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== Government (Social Science) Synopsis ==
+
[[File: Imperial-Sunburst-Sun-Navy-wiki.png|right|125px]]
−
'''Government''' is a social science and the method by which a planetary or interstellar state or community governs itself.
+
[[Government]] is the method by which a subplanetary (...smaller than a world), planetary (world), or interstellar (multi-system) state or community, leads (governs) itself.
 +
* Standard [[UWP]] codes exist to explain most of the most common government types.
 +
* The study of governments, governance,  and other related subjects is known as ''political science'', a type of ''social science''.
  
−
The [[Imperium]] uses a system to distinguish government from each other. This system is called the [[UWP]] System. Government types in the [[UWP]] indicates the general type of authority. The Planetary Government table describes characteristics of each government type.
+
=== Library Data Referral Tree ===
 +
Please refer to the following [[AAB]] [[Library Data]] for more information: <br>
 +
* [[Government|Government Power Structures]]
 +
** [[Anarchy]]
 +
** [[Confederation]]
 +
** [[Empire]]
 +
** [[Federation]]
 +
** [[Hegemony]]
 +
** [[Unitary State]]
 +
* Social Structures
 +
** [[Civilization]]
 +
** [[Government]]
 +
** [[Polity]]
 +
** [[Society]]
 +
----
 +
* Observing Charted Space
 +
** [[Universal World Profile]] ([[UWP]])
 +
*** [[Starport]] ([[Sp]])
 +
*** [[Planetary Size]] (S)
 +
*** [[Atmosphere]] (A)
 +
*** [[Hydrosphere]] (H)
 +
*** [[Population]] (P)
 +
*** [[Government]] (G)
 +
*** [[Law Level]] (L)
 +
*** [[Tech Level]] ([[TL]])
 +
** PBG Sequence
 +
*** P: [[Population Multiplier|Pop Multiplier]]s
 +
*** B: [[Planetoid Belt|Belt]]s
 +
*** G: [[Gas Giant]]s
 +
*** TZ: [[Travel Zone]]
 +
** COG Sequence
 +
*** C: [[Climate]]
 +
*** O: [[Orbit]]
 +
*** G: [[Gravity]]
 +
** Other System Data
 +
*** [[Allegiance Code]] ([[AC]])
 +
*** [[Base Code]] (BC)
 +
*** [[Cultural Extension]] ([[Cx]])
 +
*** [[Economic Extension]] ([[Ex]])
 +
*** [[Importance Extension]] ([[Ix]])
 +
*** [[Sophont Code]]
 +
*** [[Trade Classification]] ([[TC]])
  
−
See [[Allegiance Code]] for more information.
+
== Description ([[Specifications]]) ==
 +
The [[Imperium]] uses a system to distinguish governments from each other. This system is called the [[UWP]] System. Government types in the [[UWP]] indicates the general type of authority. The Planetary Government tables describe characteristics of each government type by power structure or source.
 +
* Please see [[Allegiance Code]] for more information.
 +
 
 +
=== State vs. Stateless Systems ===
 +
While all of the states (polities) in [[Charted Space]] are interstellar (...or smaller) in nature, larger-sized states, such as [[pangalactic]] or [[polygalactic]] arrangements, have been hypothesized, but do not exist within [[Charted Space]].
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable"
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="2"| State vs. Stateless Systems
 +
|-
 +
! Topic
 +
! Remarks
 +
|-
 +
| State Polities
 +
| A '''State''' is an organized community living under a common leadership (government), organized on the basis of a subplanetary (...smaller than a world), planetary (world), or interstellar (multi-system) government. ''States'' are also referred to as ''polities''. Most ''States'' have an organized government, which possesses executive, legislative, and judiciary power structures.
 +
* Sometimes called nations or nation-states.
 +
|-
 +
| Stateless Polities
 +
| A '''Stateless Society''' is a society that is ''not'' governed by a state. Stateless Societies have little to no centralization of authority. What positions of authority exist are generally extremely-limited in power and scope. ''Stateless Societies'' use widely-disparate economic and cultural organizational practices. Many ''Stateless Societies'' posses little in the way of executive, legislative, or judiciary power structures.
 +
* The [[Hive Federation]], which also bears some properties of a [[Confederation]], is as close to a ''stateless society'' (anarchy) as can be found in the major states of [[Charted Space]]. Some [[Solomani]] scientists call the ''[[Hive Federation]]'' a form of ''Anarcho-capitalism''.
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
=== Government Powers ===
 
=== Government Powers ===
 
Governments exist with vastly different levels of power and influecne over nearby governments or states.
 
Governments exist with vastly different levels of power and influecne over nearby governments or states.
 +
* Please see [[client state]] and [[pocket empire]] for more information.
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable"
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="2"| Government Powers
 +
|-
 +
! Topic
 +
! Remarks
 +
|-
 +
| Minor Powers
 +
| '''Minor Power''': A Minor Power, or ''Micro Power'', is a state may or may not have achieved independence from other states in most aspects of governance. Some Minor States have little freedom of governance and, if strongly dominated by another state, they may be classifed as [[client state]]s or [[vassal state]]s.
 +
|-
 +
| Powers
 +
| '''Power''': A (Standard) Power is a state that has achieved independence and experiences freedom from other states in most but not necessarily all aspects of governance.
 +
|-
 +
| Major Powers
 +
| '''Superpower''': A Superpower or Hyperpower, also known as a ''Great Power'' or ''Macro Power'', is one of a handful of states (polities) that dominate all other lesser states in their interstellar sphere. 
 +
* '''Hyperpower''': A Hyperpower is often used to indicate a state (polity) that dominates all other states in its interstellar sphere. It is a runaway power, dominating the system.
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 +
=== Sovereign vs. Non-sovereign States ===
 +
States may additionally be ''Sovereign'' or ''Non-sovereign''.
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable"
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="2"| Sovereign vs. Non-sovereign States
 +
|-
 +
! Topic
 +
! Remarks
 +
|-
 +
| Sovereign Polities
 +
| A '''Sovereign State''' is a state run by a ''Centralized Government'' that has sovereignty, or the ability to exert power over an astrographic area, sometimes as small as a single solar system and, at other times, as large as a multi-system or even multi-sector polity.
 +
|-
 +
| Sovereign Polity Qualities
 +
| '''Sovereign States''' most often share the following qualities:
 +
* Autonomous
 +
* Independent
 +
* Self-governing.
 +
|-
 +
| Sovereign Polity Terms
 +
| '''Sovereign States''' are often referred to as: 
 +
* Great Powers
 +
* Hyperpowers
 +
* (Standard) Powers
 +
* Superpowers
 +
|-
 +
| Non-sovereign Polities
 +
| A '''Non-sovereign State''' is a state that has little to no sovereignty over an astrographic area.
 +
|-
 +
| Non-sovereign Polity Qualities
 +
| '''Non-sovereign States''' most often share the following qualities:
 +
* Non-autonomous (Subjugated)
 +
* Not independent (Subordinate or Subsidiary)
 +
* Not self-governing (Subservient)
 +
|-
 +
| Non-sovereign Polity Terms
 +
| '''Non-sovereign States''' are often referred to as: 
 +
* Banana Republics
 +
* A client state
 +
* A colony
 +
* A dependent state
 +
* Minor Powers
 +
* An occupied state (Under military administration)
 +
* A puppet state
 +
* A subpolity
 +
* A vassal state
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 +
=== Government Power Structures ===
 +
There are six primary power structure types, most commonly found amongst the governments of [[Charted Space]]:
 +
* ''[[Anarchy]]:'' Probably the earliest government power structure is the far less common or lasting [[Anarchy]].
 +
* ''[[Confederation]]:''  A Confederation is an interstellar political entity with a very loose relationship amongst a number of smaller political units. In some cases, a confederacy is little more than an alliance between independent states.
 +
* ''[[Empire]]:'' Empires differ from other states in that they have supreme control over other states. In the case of the [[Imperium]], the [[Imperial Nobility#Emperor|Emperor]] retains the power to exert supreme control over his vassals, or the [[Imperial Nobility]], in a system reminiscent of feudalism with some aspects of federalism.
 +
* ''[[Federation]]:'' A Federation, or Federal State, is an interstellar political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing states under a central (federal) interstellar government.
 +
* ''[[Hegemony]]:'' A Hegemony is an interstellar political entity that has established political, cultural, economic, or military predominance or control over other states.
 +
* ''[[Unitary State]]:'' A Unitary State is an interstellar political entity characterized by a higher degree of centralization than a Federation, but much less than a Hegemony or Empire. Most Unitary States have a high degree of separation of powers and guiding legal and governmental documents. 
  
