The Colonial Government is a democratically elected government, headed by a President. The 42nd president was President Adar and the 43rd is currently Laura Roslin. The President is assisted by a Cabinet. Each government department is headed by a Secretary (ex. Secretary of Education). The Vice President and the Cabinet are included in the line of succession. (Mini-Series)
Each of the twelve colonies is represented by one elected member of the Quorum of Twelve. It is unknown if this is the only legislative body in the federal government structure. In the event of a tie during Quorum meetings, the President of the colonies casts the tie-breaking vote. At the current time, Gaius Baltar represents Caprica and Tom Zarek represents Sagitarron. The Vice President may be but is not required to be a member of the Quorum. (Colonial Day)