The four founding species of the Federation (clockwise from top left): Humans, Vulcans, Tellarites, and Andorians.
More than an alliance of purely independent states, the Federation government is based upon the model of a federal republic, where its member planets and colonies remain semi-autonomous, controlling their local territory as they see fit in accordance with Federation principles as outlined in the Articles of Federation. The government is divided into three branches: the Federation Council acts as the the legislative branch, the Federation President, is the chief executive and head of state, and the Federation Supreme Court, serves as the supreme judiciary. The Federation Council has chambers in San Francisco, while offices of the Federation President are located in Paris. (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home; DS9: "Doctor Bashir, I Presume"; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)
Sunday, December 30, 2007
FEDERATION Government
FEDERATION
The United Federation of Planets, UFP, or "The Federation"
Federation is described as an interstellar federal state with more than 150 member planets and thousands of colonies spread across 8,000 light years of the Milky Way Galaxy ( Alpha and Beta Quadrants ). The Federation also maintains its own military and exploratory agency, Starfleet.
The United Federation of Planets has existed as part of the Star Trek universe since the first season of the original series.
The Federation is described as stressing, at least nominally, the values of universal liberty, equality, peace, and cooperation. The legislature of the Federation Council is depicted as being headquartered in a building located in San Francisco. Several other bodies of the Federation have been depicted. There is an executive branch headed by a Federation President, who keeps offices in the Palais de la Concorde, Paris. There is a judiciary branch as well, the highest court of which is the Federation Supreme Court. The Federation's scientific, diplomatic and defensive/military arm is Starfleet, depicted as being headquartered at the Presidio in San Francisco.
The Federation is described as having come into military conflict at various times with the Klingon Empire, the Romulan Star Empire, the Tholian Assembly, the Cardassian Union, the Tzenkethi, the Borg Collective, the Dominion, and the Breen Confederacy. The Federation has also been in conflict with the Ferengi Alliance, the Sheliak Corporate, and the Talarian Republic, although the show's creators have never made it explicit as to whether these disputes amounted to formal states of war.
