My favorite history professor at college referred to feudalism as "a system of government which worked so well that it worked itself out of a job."

By which he meant that feudalism came into being as a response to a general state of lawlessness. Here and there, a particular local strongman convinced other local strong men to support him in the event of attack, in return for his support of them, should they be attacked. The webs of association thus engendered tended to expand over time, as other strong men recognized the benefits of the system. Once enough strong men had joined a particular web, the most effective strong families of strong men rose to the status of kings . . . and feudalism segued into monarchy.

In the case of the 3I, my bet is that jump lag has artificially prolonged the reign of feudalism, preventing the rise of the Emperor to the status of a true monarch. For me, while the Moot may *officially* have no power, as representatives (through the carrying of proxy votes) of the Emperor's major vassals, they hold important unofficial power over his decisions. If a significant fraction of Moot members deem a particular course to be ill-advised, the Emperor would be well disposed to listen (all other things being equal). As the military maxim goes, "Never give an order which you know will not be obeyed."