The Twelve
Background
Politics in The Solar Republic is dominated by twelve major families each of which (with the exception of the Qureshis) have at one time or another occupied the key positions of power (First Citizen, First Minister). They also regularly hold key Governorships, Admiralty and Corporate positions. The Qureshis have never managed to get elected to First Citizen. Other families still regularly fill political or other government positions but lack the dynastic power base of The Twelve and often owe some level of allegiance to one or more of The Twelve. It is very rare to see changes to The Twelve, the last being when the DeSilva family largely removed itself from politics to be replaced by the Armstrongs, who many consider to be upstarts with a sometimes controversial history. Political analysts generally place each family into one of three tiers. Exactly how they rank the families is a complex process understood only by those who consider such things to be important.
First Tier
Del Monte
Rathbone
Tendashi
Ozkok
Second Tier
Third Tier
Armstrong
De Andres
Smythe
Van Husen
Qureshi