−
Please see [[client state]] and [[pocket empire]] for more information.
+
==== Comparative Government Power Structures Table ====
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable"
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="7"| Comparative Government Power Structures
 +
|-
 +
! #
 +
! System (Politeia)
 +
! Centralization (Structure)
 +
! Bureaucracy (Law)
 +
! Strengths
 +
! Weaknesses
 +
! Remarks
 +
|-
 +
| 1.
 +
| [[Anarchy]]      
 +
|| Very low or None
 +
|| No Significant Bureaucracy
 +
|| Gives no one significant control
 +
|| Sets insignificant or no policy
 +
| Apolitical
 +
(Unrecognized power)
 +
|-
 +
| 2.
 +
| [[Confederation]]  
 +
|| Low     
 +
|| Very Weak Bureaucracy (Adhocracy)
 +
|| Gives local/regional/planetary governments almost complete control           
 +
|| Sets almost no significant uniform policies
 +
| Strongly popular government
 +
(Widely distributed power)
 +
|-
 +
| 3.
 +
| [[Federation]]   
 +
|| Medium   
 +
|| Weak Bureaucracy                 
 +
|| Gives local/regional/planetary governments more power             
 +
|| Sacrifices uniformity on some issues
 +
| Popular government
 +
(Distributed power)
 +
|-
 +
| 4.
 +
| [[Unitary State]]
 +
|| High     
 +
|| Strong Bureaucracy               
 +
|| Sets uniform policies that direct the entire sector/state       
 +
|| Disregards local/planetary differences
 +
| Meso-government
 +
(Balanced power)
 +
|-
 +
| 5.
 +
| [[Hegemony]]     
 +
|| Very High
 +
|| Very Strong Bureaucracy         
 +
|| Directs strong policies that direct the entire sector/state       
 +
|| Strongly disregards local/planetary differences
 +
| Republican government
 +
(Concentrated power)
 +
|-
 +
| 6.
 +
| [[Empire]]       
 +
|| Supreme 
 +
|| Supreme Bureaucracy             
 +
|| Dictates supreme policies that direct the entire sector/state       
 +
|| Supremely disregards or outright ignores local/planetary differences
 +
| Strongly republican government
 +
(Strongly concentrated power)
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
−
==== Minor Powers ====
+
Please note that the ''Power Structures Table'' refers to bureacracy only in the sense of the effectiveness of control the bureaucracy has over the ''governed'' on a whole government level.
−
* '''Minor Power''': A Minor Power is a state may or may not have achieved independence from other states in most aspects of governance. Minor States have little freedom of governance and, if strongly dominated by another state, they may be classifed as [[client state]]s.  
+
* The ''bureaucracies of less-centralized states'' can be just as onerous as the bureaucracies or more centralized and effective states. Less-centralized bureaucracies tend to be less effective and easier to influence (...including graft and bribes).  
−
* '''Power''': A (Standard) Power is a state that has achieved independence but not much freedom from other states in most aspects of governance.
+
* The ''bureaucracies of more-centralized states'' tend to wield punishment and violence more often, incurring higher costs for those who break the rules. This doesn't necessarily make bribes or graft less common, but the higher opportunity costs of such actions ''does'' make the bureaucracies of more-centralized states more difficult to influence. No [[sophont]] administrator wants to take chance of losing their head (...or other vital appendage) over a petty bribe.
 +
* Please see [[Law level]] for more information.
  
−
==== Major Powers ====
+
=== Government Power Sources ===
−
* '''Superpower''': A Superpower, or ''Great Power'', is one of a handful of states that dominate all other lesser states in their interstellar sphere. 
+
There are at least six major power source types (...as well as some other lesser-encountered or minor possibilities), found amongst the governments of [[Charted Space]]:
−
* '''Hyperpower''': A Hyperpower is a state that dominates all other states in its interstellar sphere.
 
  
−
=== State vs. Stateless Systems ===
+
* 1. Chaos (Barbarism: Government by no one: No State): No one in control without other social mechanisms to encourage order.
−
A '''State''' is an organized community living under one planetary or interstellar government.  
+
** Barbarism (Chaos)
  
−
A '''Stateless Society''' is a society that is ''not'' governed by a state. Stateless Societies have little to no centralization of authority. What positions of authority exist are generally extremely-limited in power and scope. Stateless Societies use widely-disparate economic and cultural organizational practices. Many Stateless Societies posses little in the way of executive, legislative, or judicial power structures.
+
* 2. Autocratic States (Autocracy: Government by very few Sophonts):
 +
** Autocracy (Supreme power is concentrated in the hands of one person)
 +
** Constitutional Tyranny (An absolute ruler enabled by law or constitution)
 +
** Despotism (A single entity rules with absolute power)
 +
** Dictatorship (Political authority is monopolized by a single person or political entity)
 +
** Fascism (A form of radical authoritarian nationalism)
 +
** Totalitarianism (The state holds total authority over the society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life wherever possible)
 +
** And other forms
  
−
The [[Hive Federation]], which also bears some properties of a [[Confederation]], is as close to a ''stateless society'' (anarchy) as can be found in the major states of [[Charted Space]].
+
* 3. Oligarchical States (Oligarchy: Government by small groups of Sophonts):
 +
** Aristocracy
 +
** Bureaucracy
 +
** Diarohy
 +
** Feudalism
 +
** Military Junta
 +
** Monarchy
 +
** Plutocracy
 +
** Stratocracy
 +
** Technocracy
 +
** T.E.D. (Technologically Elevated Dictator)
 +
** Theocracy
 +
** Timocracy
 +
** Triarchy
 +
** And other forms
  
−
=== Sovereign vs. Non-sovereign States ===
+
* 4. Republican States (Republic: Government by Representatives of Sophonts):
−
States may additionally be ''Sovereign'' or ''Non-sovereign''.
+
** Democratic Republic
 +
** Limited Monarchy (Parliamentary Democracy)
 +
** And other forms
  
−
A '''Sovereign State''' is a state run by a ''Centralized Government'' that has sovereignty over an astrographic area, sometimes as small as a single solar system and, at other times, as large as a multi-system or even multi-sector polity. A Sovereign State is autonomous, independent, or self-governing.
+
* 5. Democratic States (Democracy: Government by large groups of Sophonts: Populist):
 +
** Collegial Democracy
 +
** Direct Democracy or Pure Democracy (A form of democracy in which people decide policy directly)
 +
** Electronic Democracy or Internet Democracy or E-Democracy (A form of democracy that uses advanced communications technology to encourage direct policy decisions from a populace)
 +
** Ochlocracy
 +
** Polyarchy
 +
** Representative Democracy or Indirect Democracy (A variety of democracy founded on the principle of elected officials representing a group of people)
 +
** Stochocracy
 +
** And other forms
  
