Supreme Chancellor
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Supreme Chancellor (usually just Chancellor in most contexts) is the title of the Head of State of the Galactic Republic of the fictional Star Wars universe.
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[edit] Elections and authority
The Chancellor is elected by and from the members of the Galactic Senate and serves no more than two four-year terms, also in terms of any given emergency, the senate has the authority to give the Chancellor emergency powers or even remove him from office. The Chancellor can be deposed by a vote of no confidence at any time. The Chancellor also serves as the head of the Senate, and the Jedi Council is also nominally under the Chancellor's authority. A Senior Administrative Aide, as well as several regular Administrative Aides, works alongside the Chancellor under the Office of the Supreme Chancellor. The Vice Chair has a separate office called the Office of the Vice Chair.
The office was largely powerless in the last years of the Republic, similar to the Speaker of the House of Commons in the United Kingdom. The Chancellorship however was still a very prestigious position, despite the loss of power, and Chancellors retained a grand office and the title of "Excellency."
[edit] Palpatine's rise to the Chancellorship
Chancellor Finis Valorum was seen in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace and presided over the dispute between Naboo and the Trade Federation. He was ousted when Queen Amidala, on Senator Palpatine's urging, moved for a vote of no-confidence. Palpatine was elected to succeed him.
Soon after he became Chancellor, Palpatine was faced with the threat from the Confederacy of Independent Systems, or Separatists. The Senate granted him emergency powers to deal with the Separatist threat, which Palpatine promised to return once the threat passed. He used these powers to remain in office well past the Constitution terms, making himself a dictator. Despite a gradual erosion of freedom, Palpatine faced little opposition due to the specter of an attack by General Grievous.
Toward the end of the Clone Wars, evidence surfaced that Palpatine was actually Darth Sidious, Dark Lord of the Sith. The Jedi tried to arrest him, but failed. Using the evidence of the threat posed by the Jedi or a coup, Palpatine declared himself Galactic Emperor, thus abolishing the office of Chancellor and ending the Republic.
[edit] Galactic Empire
The office of Chancellor was abolished by the time the Galactic Empire ruled over the galaxy. Palpatine instead created the office of Grand Vizier to preside over the day to day government of the Empire and preside over the Imperial Senate. As the Emperor granted more and more power to the regional governors, the Senate was abolished and so were the remaining titles of the Galactic Republic.
[edit] New Republic
The title was not revived by the New Republic/Galactic Federation of Free Alliances, which instead used the term Chief of State to designate the President of the Senate as head of state and government.
The Chancellorship may have been created as part of the Ruusan Reformation, as pre-Ruusan leaders of the Republic were usually styled President of the Senate.
