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How, then, to attempt the impossible task of summing up the Federation? We are the ones who draw the lines. Our forefathers, who lived through the bitter anguish of global wars, drew a line under them and declared: no more. We enshrined the rights of all citizens in our Constitution, underlined them, and signed. We plotted the lines that first linked the star systems, bringing humanity to the shores of new worlds, opening the way to interstellar trade. And when humanity itself, in the exuberance of youth, threatened the delicate balance of alien life, again we drew a line; thus far let us lawfully tread, and no further.

Isaac Gellan, Federation President, inaugural speech (2862)[1]

The Federation, formerly the Federation of Star Systems, is a galactic superpower and representative democracy. It is the oldest and largest of the three major factions in the galaxy.[2] Planet Earth (Sol), birthplace of humankind, is the historic former capital of the Federation and regarded as the centre of human-inhabited space. The Federation loosely lies between the Alliance and the Empire on the Galaxy Map. The Federation's current capital is Olympus Village on Mars. Several branches of the federal government are in Olympus Village such as the Federal Congress and the President in the White House.

The Federation arose from the ashes of World War III in the mid 21st century. The war caused tremendous devastation across the planet, decimating the population.[3] In the period of rebuilding after the end of World War 3 on Earth (circa 2044-2055 CE) the corporations became powerful and dominant. In modern times the corporations are the lifeblood and backbone of the Federation. The Federation uses technology extensively and is economically and socially a corporatocracy. The corporations have such influence that they generally push and fund their chosen candidates or parties, as do other special interest groups.[4] The current Federal President is Zachary Hudson.

The Federation has densely settled star systems with trillions of people.[5] The Federal economy has a huge gross domestic product which funds a large, well-equipped Federal Navy. In Federal society people can freely move between social classes which are only determined by the haves and have-nots. There is poverty but also conspicuous wealth. Corruption is not unusual in the Federation. Every citizen has rights and freedoms that are enshrined in the Constitution.[6] Some things are illegal such as slavery, cloning and certain narcotics.[7] A key tenet of the Federation's founding was the protection of xeno-culture and lifeforms, but it is sometimes claimed that the Federation uses this as a pretext for military action against its adversaries, such as the Empire.[8]

History

Consolidation on Earth

Earth-3302-Elite-Dangerous

Earth in 3302

Mankind's first ventures into space were tentative and gradual. The early part of the 21st century saw the first manned spaceflights beyond the moon, but it took major population and economic problems to stimulate enough commercial commitment to start settlements beyond Earth.[9]

The Third World War saw this exploration expenditure dragged back again and it wasn't until the very end of the 21st century that colonies on Mars and the Moon became truly permanent and viable.[9]

After the war, the dominant power was the United States of the Americas, and as the remaining other countries joined it over the next few decades, it was renamed the Federation of the United States and later "The Federation" as the implied reference to one of the pre-war powers was a block to the remaining countries joining it. It had a constitution and laws derived from the earlier powers, but much simplified.[9]

Space colonization

Many different factors changed humanity's outlook after that. The rise of the corporations, the discovery of the first fossils on Mars, and the explosive exploration triggered by the invention of the hyperdrive by Li Qin Jao and others in the 22nd century, first by unmanned probes, then with manned craft, overtaking the generation ships sent in the previous decades. Despite the huge dangers involved, a massive land-grab followed, fuelled by the voracious corporations.[3]

It wasn’t until some of the ecological excesses of these early colonists became apparent over a century later that Earth took its first steps, founding the Federation and becoming the colossal entity it is now, creating some order in what had become an unruly free-for-all.[3]

The Federal Accord

In 2242, the Federal Accord was created outlining certain rights and responsibilities for members, uniting many of the new colonies, by force in some cases. After a short conflict the Taylor Colony in Tau Ceti (which had been ignoring Earth's demands to stop killing the native wildlife to near extinction levels over a period of approximately 20 years) became the first signatory outside the Sol system. Sol and Tau Ceti were soon joined by Delta Pavonis, Altair, and Beta Hydri, and these five systems are today regarded as the founding members of the Federation. The name of the Federation was also changed at this time to the "Federation of Star Systems", but the name didn’t stick and quickly returned to just the Federation.[3]

From that point the Federation provided a stable framework to facilitate the further expansion of humanity to ever more distant star systems but not all colonies wanted a part of this. A distant early colony, formed by a band of political idealists as far from Earth as they could manage, in the system of Achenar would eventually spark another defining moment for the Federation and indeed humanity as a whole: the Battle of Achenar.[3]

The Federation has always seen itself as the major power in the galaxy. From the very beginning, long before the Empire or Alliance existed, it took upon itself the task of policing the galaxy and being the peacekeepers. While sometimes not in the best interests of minor factions involved, the decisions made by the Federation are usually made for the benefit of its citizens.