−
A '''Non-sovereign State''' is a state that has little to no sovereignty over an astrographic area. A Non-sovereign State is often subsidiary, subjugated, subordinate, subservient, non-autonomous, a colony, a puppet state, a client state, a vassal, an occupied state, or a dependent.
+
* 6. Pantocratic States (Pantocracy: Government by Everyone: Anarchy):
 +
** Adhocracy
 +
** Organized Anarchy
 +
** Sociocracy
 +
** And other forms
  
−
=== Government Power Structures ===
+
* 7. Other Types of States (Government by specialized groups of Sophonts) Many classify these other kinds of states as just another type of oligarchy:  
−
There are five power structure types, most commonly found amongst the governments of [[Charted Space]]:
+
** Anocracy
−
* '''[[Confederation]]''':  A Confederation is an interstellar political entity with a very loose relationship amongst a number of smaller political units. In some cases, a confederacy is little more than an alliance between independent states.
+
** Kritarchy
−
* '''[[Federation]]''': A Federation, or Federal State, is an interstellar political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing states under a central (federal) interstellar government.
+
** Particracy
−
* '''[[Unitary State]]''': A Unitary State is an interstellar political entity characterized by a hogher degree of centralization than a Federation, but much less than a Hegemony or Empire. Most Unitary States have a high degree of separation of powers and guiding legal and governmental documents. 
+
** And other forms
−
* '''[[Hegemony]]''': A Hegemony is an interstellar political entity that has established political, cultural, economic, or military predominance or control over other states.
 
−
* '''[[Empire]]''': Empires differ from other states in that they have supreme control over other states. In the case of the [[Imperium]], the [[Emperor]] retains the power to exert supreme control over his vassals, or the [[Imperial Nobility]], in a system reminiscent of feudalism with some aspects of federalism.
 
  
−
=== Comparative Government Power Structures Table ===
+
==== Comparative Government Power Sources Table ====
−
:{| class="wikitable sortable" width="90%"
+
{| class="wikitable sortable"
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="4"| Comparative Government Power Sources
 
|-
 
|-
−
! System!!Centralization!!Strengths!!Weaknesses
+
! Power Source / Govt. Type!!Leaders (Quantity)!!Power Distribution!!Power Characteristic
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Confederation]] || Low      || Gives local/regional/planetary governments almost complete control || Sets almost no significant uniform policies
+
| 1. [[Chaos]]               || None            || None        || Chaos (Barbarism)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Federation]]   || Medium    || Gives local/regional/planetary governments more power              || Sacrifices uniformity on some issues
+
| 2. [[Autocracy]]           || Very few        || Very Low    || Authoritarian (Supremacist)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Unitary State]] || High      || Sets uniform policies that direct the entire sector/state          || Disregards local/planetary differences
+
| 3. [[Oligarchy]]           || Few              || Low        || Authoritarian (Elitist)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Hegemony]]     || Very High || Directs strong policies that direct the entire sector/state        || Strongly disregards local/planetary differences
+
| 4. [[Republic|Republicanism]]       || Some            || Moderate    || Representative (Elective Representation)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Empire]]        || Supreme   || Dictates supreme policies that direct the entire sector/state      || Supremely disregards or outright ignores local/planetary differences
+
| 5. [[Democracy]]           || Many            || High       || Representative (Elective Populism)
 +
|-
 +
| 6. [[Pantocracy]]          || Most (Very Many) || Very High   || Populist (Anarchy)
 +
|-
 +
| 7. [[Other Power Sources]] || Various          || Various    || Populist (Chosen Groups)
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
=== Government Power Sources ===
+
== History & Background ([[Dossier]]) ==
−
There are at least six major power source types (...as well as some other possibilities), found amongst the governments of [[Charted Space]]:
+
''Standard Codes & Descriptions:'' The [[Imperium]] uses a standardized system of government codes referred to as the [[UWP]] (Universal World Profile) System. These codes are most useful when used to describe worlds presided over by members of [[Humaniti]] or [[sophont]]s with similar psychologies.
  
−
* 1. Autocratic States (Government by very few Sophonts): Autocracy, Constitutional Tyranny, Despotism, Dictatorship, and Totalitarianism.
+
=== Law Levels & Police States ===
−
* 2. Monarchies (Goverment by a few Sophonts): Absolute, Constitutional, and othe forms.
+
No information yet available.
−
* 3. Oligarchy (Government by small groups of Sophonts): Aristocracy, Military junta, Plutocracy, Stratocracy, Timocracy, Diarohy, Triarchy, Theocracy, Bureaucracy, Feudalism, and other forms.
 
−
* 4. Republican States (Government by Representatives of Sophonts): Limited Monarchy and Representative Democracy.
 
−
* 5. Democratic States (Government by large groups of Sophonts: Populist): Direct, Representative, Electronic Demarchy, Collegial Democracy, and other forms.
 
−
* 6. Pantisocratic States (Government by Everyone: Anarchy): Organized Anarchy and Sociocracy.
 
−
* 7. Other Types of States (Government by specialized groups of Sophonts): Anocracy, Kritarchy, and Particracy.
 
−
* 8. Chaos (Government by noone: No State): Noone in control without other social mechanisms to encourage order.
 
  
−
=== Comparative Government Power Sources Table ===
+
=== General Government Codes & Descriptions ===
−
:{| class="wikitable sortable" width="90%"
+
[[World]]s inhabited by [[Humaniti]] or non-Human [[Sophont]]s similar to [[Humaniti]] are generally classified with the following codes:
 +
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable"
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="5"| General Government Codes & Descriptions
 
|-
 
|-
−
! Power Source / Govt. Type!!Leader Quantity!!Power Distribution!!Power Characteristic
+
! Code
 +
! Name
 +
! Description
 +
! Power Source
 +
! Power Structure
 
|-
 
|-
−
| 1. [[Chaos]]               || None    || None        || Chaos (Barbarism)
+
| 0
 +
| [[Anarchy|No Government Structure]]
 +
| In many cases, tribal, clan or family bonds predominate
 +
| (Pantocracy or Chaos)
 +
| Confederation (Anarchy)
 
|-
 
|-
−
| 2. [[Autocracy]]           || Very few || Very Low    || Authoritarian (Supremacist)
+
| 1
 +
| [[Corporate Polity|Company/Corporation]]
 +
| Government by a company managerial elite, citizens are company employees.
 +
| (Oligarchy)
 +
| Hegemony
 
|-
 
|-
−
| 3. [[Oligarchy]]           || Few      || Low        || Authoritarian (Elitist)
+
| 2
 +
| [[Participatory Democracy|Participating Democracy]]
 +
| Government by advice and consent of the citizen.
 +
| (Democracy)
 +
| Unitary State
 
|-
 
|-
−
| 4. [[Republicanism]]       || Some    || Moderate    || Representative (Elective)
+
| 3
 +
| [[Self-perpetuating Oligarchy|Self-Perpetuating Oligarchy]]
 +
| Government by a restricted minority, with little or no input from the masses.
 +
| (Oligarchy)
 +
| Hegemony
 
|-
 
|-
−
| 5. [[Democracy]]           || Many    || High        || Representative (Elective)
+
| 4
 +
| [[Representative Democracy|Representative Democracy]]
 +
| Government by elected representatives.
 +
| (Republicanism)
 +
| Unitary State
 
|-
 
|-
−
| 6. [[Pantisocracy]]       || Most    || Very High  || Populist (Anarchy)
+
| 5
 +
| [[Feudal Technocracy]]
 +
| Government by specific individuals for those who agree to be ruled. Relationships are based on the performance of technical activities which are mutually-beneficial.
 +
| (Oligarchy)
 +
| Hegemony
 
