Governor-General

Following the Confederacy's defeat in the Clone Wars in 19 BBY, Palpatine declared himself Galactic Emperor and replaced the democratic Republic with a personal dictatorship. High-ranking Governor-Generals were responsible for enforcing his will and ensure order throughout the Imperial star systems. Sector Governors held the rank of Moff and were appointed by either the Emperor himself or the high-ranking bureaucrats who comprised his advisors. Each Moff commanded their Sector Group, which was a formation of Imperial Military and intelligence assets, and the Moffs additionally oversaw the Ubiqtorate, the leadership of Imperial Intelligence.

Moffs also oversaw Planetary Governors, who had limited powers and were both politicians and Imperial Military commanders. The governors were appointed by the Emperor's advisors, who often selected outsiders unless a local individual was particularly loyal to the Empire. Planetary Governors were occassionally moffs themselves, but otherwise were subject to instructions from the Diplomatic Service of the military. Moffs reported directly to both the Emperor's advisors and Palpatine himself.

Wilhuff Tarkin, who served as a Republic admiral during the Clone Wars, was appointed by Palpatine as a Moff and the sector governor of the Seswenna sector, which included his homeworld of Eriadu. Tarkin proposed to the Emperor the creation of oversectors and oversector governors to consolidate control of multiple sectors without constantly consulting Coruscant, the Imperial capital planet. Indeed, the Emperor made Tarkin the first Grand Moff following his successful quelling of the Berch Teller insurgency, placing the governor in charge of the Outer Rim Territories oversector alongside his battle station project there. Other oversectors were created depending on signs of unrest across star systems and sectors and were each led by a Grand Moff, who could override any Moff or planetary governor.

Tarkin personally appointed Arihnda Pryce the acting governor of her homeworld, Lothal, to replace the anti-Imperial Governor Ryder Azadi, explaining to Pryce that he found no need to follow the protocol that appointments were to be granted by the Imperial Palace's bureaucrats on Coruscant. Pryce later received the full title of Governor of the Lothal sector.

Although the Imperial Senate existed as a token legislature, it was disbanded in 0 BBY following the deployment of the Death Star superweapon under Grand Moff Tarkin. The regional Moffs had absolute control over their territories, using Planetary Governors for political leadership and local security. Despite the Death Star's destruction and Tarkin's death at the Battle of Yavin, the Empire continued waging the Galactic Civil War against the Rebel Alliance. In 5 ABY, the Empire was defeated and replaced by the New Republic, which restored democratic representation in their Senate.