What political system does Star Trek's Federation operate under?

Question

I've watched all of the Original Series and The Next Generation, and bits of Deep Space 9 and Voyager, all of the movies, but none of the more recent series, or the books. In all of the material I've seen, events tend to mostly focus on Starfleet (understandable, in that the action takes place on Starfleet ships/stations, and the main characters are Starfleet officers). I'm curious how the non-military, non-exploratory parts of the Federation government work.

Clearly, there are individual planetary governments, and some kind of federal government "on top of" that. Does each planetary government send delegates to some central governing body? Do they get population-based representation, one vote per planet, or what? Does the Federation have a "security council" like the United Nations, where some members are "more equal than others"?

What is the Federation government charged with? They're in charge of scientific exploration/defense (via Starfleet), but what else do they do?

I've read the Memory Alpha page on the Federation, and it's very vague, mostly just references to government bureaus or departments that are off-hand mentioned in one episode or another. I figured there might be sources with more detail - like the Enterprise series, which I gather has to do with the early period of the Federation, or maybe in another medium altogether.

Answer 1

The Starfleet Technical Manual contains a complete copy of the "Articles of Federation" that were agreed by the original members of the United Federation of Planets on Stardate 0965.

Although this book is generally considered 'non-canon', material from it has been used in several episodes of TNG, Trek films and throughout DS9 and Voyager.

As you can see, the Federation Charter is very heavily modeled on the United Nations Charter.

I'll paraphrase the main points;

Primary Articles

0. The primary purpose of the United Federation of Planets (UFP) is the mutual pursuit of peace as well as cultural, financial, humanitarian and social interaction.

0.1) The UFP will not intervene in "matters which are essentially the domestic jurisdiction of any planetary social system"

0.2) The UFP is based on the Sovereign Equality of all of its members.

1. Membership of the Federation is subject to the unanimous agreement of the Supreme Assembly.

2. The Supreme Assembly of the Federation can temporarily or permanently remove UFP membership.

3. The main bodies of the UFP are; The Supreme Assembly, The Federation Council, The Economic and Social Council, The Interplanetary Court of Justice, The Star Fleet and the Secretariat.

Supreme Assembly

1. The Supreme Council consists of all members of the UFP and is responsible for the "peaceful adjustment" of any situation involving UFP members, managing the budget of the UFP and promoting mutual cooperation between UFP members.

2. The expense of the UFP is borne by all members, as apportioned by the Supreme Assembly.

3. Each planet has one vote on the Supreme Assembly.

4. Supreme Assembly unanimity is required for decisions regarding UFP membership, suspension and expulsion as well as setting and apportioning the budget of the UFP.

5. The Supreme Assembly will vote for a 'President of the Supreme Assembly' each session

Federation Council

1. The Federation Council will consist of 11 members.

2. There are 5 permanent members of the Federation Council; Earth, The Planetary Confederation of 40 Eridani, the United Planets of 61 Cygni, The Star Empire of Epsilon Indii and the Alpha Centauri Concordium of Planets.

3. All other members of the UFP will periodically take seats on the Federation Council

4. The Federation Council is responsible for prompt action regarding interplanetary security (including the prosecution of sanctions, blockades and the severance of diplomatic relations) unless explicitly over-ridden by a unanimous vote of the Supreme Assembly.

Trusteeship Council

1. The Trusteeship Council will accept and arbitrate on petitions and disputes involving UFP members.

Star Fleet

1. "There is established an Star Fleet as an armed peace-keeping force of the UFP".

2. The Star Fleet is permanently under the control of the Federation Council.

3. The Star Fleet is to be used for scientific exploration when not being used for the purposes of maintaining interplanetary peace.

Economic + Social Council

1. The Economic council will aim to secure higher standards of living, full employment and fundamental freedoms for all UFP Citizens

2. UFP members agree to fundamentally accept the rights of all intelligent lifeforms regardless of gender, culture, language or religion.

3. UFP members should act as "good neighbours" toward non-UFP members in outlying regions.

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Ronald D. Moore spoke to this in an interview on AOL. In brief, the show's writers have gone to some lengths (since the 1960s) to keep the whole business of the governance of Earth and the Federation as opaque as possible, in order to allow maximum latitude for storytelling, inventing various councils and elected positions as they see fit.

Q. In "Homefront" the President said he never sought this position. DOes this mean the Federation president is Appointed? Why no election? And why does the Federation President put Earth into a state of Emergency? Does Earth not have it's own Government like all the other members of the Federation?