|-
 
|-
−
| 7. [[Other Power Sources]] || Various  || Various    || Populist (Chosen Groups)
+
| 6
 +
| [[Captive Government|Captive Government/Colony]]
 +
| Government by a leadership answerable to an outside group, a colony or conquered area.
 +
| (Vassal State)
 +
| Federation
 +
|-
 +
| 7
 +
| [[Balkanized Government|Balkanization]]
 +
| No central ruling authority exists. Rival governments compete for control.
 +
| (Balkanization)
 +
| Confederation (Anarchy)
 +
|-
 +
| 8
 +
| [[Civil Service Bureaucracy]]
 +
| Government by agencies employing individuals selected for their expertise.
 +
| (Oligarchy)
 +
| Unitary State
 +
|-
 +
| 9
 +
| [[Impersonal Bureaucracy]]
 +
| Government by agencies which are insulated from the governed.
 +
| (Oligarchy)
 +
| Hegemony
 +
|-
 +
| A (10)
 +
| [[Charismatic Dictatorship|Charismatic Dictator]]
 +
| Government by a single leader enjoying the confidence of the citizens.
 +
| (Popular Autocracy)
 +
| Empire
 +
|-
 +
| B (11)
 +
| [[Non-charismatic Dictatorship|Non-Charismatic Leader]]
 +
| A previous charismatic dictator has been replaced by a leader through normal channels.
 +
| (Un-popular Autocracy)
 +
| Empire
 +
|-
 +
| C (12)
 +
| [[Charismatic Oligarchy]]
 +
| Government by a select group, organization, or class enjoying overwhelming confidence of the citizenry.
 +
| (Popular Oligarchy)
 +
| Hegemony
 +
|-
 +
| D (13)
 +
| [[Religious Dictatorship]]
 +
| Government by a religious minority which has little regard for the needs of the citizenry.
 +
| (Un-popular Autocracy)
 +
| Empire
 +
|-
 +
| E (14)
 +
| [[Religious Autocracy]]
 +
| Government by a single religious leader having absolute power over the citizenry.
 +
| (Supreme Autocracy)
 +
| Empire
 +
|-
 +
| F (15)
 +
| [[Totalitarian Oligarchy]]
 +
| Government by an all-powerful minority which maintains absolute control through widespread coercion and oppression
 +
| (Supreme Oligarchy)
 +
| Empire
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
== Government (Social Science) Standard Codes & Descriptions ==
+
'''Code 7 Balkanization''':
−
The [[Imperium]] use a tadardized system of government codes within it [[UWP]] System. These codes are mostly useful for worlds presided over by members of [[Humaniti]] or [[sophonts]] with similar psychologies.
 
−
 
 
−
=== General Government Codes & Descriptions ===
 
−
Worlds inhabited by [[Humaniti]] are generally classified with the following codes.
 
 
Balkanization is a special result which indicates that there is no world government; instead several rival territorial governments exist. In such cases, the specific qualities of each territory on the planet should be separately listed.
 
Balkanization is a special result which indicates that there is no world government; instead several rival territorial governments exist. In such cases, the specific qualities of each territory on the planet should be separately listed.
  
−
'''Subordinate Government''' is a government type on other planets within a system. These governments are usually code 0,1,2,3 or 6.
+
'''Code 6 Captive Government / Colony (Subordinate Government) & Codes (0, 1, 2 & 3)''':
 +
''Subordinate Government'' are non-sovereign (...or semi-sovereign) governments on other planets within a system. These governments are usually code 0,1,2,3 or 6.
  
−
{| class="wikitable"
+
=== Other Standards ===
−
|+Government Codes
+
In source information from other places and other eras of history, other government codes and types have been used.
−
!Code
 
−
!Name
 
−
!Description
 
−
!Power Structure
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|0
 
−
|No Government Structure.
 
−
|In many cases, tribal, clan or family bonds predominate
 
−
|Confederation (Anarchy)
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|1
 
−
|Company/Corporation.
 
−
|Government by a company managerial elite, citizens are company employees.
 
−
|Hegemony
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|2
 
−
|Participating Democracy.
 
−
|Government by advice and consent of the citizen.
 
−
|Unitary State
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|3
 
−
|Self-Perpetuatlng Oligarchy.
 
−
|Government by a restricted minority, with little or no input from the masses.
 
−
|Hegemony
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|4
 
−
|Representative Democracy.
 
−
|Government by elected representatives.
 
−
|Unitary State
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|5
 
−
|Feudal Technocracy.
 
−
|Government by specific individuals for those who agree to be ruled Relationships are based on the performance of technical activities which are mutually-beneficial.
 
−
|Hegemony
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|6
 
−
|Captive Government/Colony.
 
−
|Government by a leadership answerable to an outside group, a colony or conquered area.
 
−
|Federation
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|7
 
−
|Balkanization.
 
−
|No central ruling authority exists. Rival governments compete for control.
 
−
|Confederation (Anarchy)
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|8
 
−
|Civil Service Bureaucracy.
 
−
|Government by agencies employing individuals selected for their expertise.
 
−
|Unitary State
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|9
 
−
|Impersonal Bureaucracy.
 
−
|Government by agencies which are insulated from the governed.
 
−
|Hegemony
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|A
 
−
|Charismatic Dictator.
 
−
|Government by a single leader enjoying the confidence of the citizens.
 
−
|Empire
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|B
 
−
|Non-Charismatic Leader.
 
−
|A previous charismatic dictator has been replaced by a leader through normal channels.
 
−
|Empire
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|C
 
−
|Charismatic Oligarchy.
 
−
|Government by a select group, organization, or class enjoying overwhelming confidence of the citizenry.
 
−
|Hegemony
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|D
 
−
|Religious Dictatorship.
 
−
|Government by a religious minority which has little regard for the needs of the citizenry
 
−
|Empire
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|E
 
−
|Religious Autocracy.
 
−
|Government by a single religious leader having absolute power over the citizenry
 
−
|Empire
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|F
 
−
|Totalitarian Oligarchy.
 
−
|Government by an all-powerful minority which maintains absolute control through widespread coercion and oppression
 
−
|Empire
 
−
|}
 
  
−
== Government (Social Science) Standard Codes & Descriptions ==  
+
==== Alien Governments ====
−
However, the Imperial [[UWP]] Government Codes do not adequately describe the world of [[sophonts]] with radically-different psychologies and mindsets. So, alternate sytem and codes were created for sophonts with different mindset and methods of governance.
 
  
−
=== Aslan Governments ===
+
Certain non-human [[sophont]]s use governments that do not cleanly map to human standards. They can be likened to human governments, but differ in fine details important to them. These details are also often important to human travellers to these worlds, at least as much as the differences between human governments matter. The clearest difference is between the [[Hiver]] Supervised Anarchy (where the [[Hiver Federation]] observers are often effectively the people in charge, even if they act indirectly) and Unsupervised Anarchy (where this is not the case, instead being truly ruled by individual nests, with the result somewhere between codes 0 and 7 - between what a human world would term an anarchy or a balkanized government).
−
In human terms, all [[Aslan]] worlds have a feudal form of government. Thus, one of several normal governmental codes might be
 
−
assigned by humans to various Aslan planets (0,3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, and C are all applicable), and these codes might be found in
 
−
a human catalog of world types. [[Kusyu (world)|Kusyu]], the [[Aslan]] homeworld, is often assigned a government type 8 in this fashion. Some UWP descriptions use the following codes to refine Aslan dominated worlds:
 
  
−
{| class="wikitable"
+
[[Vargr]] worlds do not use these government codes, as they have the same range of governments that humans have. It is also worth pointing out, to certain less educated [[Third Imperium|Imperial]] travellers, that the [[Solomani Confederation]] and [[Zhodani Consulate]] do not have alien government codes because they are not alien: they are human, for all their cultural differences.
−
|+Aslan Government Codes
 
−
!Code
 
−
!Name
 
−
!Description
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|G
 
−
|Small Station or Facility
 
−
|Either operated by an off-world clan or controlled by an Aslan company (the only instance where a world is controlled by anything but a clan)
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|H
 
