Governments of Charted Space
The Governments of Charted Space are many.
- Interstellar governance is a tricky thing and almost every possible variation of governance can be found within the bounds of Charted Space.
Please see the following AAB articles for related Library Data:
- Government Power Structures
- Social Structures
- Universal World Profile (UWP)
- Starport (Sp)
- Planetary Size (S)
- Atmosphere (A)
- Hydrosphere {H)
- Population (P)
- Government (G)
- Law level (L)
- Tech level (TL)
Description (Specifications)
Interstellar Society is vastly diverse. Dozens of races, cultures, peoples, and just about any other imaginable state of being exist alongside each other within Charted Space. Some of the best known polities and governments can be found in this article:
Governments of the Major Races
The Big Nine, really the Big Eight, are the superpowers of Charted Space, the largest, most powerful polities:
- Aslan Hierate
- Droyne Oytrip Yatroy
- Hive Federation
- Solomani Confederation
- Third Imperium
- Two Thousand Worlds
- Vargr Extents
- Ziru Sirka (subsumed)
- Zhodani Consulate
Governments of the Well-known Minor Races
No information yet available.
Governments of the Lesser-known Minor Races
No information yet available.
History & Background (Dossier)
Most sophonts think of technology only as physical objects or artifacts, but it is so much more. Nonphysical or intangible technologies are just as important as tools, devices, and gadgets. And amongst the most important intangible technology is that of governance, how a sophont species organizes itself, rules itself, and provides leadership that can be both trusted and relied upon.
The basis of governance is varied and this article covers some of the best known foundations of interstellar governance.
Basis of Human Governance
Humans are social animals, and yet they are also squabbling animals. Every one of them seems to have an opinion about everything and they are all convinced that they can do it better than their fellow human being. From such stuff is human government made.
Human ideas about government are deeply embedded in interstellar society. Ideas such as the triumvirate organization of government, an executive, legislative, and judicial branch are used to evaluate and document all polities even when those concepts are limited and don't really apply. The Hive Federation, for example, diverges greatly from human ideals of governance.
Imperial Governance
Imperial governance is the bastard child of many fathers: Ziru Sirka, Terran Confederation, Rule of Man, and many others. But many of the lessons have stuck, and the massively federalized system of feudal confederation works. Not perfectly, but it works. The system is based on widespread plurality and adaptability to local sector necessities. Only the Julians and Hivers have been able to better integrate many diverse sophont species into one people.
Solomani Governance
The Terrans made a fetish of societal tolerance and enforced diversity. This made for a very disorderly society, but one very rich in the arts, languages, and culture. Perhaps, the biggest drawback was that only a strong-armed dictator or an existential threat could ever unite them. Their Solomani heirs are little different. So, the Solomani invented their very own existential threat: aliens. The Solomani Confederation is united around ideas of human racial superiority. The idea has had limited, lasting influence, and many think of the Confederation as a government on the brink of collapse.
Vilani Governance
The Vilani have a cultural preference for strong leaders and orderly systems. Compared to the Solomani, they have little tolerance for dissent or diversity of thought. The Vilani are probably the ultimate industrio-cultural society: They can build all of the widgets, make them all uniform, and efficiently distribute them to all necessary recipients. Some Solomani political theorists have called the Ziru Sirka socialism taken to extreme ends with a large dose of Hegelian corporatism. Whatever it is or was, the Vilani are superb logisticians, and can maintain a supremely orderly society.
Zhodani Governance
The Zhodani have a long history of democracy and representative governance. While they still have a class society, social roles are well defined with a strong sense of community, shared responsibility, and a very high value placed on harmonious stability. The Zhodani are very enigmatic when it comes to their long-term goals. At one time, some believed that the Zhodani were expansionistic, but it has now been more than a full millenium since the Consulate employed significant resources towards territorial acquisition. Some believe that the goals of this psionic democracy are introspective and of intrinsic value.
Minor Human Race Governance
Can the Minor Human Races be generalized in some manner? Probably not. Are there certain tendencies that human species tend to be attracted to no matter their origin and homeworld, whether the probable first homeworld of Humaniti at Terra, or the possible later homeworlds of abducted and geneered Humaniti? Very likely yes. Probably the most core feature of humans is that they quarrel, not just occasionally quarrel but quarrel as a way of life. Few humans ever agree on much of anything. Almost every member of the species feels that they know better than their fellow human beings. About the only factor that will consistently unite human beings is the threat of external violence. Short of sparse moments to unite in opposition to outsiders, most human species remain perfectly content to kill and quarrel among themselves.
Basis of Non-Human Governance
Standard Codes & Descriptions for non-Human Sophonts: However, the Imperial UWP Government Codes often do not adequately describe the world of sophonts with radically-different psychologies and mindsets. So, alternate systems and codes were created for sophonts with different mindsets and methods of governance.