RDM: We assume the Fed President was duly elected, but that he reluctantly was induced to run for the position. As for the Earth Govt vs. Fed Govt issue, this was something we wrestled with in the story break. We wanted to tell the story of an attempted military coup of the Federation and that meant dealing with the Fed president. However, that meant the troops "in the streets" had to be on Earth and that Earth itself had to be under martial law since the Fed is headquartered on Earth. We discussed having the Prez "federalize" the Earth defense forces or supercede the authority of an indigenous Earth Govt, but the story kept getting too complicated and we didn't want to start mentioning all these other players and organizations that we weren't going to see. So in the end, we skirted the issue of who actually governs Earth. Personally, I think there is an Earth Govt that operates like more powerful versions of States do in the US system, but this is all VERY murky water. Gene was pretty smart back in the 60s when he decided not to discuss the exact outcome of Earth's political/social/economic future and we've come about as close to doing just that as I think we should.

Answer 2

The other answers don't address the basic question of whether the Federation is a democracy, so I just wanted to point out that in the TOS episode "Errand of Mercy", we do get confirmation that it is, in the following exchange between Captain Kirk and Klingon Commander Kor:

KIRK: Something was destroyed? Nothing inconsequential, I hope.

KOR: Hardly. They were quite important to us, but they can be replaced. You of the Federation, you are much like us.

KIRK: We're nothing like you. We're a democratic body.

And in the Deep Space Nine episode "Once More Unto The Breach", we meet with an aged Kor, who tells Worf "Worf, you've been living among this democratic rabble for too long", which seems to indicate the Federation is still democratic in this period.

In addition, we know from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home that the Federation had a deliberative body called the "Federation Council":

The Memory Alpha article mentions a number of episodes that have referenced this Council. In the Deep Space Nine episode "Homefront" it was confirmed that the Federation President at the time, Jaresh-Inyo, had been elected to the position:

JARESH-INYO: I never sought this job. I was content to simply represent my people on the Federation Council. When they asked me to submit my name for election, I almost said no. Today I wish I had.

And in the Deep Space Nine episode "Paradise Lost" when Admiral Leyton hoped to oust Jaresh-Inyo and give Starfleet direct command of the Federation, Sisko objected that this would make the Federation into a military dictatorship, which seems to indicate that under the existing system Starfleet was under the command of elected leaders:

SISKO: Admiral, do you realise what's going on here? Even if you win, even if you do manage to oust Jaresh-Inyo, you still lose. We all lose.

LEYTON: I can't say I agree with you.

SISKO: Do you think other Federation worlds are going to sit back and let their President be replaced by a military dictatorship?

LEYTON: Hardly a dictatorship, Ben.

SISKO: Overthrowing a legitimately elected President and giving Starfleet direct control over the government? It sounds like a dictatorship to me, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks so.

The Next Generation episode "The Perfect Mate" also gives onscreen confirmation that the Federation is a constitutional democracy, with provisions for the "fundamental rights" of individuals, which precluded treating sentient beings as property:

RIKER: You mean you're using this ship to transport a sentient being as property?

BRIAM: Not as property, as a gift, and I was concerned that you might not entirely understand.

PICARD: Your concern was justified, Ambassador.

KAMALA: You're angry. Why?

PICARD: There is a provision in the Federation Constitution that protects an individual's fundamental rights.

In the TNG episode "The Drumhead" we learn that another "fundamental principle" of the Constitution was the "Seventh Guarantee", which apparently dealt with the right to refuse to answer certain questions in court:

WORF: But we know there is a traitor here. J'Dan has admitted his guilt.

PICARD: That's true, and he will stand for his crimes.

WORF: Tarses has all but done the same.

PICARD: How?

WORF: He refused to answer the question about his Romulan grandfather.

PICARD: That is not a crime, Worf. Nor can we infer his guilt because he didn't respond.

WORF: Sir, if a man were not afraid of the truth, he would answer.

PICARD: Oh, no. We cannot allow ourselves think that. The Seventh Guarantee is one of the most important rights granted by the Federation. We cannot take a fundamental principle of the Constitution and turn it against a citizen.

When the Federation was first founded in 2161, a document called the Charter of the United Federation of Planets was ratified (not to be confused with the Starfleet Charter, since as noted above they are distinct organizations). The Memory Alpha article comments on the uncertain relation between the Charter and the Constitution:

The relationship between the Constitution of the United Federation of Planets and the Federation Charter is unclear. Both contain rights for individuals; as Sisko put it in DS9: "Accession": "caste-based discrimination goes against the Federation Charter". It is most likely that the Charter describes the requirements for entry of a planet into the Federation (e.g., no entry if caste-based discrimination is in place), while the Constitution describes the principles, governing structure, and citizen rights once becoming a member (e.g., rights against self-incrimination).

Part of the Charter was visible in the Voyager episode "The Void", and the Memory Alpha article notes that it's a rewording of the United Nations charter (as are the "Articles of Federation" from the non-canon-but-influential Star Fleet Technical Manual quoted in @Valorum's answer):

CHARTER OF THE UNITED FEDERATION OF PLANETS

"We the lifeforms of the United Federation of Planets determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, and to reaffirm faith in the fundamental rights of sentient beings, in the dignity and worth of all lifeforms, in the equal rights of members of planetary systems large and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of interstellar law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of living on all worlds..."