−
|Split Control
 
−
|Different parts of the world are owned by several on-planet clans. An analogy to human balkanized worlds
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|J
 
−
|Single On-world Clan Control
 
−
|Other small clans may also be present, but they will be dominated by the major clan.
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|K
 
−
|Single Multi-world Clan Control
 
−
|The world is controlled by a single clan whose span extends over several worlds, not necessarily nearby.
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|L
 
−
|Major Clan Control
 
−
|The world is controlled by one of the [[Tlaukhu]]
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|M
 
−
|Vassal Clan Control
 
−
|The world is controlled, but not owned, by a vassal clan in fief to a larger clan
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|N
 
−
|Major Vassal Clan Control
 
−
|The world is controlled, but not owned by a vassal clan in fief to one of the clans in the Tlaukhu.
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|}
 
  
−
For more information on the forms of governments used in the [[Aslan Hierate]], please see [[Aslan (government)]].
+
{| class="wikitable sortable"
−
 
+
|-
−
===Droyne Governments===
+
!colspan="3"| Alien Government Codes & Descriptions
−
Due to the biological caste nature of the [[Droyne]], independent Droyne worlds essential have one underlying government type: Droyne Hierachy.  When balkanized worlds are found containing Droyne, each and every Droyne territory is a Droyne Hierachy type government:
+
|-
−
 
+
! Code
−
{| class="wikitable"
+
! Name
−
|+Droyne Government Codes
+
! Race
−
!Code
+
|-
−
!Name
+
| G
−
!Description
+
| Small Station or Facility
−
|- valign="top"
+
| [[Aslan]]
−
|X
+
|-
−
|Droyne Hierarchy
+
| H
−
|Established communities are ruled by hereditary and long-established governments
+
| Split Clan Control
 +
| [[Aslan]]
 +
|-
 +
| J
 +
| Single On-world Clan Control
 +
| [[Aslan]]
 +
|-
 +
| K
 +
| Single Multi-world Clan Control
 +
| [[Aslan]]
 +
|-
 +
| L
 +
| Major Clan Control
 +
| [[Aslan]]
 +
|-
 +
| M
 +
| Vassal Clan Control
 +
| [[Aslan]]
 +
|-
 +
| N
 +
| Major Vassal Clan Control
 +
| [[Aslan]]
 +
|-
 +
| P
 +
| Small Station or Facility
 +
| [[K'kree]]
 +
|-
 +
| Q
 +
| Krurruna or Krumanak Rule for Off-world Steppelord
 +
| [[K'kree]]
 +
|-
 +
| R
 +
| Steppelord On-world Rule
 +
| [[K'kree]]
 +
|-
 +
| S
 +
| Sept
 +
| [[Hiver]]
 +
|-
 +
| T
 +
| Unsupervised Anarchy
 +
| [[Hiver]]
 +
|-
 +
| U
 +
| Supervised Anarchy
 +
| [[Hiver]]
 +
|-
 +
| W
 +
| Committee
 +
| [[Hiver]]
 +
|-
 +
| X
 +
| Droyne Hierarchy
 +
| [[Droyne]]
 +
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
For information on the nature of Droyne Hierarchies, please see [[Droyne]].
+
==== Era: The New Era UWP Extensions ====
−
 
+
Standard Government 0 thru F were kept, but the following were introduced in [[The New Era]] to reflect the changed nature of [[Charted Space]]. UWP catalogs contain the following additional codes:
−
=== Hiver Governments ===
+
−
[[Hiver]] Governments include:
+
{| class="wikitable sortable"
−
 
+
|-
−
{| class="wikitable"
+
!colspan="5"| New Era Government Codes & Descriptions
−
|+Hiver Government Codes
+
|-
−
!Code
+
! Code
−
!Name
+
! Name
−
|- valign="top"
+
! Power Structure
−
|S  
+
! Size
−
|Sept
+
! Description
−
|- valign="top"
+
|-
−
|T  
+
| M
−
|Unsupervised Anarchy
+
| [[Military Dictatorship]] 
−
|- valign="top"
+
| (Autocratic Junta)
−
|U
+
| Subplanetary (Very Small) to Planetary (Small)
−
|Supervised Anarchy
+
| Government by the military (armed forces) as an interim survival measure or result of a "Coup".
−
|- valign="top"
+
|-
−
|W
+
| Q
−
|Committee
+
| Interim Government
 +
| (Temporary Chaos)
 +
| Planetary (Small)
 +
| The world is ruled by a temporary government (...which may have been in power for some time).
 +
|-
 +
| S  
 +
| Slave World
 +
| (Vassal State)
 +
| Planetary (Small)
 +
| The world’s government is ineffectual or non-existent (i.e. ''not'' sovereign). The populace survives by offering tribute or slaves to an outside power (often Vampire ships) which does not care to rule the world directly.
 +
|-
 +
| T  
 +
| [[T.E.D.]]
 +
| ([[Technological Autocracy]])
 +
| Planetary (Small)
 +
| T.E.D.: ([[Technologically Elevated Dictator]]). A leader or small group holds power through the use of relic technology. T.E.D.s are sometimes refered to as "(Autocratic) Technocracies".
 +
|-
 +
|V
 +
| [[Viral Hell Polity]]
 +
| (Virus Vassal State)
 +
| Planetary (Small) to Multi-system (Very Large)
 +
| The world is run by malevolent "Viral Entities", ether openly or through a ''Quisling'' (manipulated) government.
 +
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
For information on the forms of governments used in the [[Hive Federation]], please see [[Hiver (government)]].
+
==== Era: The New Era UWP Additions ====
 +
Additional Codes were introduced for specific regions.  The same code (N) is used in two different regions to represent two different government types. In at least one case (M), the regional code conflicts with the general government code:
  
−
=== K'Kree Governments ===
+
[[Spinward States]] can be found in the [[Spinward Marches Sector|Spinward Marches]], [[Trojan Reach Sector|Trojan Reach]], [[Deneb Sector|Deneb]], or [[Reft Sector]]s.
−
From the human point of view, the [[K'kree]] have little in the way of a government structure. Most K'kree worlds are given a government code of 0 in human descriptions of world types. Some UWP catalogs use more specific codes:
 
  
−
{| class="wikitable"
+
{| class="wikitable sortable"
−
|+K'kree Government Codes
+
|-
−
!Code
+
!colspan="6"| New Era Government Codes & Descriptions
−
!Name
+
|-
−
|- valign="top"
+
! Code
−
|P
+
! Region
−
|Small station or facility maintained for the good of a family
+
! Name
−
|- valign="top"
+
! Power Structure
−
|Q
+
! Size
−
|Ruled by a krurruna or a group of krumunak answerable to an offworld steppelord
+
! Description
 +
|-
 +
| G
 +
| Spinward State
 +
| Small Station Holding
 +
| (Non-sovereign Entity)
 +
| Subplanetary (Tiny)
 +
| Non-sovereign Aslan goverment type.
 +
|-
 +
| H
 +
| Spinward State
 +
| Split Clan (Balkanized)
 +
| (Balkanized World)
 +
| Subplanetary (Very Small)
 +
| Semi-sovereign Aslan goverment type.
 +
|-
 +
| J
 +
| Spinward State
 +
| Single World Clan
 +
| (Federalized Unitary State)
 +
| Planetary (Small)
 +
| Sovereign Aslan goverment type.
 +
|-
 +
| K
 +
| Spinward State
 +
| Multi-world Clan
 +
| (Confederation)
 +
| Multi-system (Large)
 +
| Sovereign Aslan goverment type.
 +
|-
 +
| L
 +
| Spinward State
 +
| Major Multi-world Clan
 +
| (Confederation)
 +
| Multi-system (Very Large)
 +
| Sovereign Aslan goverment type.
 +
|-
 +
| M
 +
| Spinward State
 +
| Vassal Clan
 +
| (Vassal State)
 +
| Multi-system (Large)
 +
| Semi-sovereign Aslan goverment type.
 +
|-
 +
| N
 +
| Spinward State
 +
| Major (Multi-world) Vassal Clan
 +
| (Vassal State)
 +
| Multi-system (Very Large)
 +
| Semi-sovereign Aslan goverment type.
 +
|-
 +
| N
 +
| [[Fourth Imperium]]
 +
| Noble House
 +
| (Feudal Confederation) to (Empire: Absolute Monarchy)
 +
| Planetary (Small) to Multi-system (Large)
 +
| Sovereign government type dominated by Humans. Noble Houses rule Imperial worlds directly. The 'ruling' noble may be an absolute leader or the head of state for a civil government.
 
