brings more interesting scenarios to a world like TES.

I think if the next empire became a republic it would end up being more corrupt and chaotic then a monarchy.

That's pretty much what I meant. Maybe sometime in the future (5th era?) the empire through some series of event became a republic. So I believe right now it won't work since like you said. I doubt the mede family would not give up their power.

Actually it was a civil war in skyrim that spell the end of the world not the king's death. Sure his death may have started the war but there could be other ways of starting the war.

You're underestimating the power of the mystical here, as well as the power of the Gods. Given times things can change, but I doubt they would change as much as you suggest here. I'll try to explain by going into each race with a bit more debt.

Orcs - They worship Malacath, their patron God. Malacath as a god can directly intervene and would need his people to remain relatively the same. Orcs can therefor never change for they would be fighting against a Daedric prince.

Skyrim - The High King and the Jarls have power, that seems to be more political and not even bound by blood, which definitely weakens the position of the Jarls. The High King however undeniably has power, for a king should only have to point at prophecies to say a king is needed. The basic society of Nords also worships combat, glory and honor. Their entire wish to go to Sovngarde upon death is a great example. Any society like that will always place warriors and wars first, democracies in their very nature limit that ability and any Nord that becomes powerful could challenge a Jarl or High King for power. Only if their entire society changes will this change, but I don't see why it would.

Morrowind - The Great houses, the Dukes and the Tribunal used to be in control. With the fall of Dagoth Ur and the Tribunal however there was a great shift in balance. It appears that Helseth took power primarily by his allignment with the Empire. The current state of Morrowind is completely unknown however, but reason would suggest that the Great Houses themselves still have the most power in Morrowind. The death of Helseth is in my opinion more likely to revert them back to Great House rule then anything else. Especially considering all the horrible things that have happened since Helseth took power. The failure of the Empire to protect them will likely also play a role here.
Morrowind with it great house structure also seems unlikely to become more democratic, a republic seems near impossible. Though perhaps a rule between the five houses who vote on every issue is a possibility.

Black Marsh - The hist rules, the gods of the Argonians in the end decide what will happen to the country, all Argonians know and accept this, this will not change.

Elsweyr - The Khajiit are a divided people, different believes different creations, they share a few similiarities in that all worship the moons and consider Azura their most important goddess. Shallowly they would be good candidates, but I doubt they will ever change considering the fact that their entire life depends on the stance of the moons when they are born. They are sort of forced into a role, and I personally would assume that this prevents any kind of real equality. Not every Khajiit is as suited for a job as the next.

Summerset - A candidate as good as any, we see the Thalmor a relatively powerful but minor political group has taken power through popular support after the Oblivion crisis, and they have done a lot of racial cleansing after that. Theoratically this could be a breeding stone for democracy. The problem however lies in the way Altmer generally see their society their relatively long lives and the importance of magic in their world. Powerful mages will likely always be more respected then others, and this prevents any real democracy. It's also unlikely that anybody with real power would ever change their own rule into a democracy without popular outcry.

I admit that I don't know enough about the other nations to be entirely sure, but on a guess.

High Rock - To many near independant city states, united in a Kingdom primarily through a strange occurance. High Rock seems an unlikely candidate, they still have powerful and by all that I have seen popular royal families.

Valenwood - I think the Silvenar is magically appointed, but I'm not sure. Regardless the power lies there, religion won't allow that to change.

Hammerfell - No idea really.

There's nothing inherent in democracy that prevents violence; in fact, many early examples of semi-democratic forms came from quite violent ancient Germanic tribes, which is precisely what the Nords are based off of. Nord society does seem itself to be too large and complex for those to work, though, and too low in technology for modern democracy (for a democratic government to work, you either need a small number of people, or good infrastructure, to allow them to come together to make decisions. So a full Tamriellic democracy would be highly unlikely because there's no way either of those two conditions could be met).



If there's no king, then the state is a republic by definition. It doesn't have to be representative or fair to its citizens in order to be one. In fact, a state controlled by a group of semi-aristocratic houses making decisions as a group would be very similar to most pre-modern republics.

Thats not a republic but an oligarchy. Anarchy almost inevitably leads to absolute authority as one person or one small group take control of the situation and consolidate power for themselves. In the example of pre-Red Year Morrowind, for instance, you had the 4 Great House grandmasters, appointed by internal politics and shows of strength, the Tribunal, operating on divine mandate, and the Duke, put in power as an imperial yes-man. That is very much an oligarchy, and not democratic in the least.

To quote myself "any Nord that becomes powerful could challenge a Jarl or High King for power."

You can not have a democracy when your culture allows a single warrior to challenge the president or a governor or whatever to single combat in order to take the throne.

Only very briefly during the Commonwealth and its only territories at that time were a couple of Carribean islands.

I don't really care either way. I'm hoping the next game isn't even in Tamriel. I've had enough of the scenery and politics of Tamriel. Looking forward to Akavir.

I want to see Akaviri too, but Valenwood and Blackmarsh are a must, I believe those two regions could get greatest lore in history of Tes.
Tes has long way to go to explore entire Nirn, good, I will have something to play for next 50 years.

I agree. I'd also like to see Hammerfell. I know alot of people wouldn't (a lot assume it'll be boring which i don't understand) but I feel like it could be the most interesting game yet. We've gotten a small taste of what redguard politics and government are like and I feel like I want more. I'm also growing tired of the mountainous, foresty scenery. I want to traverse the Alik'r. Maybe run into an Orc horde from Orsimium marching on Hammerfell... And there's a very basic premise.

No, that's not what he meant. He was referring to the Prophecy of the Dragonborn, in which it mentions "When the Snow Tower lies sundered, kingless, bleeding..." The Civil War would never be the end of the world. Alduin would have been (and was, in the past.)

Yea, I agree.When Skyrim trailer was launched, my first reacion was in truth, anger.Why again game with northern climate and generic forests?
Entire "nordic" feeling many games today use is get boring for me.
Skyrim was beautiful in showing a true soul of winter but what about deserts,swamps,musshroom forest in Valenwood?
So many possibilites.

Couldn't agree more. We need variety, Beth.

Seems most people's idea of variety on here revolves around mushroom forests for some reason.

I seem to recall swamp near Morthal(Hence why there's no castle). Highlands near Markarth. Volcanic hot springs north of riften. And an absolutely huge giant glowing mushroom cavern in blackreach.

I just noitced that people were talking about the empire, to this....

I think Elsweyr technically was a Republic, with the Mane serving as a (rather weak) Head-of-State. Of course, with the fracture into Annequina and Pelletine, they've become outright Kingdoms now (Though there's no strong reason not to revert to Republic rule)

NO!

if it had to become a republic I would rather see one where the imperials get to vote but all other provinces get an appointed offical imperial governor that way atleast some tension would still exist

That being said I hope it stays an empire

I dunno about the Cyrodiilic Empire becoming a republic, but maybe one of the various nations of Tamriel could try it in a game someday, especially now that the continent is not unified. Perhaps that will be the solution Hammerfell finds bewteen choosing the Crowns and Forbears as rulers. More a parliamentary democracy than American-style, where the Parliament (which would be called something myffic instead) picks the leader but the people pick the parliament.

But that is for the future, and definitely not for the major central powers of Tamriel like the Empire or the Dominion.