The Birthright Wars

Federation-Federal-Navy-Fleet-1

Federal Navy First Fleet

Between 2621 and 2735, Federal member systems underwent a period of societal change. The original colonial charters of many settlements granted hereditary land and position to families descended from their original settlers. Many of these birthright claims extended across vast areas of land and encompassed massive resources. The old charters became a hindrance especially to corporations who wanted access to these assets and gradually more and more pressure came to bear on the presidential administration to take action against this 'stifling anachronism'.[10]

The Birthright Wars were the name given to a series of conflicts that resulted in the forced acquisition or redistribution of hereditary rights (depending on your viewpoint) from colonial pioneers to corporations who had necessary technology to exploit these regions. It was generally blamed on corporate greed at the time, but notably the Federal Navy stood by.[10]

The commercial race in starship innovation together with increased funding from the Birthright Wars allowed the Federation to renew and centralise its military power. In the past, mobilising a fleet had required mustering resources from each member system, but generous corporate charters authorised different corporations to build and maintain centralised fleets. The first of this was commissioned and trained at Anlave in 2702, providing a much needed new purpose for the ruined agricultural system. These could be deployed much more efficiently against the Federation's enemies.[11]

Anlave was the site for the final act in the Birthright Wars. Exiled descendants of displaced original colonists, invaded the system in 2708, and bombarded the Naval Academy at Anderton, obliterating it. A battlefleet of privateers descended on the system, but were beaten back by a spirited and shrewd tactician; Admiral Ghenkis B'nami. It was believed at the time that Imperial finance had sponsored the coup, but no link was ever proven, and this is now seen as scaremongering.[11]

Recent events

3300 - 3305

Jasmina Halsey of the Liberal Party was elected President of the Federation in 3300. Her initial popularity quickly faded after she criminalized the narcotic Onionhead in December of that year, and launched a short-lived military campaign against Onionhead growers in the Kappa Fornacis system. Soon after, an independent minor faction seized control of the Federation system of Lugh, prompting Halsey to retaliate and igniting The War for Lugh, which ended in an embarrassing defeat for the Federation. Halsey's reputation took its most dramatic hit when she ordered an attack against an unarmed refugee convoy which the leader of the Lugh rebels was reportedly aboard; almost ten thousand innocent Federal civilians died in the attack, and Halsey's approval rating dropped to 26%. By April 3301, her approval rating had fallen further to 16%, the lowest rating ever recorded for a sitting Federal president.

On May 26, 3301, Starship One, personal ship of the Federal President, went missing with Halsey and her Vice President, Ethan Naylor, on board. With Halsey presumed dead, Federal Congress held an emergency vote of no confidence to formally remove her from office on June 2, and Shadow President Zachary Hudson of the Republican Party was approved to form an administration as the next President of the Federation.

On February 26, 3302, Jasmina Halsey was found alive in an escape pod recovered from the wreckage of Starship One following a search campaign sponsored by President Hudson. Upon being revived weeks later, she claimed that she had encountered super-intelligent beings with a message of peace. Over the subsequent months, Halsey became an international peace activist and left her career in Federal politics behind.

By 3303, tensions between the Federation and the Empire had reached a critical level as both superpowers significantly increased their military spending and capital ship construction. Proxy conflicts broke out in the vicinity of the Pleiades Nebula as they sought to monopolize access to Thargoid Barnacles and Meta-Alloys.

On June 13, 3303, a Federal fleet was wiped out in an apparent attack by Thargoids. On June 19, President Hudson responded to the attack and discovery that the Thargoids were tied to the recent spate of alien encounters by starship pilots, saying that the Federal military had been expanding in recent months in preparation for a possible conflict with a hostile alien species.