|-
 
|-
−
|R
 
−
|Ruled by a steppelord on-planet
 
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
For information on the forms of governments used in the [[Two Thousand Worlds]], please see [[K'Kree (government)]].
+
''Note:'' [[Fourth Imperium]] Nobility may consist of [[sophont]]s other than the races of [[Humaniti]]. [[Aslan]], [[Vargr]], [[Bwaps]], and many other species of [[sophont]]s have served under the [[Fourth Imperium]] as Nobles.
  
−
== Government (Social Science) Other Standards ==
+
== References & Contributors ([[Sources]]) ==
−
In source information of from other eras of history, other government codes and types have been used.
+
{{Advanced}}
−
 
 
−
=== Era: The New Era ===
 
−
Standard Government 0 thru F were kept, but the following were introduced in [[The New Era]] to reflect the changed nature of [[Charted Space]].  UWP catalogs contain the following additional codes:
 
−
 
−
{| class="wikitable"
 
−
|+New Era Government Codes
 
−
!Code
 
−
!Name
 
−
!Description
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|M
 
−
|Military Dictatorship or Junta
 
−
|Government by the armed forces as an interim survival measure or result of a Coup
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|Q
 
−
|Interim Government
 
−
|The world is ruled by a temporary government (which may have been in power for some time)
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|S
 
−
|Slave World
 
−
|The world’s government is ineffectual or non-existent. The populace survives by offering tribute or slaves to an outside power (often Vampire ships) which does not care to rule the world directly.
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|T
 
−
|Technologically Elevated Dictator
 
−
|A leader or small group holds power through the use of relic technology
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|V
 
−
|Viral Hell
 
−
|The world is run by malevolent Viral Entities, ether openly or through a Quisling government
 
−
|}
 
−
 
 
−
Additional Codes were introduced for specific regions.  The same code (N) is used in two different regions to represent two different government types.  In one case (M), the regional code conflicts with the general government code:
 
−
 
 
−
{| class="wikitable"
 
−
|+New Era Government Codes
 
−
!Code
 
−
!Region
 
−
!Name
 
−
!Description
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|G
 
−
|[[Spinward States]]: (Found in [[Spinward Marches Sector|Spinward Marches]], [[Trojan Reach Sector|Trojan Reach]], [[Deneb Sector|Deneb]], [[Reft Sector]])
 
−
|Small Station or Facility (Aslan)
 
−
|
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|H
 
−
|Spinward States
 
−
|Split Clan (Aslan)
 
−
|
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|J
 
−
|Spinward States
 
−
|Single On-world Clan (Aslan)
 
−
|
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|K
 
−
|Spinward States
 
−
|Single Multi-world Clan (Aslan)
 
−
|
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|L
 
−
|Spinward States
 
−
|Major Clan (Aslan)
 
−
|
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|M
 
−
|Spinward States
 
−
|Vassal Clan (Aslan)
 
−
|
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|N
 
−
|[[Fourth Imperium]]
 
−
|Noble House
 
−
|Noble Houses rule Imperial worlds directly. The 'ruling' noble may be an absolute leader or the head of state for a civil government
 
−
|- valign="top"
 
−
|N
 
−
|Spinward States
 
−
|Major Vassal Clan (Aslan)
 
−
|
 
−
|}
 
−
 
 
−
== Government (Social Science) References ==
 
 
{{Sources
 
{{Sources
−
|S1= [[Classic Traveller]] [[Scouts (book)|Book 6: Scouts]]
+
|S1= {{Ludography cite|name= Library Data (A-M) |page=TBD}} (CT Supplement 8)
−
|S2= [[Aslan (Alien Module)|Alien Module 1: Aslan]]
+
|S2= {{Ludography cite|name= The Traveller Book |page=TBD}}
−
|S3= [[K'kree (Alien Module)|Alien Module 2: K'kree]]
+
|S3= {{Ludography cite|name= Scouts |page=TBD}}
−
|S4= [[Droyne (Alien Module)|Alien Module 5: Droyne]]
+
|S4= {{Ludography cite|name= Aslan |page= TBD |version=Classic Traveller}}
−
|S5= [[MegaTraveller]]-[[Referee's Manual]]
+
|S5= {{Ludography cite|name= K'kree |page= TBD |version=Classic Traveller}}
−
|S6= [[New Era 1248 Sourcebook 1: Out Of The Darkness]]
+
|S6= {{Ludography cite|name= Droyne |page= TBD |version=Classic Traveller}}
−
|S7= [[New Era 1248 Sourcebook 2: Bearers of the Flame]]
+
|S7= {{Ludography cite|name= Imperial Encyclopedia |page=TBD}}
−
|S8= [[New Era 1248 Sourcebook 3: Spinward States]]
+
|S8= {{Ludography cite|name= Referee's Manual |page=TBD}}
 +
|S9= {{Ludography cite|name= Traveller: The New Era |page=TBD}} (Main Rulebook: pg. 191)
 +
|S10= {{Ludography cite|name= Traveller Chronicle 05 |page=TBD |article= House Rules}}
 +
|S11= {{Ludography cite|name= 101 Governments |page=TBD}}
 +
|S12= {{Ludography cite|name= Out Of The Darkness |page=TBD}}
 +
|S13= {{Ludography cite|name= Bearers of the Flame |page=TBD}}
 +
|S14= {{Ludography cite|name= The Spinward States |page=TBD}}
 +
|S15= {{Ludography cite|name= Powers and Principalities |page=TBD}}
 +
|S16= [[Traveller Wiki Editorial Team]]
 +
|S17= Author & Contributor: [[Nathan Brazil]]
 +
|S18= Author & Contributor: [[Adrian Tymes]]
 +
|S19= Author & Contributor: Lord and Master of Sophontology (Marquis) [[Maksim-Smelchak]] of the [[Ministry of Science]]
 
}}
 
}}
  
−
{{LE|G|Planets}}
+
 
−
[[Category: Governments]]
+
{{LEN|Government|Polity|Science}}

Revision as of 11:39, 27 August 2019

Imperial-Sunburst-Sun-Navy-wiki.png

Government is the method by which a subplanetary (...smaller than a world), planetary (world), or interstellar (multi-system) state or community, leads (governs) itself.

  • Standard UWP codes exist to explain most of the most common government types.
  • The study of governments, governance, and other related subjects is known as political science, a type of social science.

Library Data Referral Tree

Please refer to the following AAB Library Data for more information:

Description (Specifications)

The Imperium uses a system to distinguish governments from each other. This system is called the UWP System. Government types in the UWP indicates the general type of authority. The Planetary Government tables describe characteristics of each government type by power structure or source.

State vs. Stateless Systems

While all of the states (polities) in Charted Space are interstellar (...or smaller) in nature, larger-sized states, such as pangalactic or polygalactic arrangements, have been hypothesized, but do not exist within Charted Space.

