Yes, Geo. You need to be a senator in order to speak in the Senate Room.
Be patient for a second while I fiddle around in the admin menu
Krsqk:
Structure, eh? Normally, I'd expect the ministers to have the most power. If they abuse it, some irate Generals might decide to move the fleet a few million klicks back from the shuttle as the Rage warships approach
It seems to me that it is a mostly homogenous single branch government that will self-divide chaotically according to the situation.
As for making some checks, balances and peeling off some branches, see the Senate room over at the committee Forum
http://www.invirtuo.cc/se4/index.php
Predetermined goal, I'd say survival is a good starting point
Some players may want to gain power, and command huge fleets, or great political strength, or just to be the "local" governor of the first Sphereworld and have it named after themselves
If you want, the senate could vote for a declaration of principles or somesuch.