The Federation's shift of focus to the Thargoids was demonstrated by the completion of the Blackmount Orbital Asteroid Base in HIP 17692 on July 7, 3303, and the announcement on the same day of a campaign to gather the resources for the construction of a survey outpost in the system to monitor Thargoid activity.[12][13] The campaign proved successful and the outpost, Blackmount Habitation, was established on HIP 17962 A 1.[14]

By September 3303, speculation was rife that tensions between the Federation and Empire were thawing and the cold war was ending after the three superpowers set aside their differences to sponsor the creation of Aegis. Commentators opined that because neither the Federation nor the Empire had succeeded in establishing a monopoly over Meta-Alloys, both sides wanted to back down and save face.[15] This development was soon followed by the withdrawal of the Federal blockade of Professor Ishmael Palin on Maia A 3 A.[16]

On September 15, 3303, Chief of Federal Security Admiral Aden Tanner announced that another Thargoid attack had recently occurred which resulted in the destruction of multiple Federal vessels, including one Farragut-Class Battle Cruiser. While the motives for this attack were unknown, Admiral Tanner confirmed that the Thargoids were now officially considered enemies of the Federation. President Hudson gave Tanner full authority over the Federal Navy to deal with the Thargoid threat.[17] Amid speculation that Federal forces had provoked the attack, the Federation insisted that black box data from the wreckage indicated no provocation on their part; this was confirmed by Aegis, which had also analyzed data from the attack.[18] The incident spurred the Federation and the other two superpowers to widen Aegis' remit to focus on both research and defence on September 21st. The organization's budget was dramatically increased, and it recruited the Engineers Liz Ryder and Professor Palin to produce a new anti-Thargoid weapon and a scanner for Thargoid ships, respectively.[19][20]

On October 6, 3303, authorities in the Pleiades Nebula reported that the Federation had completely withdrawn its ships from the region, likely marking the end of the Federal-Imperial cold war over meta-alloys. The Empire was expected to follow suit in the coming days. Political commentators suggested that the attitude of cooperation brought about by the joint formation of Aegis, as well as escalating Thargoid attacks in the Pleiades, had been the catalyst for the withdrawal.[21] The Empire's own withdrawal was confirmed by regional authorities on October 11.[22]

Relations between the Federation and the Empire appeared poised to continue warming on June 22, 3304, when Princess Aisling Duval of the Empire announced her engagement to Federal Ambassador Jordan Rochester.[23] The planned marriage proved controversial not only among Federal citizens, but also in Imperial circles.[24] However, days before the ceremony was scheduled to occur in August 3304, anti-slavery activist Jarl Toredo revealed to the public that he had been in a secret relationship with Aisling, and Jordan's mother, Isolde Rochester, cancelled the wedding.[25][26]

In 3305, Federal President Zachary Hudson's administration narrowly survived its mandatory vote of no confidence in Federal Congress, allowing Hudson to remain in office and continue his term until 3309.[27]

3306 - Present

On September 18, 3306, coming on the heels of the conclusion of a criminal investigation into the Starship One disaster by the Federal Attorney's Office,[28] Chief Technician Rory Webster of the Federal Navy Engineering Corps was arrested and charged with mass murder and treason. The investigation claimed that Webster was responsible for ordering unauthorised changes to Starship One's Frame Shift Drive shortly before it departed on former President Jasmina Halsey's ill-fated official tour in May 3301.[29] Webster later confessed and exposed Fleet Admiral Lucas Vincent as the person who ordered him to sabotage Starship One, leading to Vincent's arrest on charges of conspiracy to commit murder and treason.[30] Due to Vincent's close friendship with Federal President Zachary Hudson, the public and some news feeds concluded that Hudson had been involved in a conspiracy to assassinate Halsey. As a result, support for Hudson and the Republican Party had fallen sharply by October 19, and the Liberal Party regained majority support for the first time in years. Amid Hudson's refusal to issue a statement on Vincent, over a dozen Congressmen resigned in protest to avoid association with what some alleged was "the crime of the century".[27]

Simultaneously with the Federation's political turmoil, the Empire was focused on an internal anti-terrorism operation to root out the Neo-Marlinist Liberation Army. Believing that supporters of the Marlinist ideology were collaborating with the more radical and violent NMLA, the Imperial Navy attempted mass arrests of Marlinists. Millions fled their homes to escape persecution, sparking the Marlinist refugee crisis, and by October 20, 3306, many had arrived in several outlying Federal systems. The Empire formally requested that the refugees be returned, but Federal Ambassador Jordan Rochester refused and asked Federal Congress to grant the refugees asylum.[31] On October 26, Congress approved a proposal from Shadow President Felicia Winters to grant temporary citizenship to the Marlinists in defiance of President Hudson's stated intention to return them to the Empire.[32] As a result, tensions between the Federation and the Empire increased, with some fearing that the Empire could declare war to recapture the Marlinists.[33]