State vs. Stateless Systems
Topic Remarks
State Polities A State is an organized community living under a common leadership (government), organized on the basis of a subplanetary (...smaller than a world), planetary (world), or interstellar (multi-system) government. States are also referred to as polities. Most States have an organized government, which possesses executive, legislative, and judiciary power structures.
  • Sometimes called nations or nation-states.
Stateless Polities A Stateless Society is a society that is not governed by a state. Stateless Societies have little to no centralization of authority. What positions of authority exist are generally extremely-limited in power and scope. Stateless Societies use widely-disparate economic and cultural organizational practices. Many Stateless Societies posses little in the way of executive, legislative, or judiciary power structures.

Government Powers

Governments exist with vastly different levels of power and influecne over nearby governments or states.

Government Powers
Topic Remarks
Minor Powers Minor Power: A Minor Power, or Micro Power, is a state may or may not have achieved independence from other states in most aspects of governance. Some Minor States have little freedom of governance and, if strongly dominated by another state, they may be classifed as client states or vassal states.
Powers Power: A (Standard) Power is a state that has achieved independence and experiences freedom from other states in most but not necessarily all aspects of governance.
Major Powers Superpower: A Superpower or Hyperpower, also known as a Great Power or Macro Power, is one of a handful of states (polities) that dominate all other lesser states in their interstellar sphere.
  • Hyperpower: A Hyperpower is often used to indicate a state (polity) that dominates all other states in its interstellar sphere. It is a runaway power, dominating the system.

Sovereign vs. Non-sovereign States

States may additionally be Sovereign or Non-sovereign.

Sovereign vs. Non-sovereign States
Topic Remarks
Sovereign Polities A Sovereign State is a state run by a Centralized Government that has sovereignty, or the ability to exert power over an astrographic area, sometimes as small as a single solar system and, at other times, as large as a multi-system or even multi-sector polity.
Sovereign Polity Qualities Sovereign States most often share the following qualities:
  • Autonomous
  • Independent
  • Self-governing.
Sovereign Polity Terms Sovereign States are often referred to as:
  • Great Powers
  • Hyperpowers
  • (Standard) Powers
  • Superpowers
Non-sovereign Polities A Non-sovereign State is a state that has little to no sovereignty over an astrographic area.
Non-sovereign Polity Qualities Non-sovereign States most often share the following qualities:
  • Non-autonomous (Subjugated)
  • Not independent (Subordinate or Subsidiary)
  • Not self-governing (Subservient)
Non-sovereign Polity Terms Non-sovereign States are often referred to as:
  • Banana Republics
  • A client state
  • A colony
  • A dependent state
  • Minor Powers
  • An occupied state (Under military administration)
  • A puppet state
  • A subpolity
  • A vassal state

Government Power Structures

There are six primary power structure types, most commonly found amongst the governments of Charted Space:

  • Anarchy: Probably the earliest government power structure is the far less common or lasting Anarchy.
  • Confederation: A Confederation is an interstellar political entity with a very loose relationship amongst a number of smaller political units. In some cases, a confederacy is little more than an alliance between independent states.
  • Empire: Empires differ from other states in that they have supreme control over other states. In the case of the Imperium, the Emperor retains the power to exert supreme control over his vassals, or the Imperial Nobility, in a system reminiscent of feudalism with some aspects of federalism.
  • Federation: A Federation, or Federal State, is an interstellar political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing states under a central (federal) interstellar government.
  • Hegemony: A Hegemony is an interstellar political entity that has established political, cultural, economic, or military predominance or control over other states.
  • Unitary State: A Unitary State is an interstellar political entity characterized by a higher degree of centralization than a Federation, but much less than a Hegemony or Empire. Most Unitary States have a high degree of separation of powers and guiding legal and governmental documents.

Comparative Government Power Structures Table

Comparative Government Power Structures
# System (Politeia) Centralization (Structure) Bureaucracy (Law) Strengths Weaknesses Remarks
1. Anarchy Very low or None No Significant Bureaucracy Gives no one significant control Sets insignificant or no policy Apolitical

(Unrecognized power)

2. Confederation Low Very Weak Bureaucracy (Adhocracy) Gives local/regional/planetary governments almost complete control Sets almost no significant uniform policies Strongly popular government

(Widely distributed power)

3. Federation Medium Weak Bureaucracy Gives local/regional/planetary governments more power Sacrifices uniformity on some issues Popular government

(Distributed power)

4. Unitary State High Strong Bureaucracy Sets uniform policies that direct the entire sector/state Disregards local/planetary differences Meso-government

(Balanced power)

5. Hegemony Very High Very Strong Bureaucracy Directs strong policies that direct the entire sector/state Strongly disregards local/planetary differences Republican government

(Concentrated power)

6. Empire Supreme Supreme Bureaucracy Dictates supreme policies that direct the entire sector/state Supremely disregards or outright ignores local/planetary differences Strongly republican government

(Strongly concentrated power)

Please note that the Power Structures Table refers to bureacracy only in the sense of the effectiveness of control the bureaucracy has over the governed on a whole government level.

  • The bureaucracies of less-centralized states can be just as onerous as the bureaucracies or more centralized and effective states. Less-centralized bureaucracies tend to be less effective and easier to influence (...including graft and bribes).
  • The bureaucracies of more-centralized states tend to wield punishment and violence more often, incurring higher costs for those who break the rules. This doesn't necessarily make bribes or graft less common, but the higher opportunity costs of such actions does make the bureaucracies of more-centralized states more difficult to influence. No sophont administrator wants to take chance of losing their head (...or other vital appendage) over a petty bribe.
  • Please see Law level for more information.

Government Power Sources

There are at least six major power source types (...as well as some other lesser-encountered or minor possibilities), found amongst the governments of Charted Space:

  • 1. Chaos (Barbarism: Government by no one: No State): No one in control without other social mechanisms to encourage order.
    • Barbarism (Chaos)
  • 2. Autocratic States (Autocracy: Government by very few Sophonts):
    • Autocracy (Supreme power is concentrated in the hands of one person)
    • Constitutional Tyranny (An absolute ruler enabled by law or constitution)
    • Despotism (A single entity rules with absolute power)
    • Dictatorship (Political authority is monopolized by a single person or political entity)
    • Fascism (A form of radical authoritarian nationalism)
    • Totalitarianism (The state holds total authority over the society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life wherever possible)
    • And other forms
  • 3. Oligarchical States (Oligarchy: Government by small groups of Sophonts):
    • Aristocracy
    • Bureaucracy
    • Diarohy
    • Feudalism
    • Military Junta
    • Monarchy
    • Plutocracy
    • Stratocracy
    • Technocracy
    • T.E.D. (Technologically Elevated Dictator)
    • Theocracy
    • Timocracy
    • Triarchy
    • And other forms
  • 4. Republican States (Republic: Government by Representatives of Sophonts):
    • Democratic Republic
    • Limited Monarchy (Parliamentary Democracy)
    • And other forms
  • 5. Democratic States (Democracy: Government by large groups of Sophonts: Populist):
    • Collegial Democracy
    • Direct Democracy or Pure Democracy (A form of democracy in which people decide policy directly)
    • Electronic Democracy or Internet Democracy or E-Democracy (A form of democracy that uses advanced communications technology to encourage direct policy decisions from a populace)
    • Ochlocracy
    • Polyarchy
    • Representative Democracy or Indirect Democracy (A variety of democracy founded on the principle of elected officials representing a group of people)
    • Stochocracy
    • And other forms
  • 6. Pantocratic States (Pantocracy: Government by Everyone: Anarchy):
    • Adhocracy
    • Organized Anarchy
    • Sociocracy
    • And other forms
  • 7. Other Types of States (Government by specialized groups of Sophonts) Many classify these other kinds of states as just another type of oligarchy:
    • Anocracy
    • Kritarchy
    • Particracy
    • And other forms

Comparative Government Power Sources Table

Comparative Government Power Sources
Power Source / Govt. Type Leaders (Quantity) Power Distribution Power Characteristic
1. Chaos None None Chaos (Barbarism)
2. Autocracy Very few Very Low Authoritarian (Supremacist)
3. Oligarchy Few Low Authoritarian (Elitist)
4. Republicanism Some Moderate Representative (Elective Representation)
5. Democracy Many High Representative (Elective Populism)
6. Pantocracy Most (Very Many) Very High Populist (Anarchy)
7. Other Power Sources Various Various Populist (Chosen Groups)

History & Background (Dossier)

Standard Codes & Descriptions: The Imperium uses a standardized system of government codes referred to as the UWP (Universal World Profile) System. These codes are most useful when used to describe worlds presided over by members of Humaniti or sophonts with similar psychologies.