Answer 3

A big clue into their form of government is the fact that they have no monetary policy. They have no money, which means they have no taxes, no expenditures, and no GDP. That raises the question, how do they finance their government? Regardless of what form that government takes, it needs resources to maintain itself.

Given the peace-oriented nature of the Federation, one would assume that those resources are given to the government voluntarily, including human resources in the form of political leadership. People volunteer their leadership in order to be accepted, rejected, or passively allowed, all in a non-forceful manner.

However the relinquishing of Maquis worlds in the Demilitarized Zone to the Cardassians makes one question the extent to which property rights are respected in the Federation. Perhaps there is some coercive system of resource appropriation that finances the government, implying another coercive system to administer it, such as majority rule or some other form of fiat.

Then again the Maquis may not be a property rights issue as much as it is a strategic issue between allied powers at war. The Maquis could be likened to abandoned allies rather than "citizens" as we understand the term.

So it may be fruitful not to think of the Federation as a government at all, but rather a loosely knit alliance of worlds that happens to align under a common understanding of non-intervention, non-interference, and peaceful exchange.

Answer 4

To the best of my understanding, in TOS, the Federation of Planets was loosely based on the United Nations, with Earth the basic equivalent of the United States. The Klingons were the Russians, the Vulcan were Japanese, and the Romulans were the Chinese. This was borne out to some degree in DS9, with the Cardassians playing the role of Germans -- World War II era -- and the Bajorans as occupied France.

Check out Kirk reciting the pledge in the Omega Glory.

Answer 5

The Federation is a democracy, although one where Starfleet seems to have a great deal of influence (why are Starfleet admirals sitting on the Federation Council, which is ostensibly a civilian body?) The novel Articles of the Federation goes into greater detail on how the civilian side of the Federation government operates from the viewpoint of President Bacco and her aides.

Answer 6

I just found this place and I think I can help you all out a little bit. In Star Trek: Enterprise the United Earth was established, in the time of the Enterprise Series.

The United Earth founded Starfleet and the security council, this is part of the local planetary government of Earth and is Starfleet is the military science branch of United Earth. The United Federation of Planets is a interstellar governing body that helps organize the member planets that participate in the federation charter which gives all member planets equal access and expenses to scientific research, exploration, and military advancement.

All member planets are organized into home planets and their colonies, The Federation council is the civilian branch of the United Federation of Planets, and consist of representatives of the home system planetary government and their colonies which is governed by the home systems planetary government.

The member planets of the Federation as part of the sharing of the alliance have a few options to pay for membership, bye 1 incurring the cost of Starfleet vessels by creating a starbase or allowing the use of their space port. Provide officers to Starfleet 3 provide their own fleet for defense.

A good example is Vulcan, a founding member of the United Federation of planets; they provided science officers and their knowledge to the United Federation to pay for their membership, they also maintain their own fleet that can operate within federation controlled space.

The Andorrans have their own fleet and provide technical information and intelligence resource to the Federation Some member planets only request a fleet when they perceive danger. Like Betazoid.

You've got to remember the United Federation of Planets is an Alliance type government, and the alliance is organized into sectors consisting of the member home system government and the colonies.

If and when Bajor joins the United Federation of Planets the government of Bajor will still be the Provisional government, it will control its own colonies the Bajorian militia will be absorbed into Starfleet as part of the payment for membership along with the Station Deep Space 9. This is what they can offer to the alliance.

However, because Earth is the capital of the Alliance at least San Francisco is or Federation, the Capital of United Earth is in Europe in France and is suggesting its merging of NATO, EU and other Asian/Pacific islands​ powers as well as the other nation states as members.

Because the United Federation of Planets alliance is within the realm or home range of Earth, the federation council is the civilian branch of the United Federation with the council of jag Officers appointed by Starfleet which operates as checks and balances between the 3 councils and between the planetary government of Earth nation states and the planetary government of other members nation states.

Each planet based on population can vote or appoint a representative (either permanent or temporary) to the Federation council with the option of the home government to recall the member except for the president of the Council, which is also the president of Earth. This has been established in both Star Trek TNG and DS9 "Homefront" in "Paradise Lost".

The Federation council can challenge Starfleet through the jag officers which reports directly to Starfleet command. Starfleet vessels are mandated by the charter to be ships of peace; exploration and all members benefit from the knowledge gathered and collected by Starfleet ships, in times of war all ships and Starfleet officers can be used by the military branch of Earth to thwart enemy advancement and must protect federation member planets at all cost.

I know this is a little confusing I hope you understand this. The United Federation is like United Earth and Interstellar Alliance combined they are separate and one like the UK.