Charles had no heir and the succession was accepted by his brother Leopold whose younger son Ferdinand became king in 1888. By the constitution no woman may ascend the throne and, in default of a male heir, the representatives can choose a king among the royal families of western Europe. The constitution was revised in 1879, in 1884, with fundamental changes in 1923, and on February 24, 1938.
Under the 1938 Constitution, all Rumanians are guaranteed free dom of religion, press, and assembly, though clergymen may not use their authority to engage in political agitation, and no citizen may advocate a change in the form of government. The legisla ture consists of two houses, the Senate (Senatul) and the Cham ber of Deputies (Camera Deputatilor). Senators are elected by popular vote, are nominated by the king, or are automatically life members by virtue of their station.
In the last category are all royal princes, the Patriarch and the Metropolitan, the bishops of the Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches, and the titular heads of all other ecclesiastical bodies with memberships of more than 200,000. Elected senators hold office for nine years, and members of the Chamber of Deputies for six years.
All citizens over 3o years old who are engaged in agriculture, commerce, industry, manual or intellectual work, may vote for members of the Chamber. For senatorial elections, the electoral age minimum is 40.
Executive power is vested in the cabinet, each member of which must be a native Rumanian for three generations. The king has the right of suspensive veto over all legislation approved by either house.
For administrative purposes, Rumania is divided into 71 dis tricts (Judete) and 9,281 communes. Each district has a prefect, a tax-collector, and a tribunal. The more important cities (Mu nicipii) have a form of autonomous government.
In 1938 the political party with the most adherents was the National Liberal Party, led for many years by the late Ion Bratianu. In general this party is conservative and capitalistic and its members control many of the nation's largest industrial enter prises.
During the World War it was pro-Allied.
The National Peasant Party was formed in October 1926 by the fusion of the old National and Peasant Parties. The All for Fa therland Party is the Fascist group, formerly known as the Iron Guards.
The National-Christian Party is another fusion group, formed in July 1935 by Professor Cuza's anti-Semitic followers and a majority of Octavian Goga's National Agrarians. Minor Rumanian parties include a secessionist group from the National Liberal Party, the Hungarian Party, the German Party, the Radical Peas ant Party, and the Agrarian Union.
The most fundamental political change since 1914 was the Agrarian Reform of December 16, 1918. It was a reform made urgent by the war and demanded by the returned soldiers. Subse quent decrees between 1918 and 1921 completed the measure. The result has been a steady increase in the output of cereals, and a very satisfactory solution of social and agricultural dis content. It was undoubtedly the wisest and most fundamental reform ever made in the country.