Law Levels & Police States

No information yet available.

General Government Codes & Descriptions

Worlds inhabited by Humaniti or non-Human Sophonts similar to Humaniti are generally classified with the following codes:

General Government Codes & Descriptions
Code Name Description Power Source Power Structure
0 No Government Structure In many cases, tribal, clan or family bonds predominate (Pantocracy or Chaos) Confederation (Anarchy)
1 Company/Corporation Government by a company managerial elite, citizens are company employees. (Oligarchy) Hegemony
2 Participating Democracy Government by advice and consent of the citizen. (Democracy) Unitary State
3 Self-Perpetuating Oligarchy Government by a restricted minority, with little or no input from the masses. (Oligarchy) Hegemony
4 Representative Democracy Government by elected representatives. (Republicanism) Unitary State
5 Feudal Technocracy Government by specific individuals for those who agree to be ruled. Relationships are based on the performance of technical activities which are mutually-beneficial. (Oligarchy) Hegemony
6 Captive Government/Colony Government by a leadership answerable to an outside group, a colony or conquered area. (Vassal State) Federation
7 Balkanization No central ruling authority exists. Rival governments compete for control. (Balkanization) Confederation (Anarchy)
8 Civil Service Bureaucracy Government by agencies employing individuals selected for their expertise. (Oligarchy) Unitary State
9 Impersonal Bureaucracy Government by agencies which are insulated from the governed. (Oligarchy) Hegemony
A (10) Charismatic Dictator Government by a single leader enjoying the confidence of the citizens. (Popular Autocracy) Empire
B (11) Non-Charismatic Leader A previous charismatic dictator has been replaced by a leader through normal channels. (Un-popular Autocracy) Empire
C (12) Charismatic Oligarchy Government by a select group, organization, or class enjoying overwhelming confidence of the citizenry. (Popular Oligarchy) Hegemony
D (13) Religious Dictatorship Government by a religious minority which has little regard for the needs of the citizenry. (Un-popular Autocracy) Empire
E (14) Religious Autocracy Government by a single religious leader having absolute power over the citizenry. (Supreme Autocracy) Empire
F (15) Totalitarian Oligarchy Government by an all-powerful minority which maintains absolute control through widespread coercion and oppression (Supreme Oligarchy) Empire

Code 7 Balkanization: Balkanization is a special result which indicates that there is no world government; instead several rival territorial governments exist. In such cases, the specific qualities of each territory on the planet should be separately listed.

Code 6 Captive Government / Colony (Subordinate Government) & Codes (0, 1, 2 & 3): Subordinate Government are non-sovereign (...or semi-sovereign) governments on other planets within a system. These governments are usually code 0,1,2,3 or 6.

Other Standards

In source information from other places and other eras of history, other government codes and types have been used.

Alien Governments

Certain non-human sophonts use governments that do not cleanly map to human standards. They can be likened to human governments, but differ in fine details important to them. These details are also often important to human travellers to these worlds, at least as much as the differences between human governments matter. The clearest difference is between the Hiver Supervised Anarchy (where the Hiver Federation observers are often effectively the people in charge, even if they act indirectly) and Unsupervised Anarchy (where this is not the case, instead being truly ruled by individual nests, with the result somewhere between codes 0 and 7 - between what a human world would term an anarchy or a balkanized government).

Vargr worlds do not use these government codes, as they have the same range of governments that humans have. It is also worth pointing out, to certain less educated Imperial travellers, that the Solomani Confederation and Zhodani Consulate do not have alien government codes because they are not alien: they are human, for all their cultural differences.

Alien Government Codes & Descriptions
Code Name Race
G Small Station or Facility Aslan
H Split Clan Control Aslan
J Single On-world Clan Control Aslan
K Single Multi-world Clan Control Aslan
L Major Clan Control Aslan
M Vassal Clan Control Aslan
N Major Vassal Clan Control Aslan
P Small Station or Facility K'kree
Q Krurruna or Krumanak Rule for Off-world Steppelord K'kree
R Steppelord On-world Rule K'kree
S Sept Hiver
T Unsupervised Anarchy Hiver
U Supervised Anarchy Hiver
W Committee Hiver
X Droyne Hierarchy Droyne

Era: The New Era UWP Extensions

Standard Government 0 thru F were kept, but the following were introduced in The New Era to reflect the changed nature of Charted Space. UWP catalogs contain the following additional codes:

New Era Government Codes & Descriptions
Code Name Power Structure Size Description
M Military Dictatorship (Autocratic Junta) Subplanetary (Very Small) to Planetary (Small) Government by the military (armed forces) as an interim survival measure or result of a "Coup".
Q Interim Government (Temporary Chaos) Planetary (Small) The world is ruled by a temporary government (...which may have been in power for some time).
S Slave World (Vassal State) Planetary (Small) The world’s government is ineffectual or non-existent (i.e. not sovereign). The populace survives by offering tribute or slaves to an outside power (often Vampire ships) which does not care to rule the world directly.
T T.E.D. (Technological Autocracy) Planetary (Small) T.E.D.: (Technologically Elevated Dictator). A leader or small group holds power through the use of relic technology. T.E.D.s are sometimes refered to as "(Autocratic) Technocracies".
V Viral Hell Polity (Virus Vassal State) Planetary (Small) to Multi-system (Very Large) The world is run by malevolent "Viral Entities", ether openly or through a Quisling (manipulated) government.

Era: The New Era UWP Additions

Additional Codes were introduced for specific regions. The same code (N) is used in two different regions to represent two different government types. In at least one case (M), the regional code conflicts with the general government code:

Spinward States can be found in the Spinward Marches, Trojan Reach, Deneb, or Reft Sectors.

New Era Government Codes & Descriptions
Code Region Name Power Structure Size Description
G Spinward State Small Station Holding (Non-sovereign Entity) Subplanetary (Tiny) Non-sovereign Aslan goverment type.
H Spinward State Split Clan (Balkanized) (Balkanized World) Subplanetary (Very Small) Semi-sovereign Aslan goverment type.
J Spinward State Single World Clan (Federalized Unitary State) Planetary (Small) Sovereign Aslan goverment type.
K Spinward State Multi-world Clan (Confederation) Multi-system (Large) Sovereign Aslan goverment type.
L Spinward State Major Multi-world Clan (Confederation) Multi-system (Very Large) Sovereign Aslan goverment type.
M Spinward State Vassal Clan (Vassal State) Multi-system (Large) Semi-sovereign Aslan goverment type.
N Spinward State Major (Multi-world) Vassal Clan (Vassal State) Multi-system (Very Large) Semi-sovereign Aslan goverment type.
N Fourth Imperium Noble House (Feudal Confederation) to (Empire: Absolute Monarchy) Planetary (Small) to Multi-system (Large) Sovereign government type dominated by Humans. Noble Houses rule Imperial worlds directly. The 'ruling' noble may be an absolute leader or the head of state for a civil government.

Note: Fourth Imperium Nobility may consist of sophonts other than the races of Humaniti. Aslan, Vargr, Bwaps, and many other species of sophonts have served under the Fourth Imperium as Nobles.

References & Contributors (Sources)

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Far Future Enterprises or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.
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