The U.N. in Space
Each Star Trek iteration has starred a crew of explorers enlisted in Starfleet, the multi-purpose expeditionary armada of an interstellar political entity known as the United Federation of Planets. Conspicuously, the precise form of government practiced by the Federation has never been fully explored. However, there are a number of clues to its nature scattered throughout the franchise canon.
We know the Federation has a president who serves a defined term. We know the Federation has a governing council. We know that the various alien races within the Federation petition to join and have their culture vetted. We know there is a Federation Charter which formally established the organization. There is both a civilian and military judicial system.
Each of these characteristics were established somewhat arbitrarily throughout each series. Depending on the writer of a particular episode, the Federation might remind viewers of the United States or the United Nations. In the original series, for instance, adversaries like the Klingons and Romulans were obvious references to America’s communist opponents in the Cold War. As the franchise progressed, the Federation diversified, expanding its ranks of aliens. The Next Generation introduced evermore frequent diplomatic missions to quall tensions between alien races, thus modeling the professed peacekeeping mission of the United Nations.
For our purposes, what is noteworthy about the Federation is its unquestioned benevolence. While the occasional insurrection or insubordination was explored throughout the franchise, for the most part, no one within the Federation really questions their government. As we shall examine in more detail, in Star Trek, the government is a two-dimensional institution which works because it must in order to advance a particular political narrative.
Next: The greatest law in the galaxy…