Aslan Governance
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, 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:
Aslan Government Codes Code Name Power Structure Size Remarks G Small Station Holding (Non-sovereign Entity) Subplanetary (Tiny to Very Small) Non-sovereign Aslan goverment type. 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) H Split-control State (Balkanized World) Subplanetary (Very Small) Semi-sovereign Aslan goverment type. Different parts of the world are owned by several on-planet clans. An analogy to human balkanized worlds. J Single On-world Clan Control (Federalized Unitary State) Planetary (Small) Sovereign Aslan goverment type. Other small clans may also be present, but they will be dominated by the major clan. K Single Multi-world Clan Control (Confederation) Multi-system (Large) Sovereign Aslan goverment type. The world is controlled by a single clan whose span extends over several worlds, not necessarily nearby. L Major Clan Control (Confederation) Multi-system (Very Large) Sovereign Aslan goverment type. The world is controlled by one of the Tlaukhu. M Vassal Clan Control (Vassal State) Multi-system (Large) Semi-sovereign Aslan goverment type. The world is controlled, but not owned, by a vassal clan in fief to a larger clan. N Major Vassal Clan Control (Vassal State) Multi-system (Very Large) Semi-sovereign Aslan goverment type. The world is controlled, but not owned by a vassal clan in fief to one of the clans in the Tlaukhu.
For more information on the forms of governments used in the Aslan Hierate, please see Aslan (government).
Droyne Governance
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:
Droyne Government Codes Code Name Power Structure Size Remarks X Droyne Hierarchy (Psionic Hegemony) Subplanetary (Tiny) to Multi-system (Very Large) Established communities are ruled by hereditary and long-established governments
For information on the nature of Droyne Hierarchies, please see Droyne.
Hiver Governance
Hiver Governments include:
Hiver Government Codes Code Name Power Structure Size Remarks S Sept (Pure Anarchy or Sociocracy) Subplanetary (Tiny to Very Small) Hiver Septs are an extremely chaotic form of anarchy, but rarely experience significant political disorder or lawlessness, in as much as any Hiver society really exhibits any form of the "rule of law." T Unsupervised Anarchy (Anarchical Pantocracy) Planetary (Small) Hiver pantocracy bears some similarities to a barely-regulated participatory democracy. U Supervised Anarchy (Anarchical Pantocracy) Planetary (Small) to Multi-system (Large) Hiver pantocracy bears some similarities to somewhat-regulated participatory democracy. W Committee (Anarchical Confederation) Multi-system (Large to Very Large) Large-scale Hiver pantocracy bears some similarities to a confederation. Some call this pantocracy a giant adhocracy.
For information on the forms of governments used in the Hive Federation, please see Hiver (government).
K'Kree Governance
From the human point of view, the K'kree have little in the way of a government structure. K'kree governments tend to be hegemonic in nature or vassal states of the Two Thousand Worlds hegemony.
- Many K'kree worlds are given a government rating of [Code-0 (zero): No Government Structure] using the Imperial UWP system.
- Some UWP catalogs use more specific codes:
K'kree Government Codes Code Name Power Structure Size Remarks P K'kree Family Holding (Non-sovereign Entity) Subplanetary (Tiny to Very Small) A non or semi-sovereign polity consisting of a small station or facility maintained for the good of an extended K'kree family. Q K'kree Weak Herd Holding (Vassal State) Planetary (Small) A balkanized polity ruled by a Krurruna or a group of Krumunak answerable to an offworld Steppelord. R K'kree Strong Herd Holding (Hegemonic State) Planetary (Small) A sovereign polity ruled by a Steppelord on-planet. May or may not be a part of the Two Thousand Worlds.
For information on the forms of governments used in the Two Thousand Worlds, please see K'Kree (government).
Vargr Governance
Probably the only one immutable characteristic of Vargr governance is Change itself. The Vargr love their freedom and resent any system that limits, regulates, or rigidly defines them. And even the most pluralistic, open-ended political systems still confine Vargr mindsets. Vargr don't like rules. Part of that might be because most Vargr feel more allegiance to charismatic individuals rather than sets of philosophical ideals. Part of it might be a core spirit that is profoundly wild and deeply in love with a freedom unrestrained by sophont-made rules. Whatever the reasons might be, they are complex and many fold.
Minor Non-Human Race Governance
Just as the Minor Human Races are difficult to pigeonhole as a larger group, the same difficulty holds with the Minor Non-Human Races. They are simply too diverse and members of too many species to accurately generalize.
References & Contributors (Sources)
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- This article is an amalgamation of many different materials published since 1977.
- TBD
- Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science