Octorox said:well, I'd equate the Emperor more to a dictator than a U.S. President. If the President dies, there is a system in place to deal with that. If a dictator dies the region can fall into chaos.
Right, but there is always a successor. The idea that a governing body as large as the Empire, full of politicians and beaurcrates who want power for themselves, and high ranking officers like the Grand Moffs, it would be nonsensical for the masses to be pulling down his statue the second they hear of his death and for all the high ranking officers and other people in the government to just turn around and say, "Ah crap! Well, hopefully I can land a job with the new administration...
No doubt such news would weaken the system and encourage more uprising, but a governing body that large wouldn't have much work to do to make some examples of a few Rebelious groups.
As a kid I never thought the Empire was over at the end of Return of the Jedi. I always assumed the Rebels remained Rebels, and continues to fight against the now weakened Empire. I never thought about a New Republic or any thing of the sort until the EU came along. I think the EU's progression was a lot more likely, as they have the Rebels continue to fight the Imperial Remnant for many years after the eventual toppling of the Empire, which comes quite a while after ROTJ. Upon seeing the SE in 1997, I was a bit surprised to see the Empire collapse the instant the DS II was destroyed, followed by a galaxy wide celebration.