The situation worsened on November 5, 3306, when the Empire invaded LTT 1935, a Federal system in neutral space that the Imperial Internal Security Service had reason to believe contained multiple hidden NMLA bomb-making facilities.[34] The conflict ended on November 12, with the LTT 1935 Confederacy securing a decisive victory and preventing an Imperial occupation.[35] On November 19, the NMLA bombed the Federal starport Kepler Orbital in Atropos to silence nine NMLA members who had been detained there by the Federal Security Service for interrogation.[36][37] This resulted in blacklash against Winters' acceptance of the Marlinist refugees, and as concerns mounted about the possibility of a war between the superpowers, President Hudson recovered much of his lost standing.[38]

As relations between the Empire and the Federation continued to deteriorate, both superpowers took more aggressive stances. In response to the Empire withdrawing funding from Aegis, the Federation did the same.[38][39] Sirius Corporation finally intervened on December 10, 3306 to try to end the Marlinist refugee crisis and prevent a war between the superpowers. CEO Li Yong-Rui proposed resettling the Marlinists in new colonies in unclaimed systems. Both Federal Congress and the Imperial Senate approved the plan after a period of debate, but added the caveat that any NMLA members identified among the refugees be turned over to the Empire.[40]

Amid the turbulence caused by the Marlinist refugee crisis, a Thargoid resurgence, tensions between the Empire and Federation, and widespread economic instability, Simguru Pranav Antal of Utopia proposed the Galactic Summit on January 1, 3307. It would be the first ever diplomatic conference between the three superpowers, and its purpose was to allow the Alliance, Empire, and Federation to peacefully debate their differences and agree on solutions to the most significant threats facing humanity.[41] Despite the idea originating with Utopia, the superpowers ultimately selected Sirius Corporation to host the Galactic Summit after CEO Li Yong-Rui demonstrated he could better prepare security for the event.[42] The Federation's delegation to the Galactic Summit was led by President Zachary Hudson, and included Shadow President Felicia Winters, members of the Federal Diplomatic Corps, and other representatives of civil and corporate interests.[43]

The Federation suffered a major embarrassment and loss in public confidence after Jupiter Rochester, the CEO of Core Dynamics and eldest son of Liberal Party Shadow Vice President Isolde Rochester, fled to HIP 54530 and established the rogue Jupiter Division faction in February 3307 after being exposed during the trial of Fleet Admiral Lucas Vincent as the financier behind the conspiracy to destroy Starship One and assassinate then-President Halsey in 3301. Federal citizens called for investigations into corruption and corporate influence in the Federal government, and the credibility of both the Republican Party and the Liberal Party was damaged.[44] Jupiter Division was defeated by Federal forces on February 18, and Rochester and thousands of his loyalists were arrested by the Federal Intelligence Agency.[45] Rochester was summarily sentenced to life imprisonment on March 5 by the Federal Justice Department, but despite his crimes, his manifesto of converting the Federation from democracy to corporatism inspired the formation of a corporatist movement.[46] This movement, which sought to create an alternative to the Republican and Liberal parties and reform the Federation into a corporatocracy, managed to keep Jupiter Division alive through June 3307, but Core Dynamics led a second campaign against the faction and permanently dissolved it. Jupiter Division's remaining assets were seized by the new Core Dynamics subsidiary Core Enterprises on June 10, and the rudderless corporatist movement was well on its way to historical obscurity by June 21.[47][48][49]

On March 3, 3307, at the Galactic Summit in Sirius, President Hudson personally ratified the Cornelius-Lasky Convention with his Allied and Imperial counterparts.[50] The conference was cancelled on March 11 following a series of coordinated attacks on starports in nine major systems, including Li Qing Jao in Sol, that were carried out by the NMLA.[51] Vice President Brad Mitchell and several Federal Cabinent members were among the tens of thousands who died at Li Qing Jao. The Federation blamed the Nine Martyrs attacks on the Empire due to NMLA bombmakers escaping Serene Harbour.[52] As a result of the Cornelius-Lasky Convention establishing new communications protocols between the security forces of the superpowers, the Federal Intelligence Agency participated in the creation of the Affiliated Counter-Terrorism unit (ACT) to defeat the NMLA.[53] Federal Congress followed this up on March 30 with the approval of the Domestic Counter-Terrorism Act, an emergency law proposed by new Vice President Jerome Archer to expand the Federal government's surveillance powers with the aim of preventing future terrorist attacks.[54] Under the act, the Federal Intelligence Agency created the Proactive Detection Bureau to monitor public and private communications networks for terrorist activity.[55] As the PDB became mired in controversy and public support for the enhanced surveillance polarized, President Hudson and Shadow President Winters launched competing data collection initiatives on April 29. Hudson desired to expand the PDB's reach and effectiveness, while Winters sought the opposite by planning to distribute legal technology and techniques to protect personal communications from government intrusion.[56] Hudson's campaign prevailed, which the Federal government interpreted as a popular mandate to continue the program. The PDB was strengthened substantially, enabling it to scan almost all public and private comms networks in Federation space, which resulted in a sharp rise in arrest rates and the dismantling of criminal groups.[57][58]

