Started writing a "fantasy" book during summer break. One of the races in a book follows a government called a "Trialocracy". Any critique or even an opinion is wanted. I don't expect it to be a perfect system, but I don't want any massive holes in it.

A trialocracy is a form of autocratic government where a leader is not chosen through hereditary or elective means, rather through the form of tests. An individual becomes a leader by completing a number of tests. Such tests vary from people to people, a society that values intelligence might have tests that have to do with one owns intellect and so forth. Once a person completes these trials, they become the leader. Cheating on the tests is one of the worst crimes in this government system and is punishable by the worst punishment available.

A leader stays one until s/he dies or chooses to abdicate. If one is killed or otherwise absent, and there are no people that complete the tests in a predetermined time, for example a period of two months, then power is given to the most powerful faction within the society. Such factions can be but are not limited to: Religious orders, Guilds and others. If there are no factions that can, or are unwilling to take power, then a person is elected to lead. Depending on the people, sometimes a person is to be elected right away in the absence of a leader. That elected individual is given the same power as a regular leader but only keeps such power until another person completes the tests. This elected leader is perfectly capable to complete his tests while he is elected. A society can also predetermine who is to be elected as so a country does not destabilize for example. Once an individual completes the tests, whatever faction or elected leader that is in power automatically loses it.

As to be expected by that it is a highly autocratic system, the leader is given absolute power (To some extent, they are unable to get rid of experts on their own, which will be covered later) in this type of government and their word is law. A leader becomes the face of everything in the society; s/he handles such things as the justice system personally and/or may appoint people to handle it. Such individuals stay in power until the leader that gave them their power is absent from ruling, at which point they automatically lose their positions. However, in desperate times, and decided by the experts or a majority vote of the people, these individuals can hold onto their power as so a country’s head is not fully cut off.

I have mentioned the word experts many times, and now I’ll explain what they are. An expert is an individual that completes tests to achieve a position within that society. Such a position can be a figure religious prominence or otherwise. These experts so to speak have some amount of power, and they their words have some degree of weight when it comes to the lives of regular people. They tend to serve as advisors for the leader, but it depends on the people.

Leaders, along with the support of all experts, are able to change the tests that help choose their leaders, as so that the society is adaptable to change to some extent. The tests can be individually done at ones own time, organized by the government where one person enters to complete it, or it can be in the style of a tournament and the last one standing wins.

There is only one way to get rid of a leader, and that is through a vote. Either all of the experts vote away the leader, or the public votes through a compulsory vote tally. Majority automatically wins. Tests are then to begin automatically, the leader having to be a participant in it. If the tests are like tournaments, then once more the last man standing wins. If they are much more individual, then the leader along with whatever individuals wish to become leader do their tests in separate areas, the first one who completes the tests win. This way, a tyrannical leader can be outvoted, so s/he must prove themselves once more of their worth. Not only that, if you happen to have a leader that has proven him/herself to be unworthy/corrupt/or otherwise incapable of doing a good job, then you can have someone more able to take his/her place. This can only happen after a predetermined time however, for example a leader gets two years then he/she can be voted again for tests. If a leader is voted to do the tests again and becomes to victor, this timer automatically resets.

It is quite common for a system like this to be more planned economy (socialism) than free market (capitalism), as everything is controlled by the state. One example of an economic system is the survival salary. Whereas you are paid in three meals a day, water 4-6 times a day, and you are given free shelter. The amount within the individual salary you receive depends on the society once more.

An individual born in this system will spend about half of their youth with their parents, but then be moved for their second half into government controlled schools. Once one “graduates” from these schools, s/he may or may have to choose their job vocation, which tends to be done once more through a series of tests. Tests in these societies are basically ways to check if you are even competent to be able to do it. For example, the tests to become a smithy will require you to create various objects.

Another example for a leader would be many questions that would seek what a leader would do in specific situations. "A rival kingdom threatens you with war. They have one large army that is already marching onto your capital. You have the choices of leading you military out in glorious conquest in which your people may escape, hold out in what settlements you have and dig yourselves in thicker than rock or try and seek a peaceful solution."

For those interested in another discussion on this I've been having with people, go here http://forums.stickpage.com/showthread.php?100147-Trialocracy

EDIT: The leaders now are to create the tests that the next testing is to use, that way the leader is adding to the previous test with their own knowledge.