The Federation's doubling-down on increased public and private surveillance caused a wave of discontent to ripple through Federal systems within Shadow President Winters's sphere of influence, culminating on June 29, 3307 with Mayor Constanza Noguera of the Azaladshu Free faction proclaiming the secession of the four systems under its control: Azaladshu, LHS 277, LTT 3919, and LFT 824.[59] President Hudson charged the Federal loyalist faction Neche Inc with containing the rebellion on July 1, but Azaladshu Free defeated Federal forces and secured its independence on July 8. Three other Federal factions were inspired to secede as well: the Coalition of Uteran, which controlled Uteran and Ga'anjob'al; LP 726-6 Free, which controlled LP 726-6 and Aunochis; and Gluscap Labour, which controlled Gluscap and V902 Centauri. This embarrassed not only Hudson, who failed to quash the rebellion, but Winters, who was accused by some of orchestrating the secession due to her vocal opposition to the new surveillance measures.[60][61] The Azaladshu affair emboldened other Federal factions to also weigh abandoning their fealty, and by July 21, it was reported that the FIA was arresting independence-minded leaders on spurious charges to contain the situation.[62] Governor Sonal Mishra of New Kuwembaa Labour withdrew his five systems from the Federation on July 30, and three other factions also threatened to follow.[63] On Hudson's orders, Li Chotep for Equality engaged New Kuwembaa Labour in battle in the Kuwembaa system on August 5, but was again stymied by the rebel forces and decisively lost on August 12. New Kuwembaa Labour remained independent and the factions Selkana Labour, United HIP 108095 Values Party, and Mutumu Future also decided to break away, bringing the total number of seceded Federal systems to 37.[64][65] A third wave resulted in the secession of seven more factions on September 13, but none of these factions controlled any systems.[66]

Meanwhile, the Delta Pavonis system, one of the Federation's five founding members, was overtaken by the independent faction Autocracy of Delta Pavonis on August 12. Rather than go to war to reclaim the symbolically important system, the Federation opted to pursue a diplomatic solution. On September 17, Federal Ambassador Delphine Dumont and EG Pilots Dictator Yuri Grom arrived in Delta Pavonis for a conference with Grand Duke Simion Petrescu to determine the system's future allegiance. This marked the first formal meeting between Federal representatives and Grom since the latter's defection in 3301.[67] By September 24, negotiations had surprisingly produced a potential compromise deal in which the Autocracy of Delta Pavonis would remain independent, but maintain trade and political ties with both sides.[68] However, undercover Federal agents suddenly attempted to detain Grom on September 30; Grom narrowly escaped, and when he returned to his megaship, the Indomitable, he found his forces were already under attack from the Federation. President Hudson later confirmed that the Federation continued to view Grom as a traitor and security threat, and had sought to capture or eliminate him at the conference. Grand Duke Petrescu denied that his faction had any involvement in the Federation's plot.[69] On October 4, 3307, the Federal Diplomatic Corps denounced Hudson's violation of the conventions of diplomatic immunity, and Ambassador Dumont apologised to Grom.[70]

The superpowers agreed to shut down Aegis on January 18, 3308 per the recommendation of the Baumann Report, which had found that Aegis was no longer able to effectively carry out its anti-Thargoid responsibilities. At the request of Fleet Admiral Tayo Maikori, Federal Congress ordered the creation of a new, anti-xeno military strike force that would operate under the Federal Navy and assume Aegis's role in defending the Federation from Thargoid attacks.[71]

President Hudson courted controversy yet again on February 4, 3308 by proposing the Hudson Contravention, a measure to repeal the 77th amendment of the Federal Accord, which would lift term limits from the presidency and allow Hudson to run for a second term in the June 3309 election. The President and his supporters claimed his steady leadership was needed to guide the Federation through a series of ongoing and potential crises, but the proposal was condemned by Winters and former presidents Jasmina Halsey and Antonia Madison.[72][73][74]

Society

Elite-Dangerous-Federation-City

A Federation city

In this modern age it's hard for us to imagine that before the Federation, humanity existed on just a single world, bar a few small colonies on Mars and the Moon. Even stranger to our current experience was the fact that so many disparate tribal groupings, or "countries" existed on one world.[3]

Hierarchy and Commerce

The hierarchy of Federal society is based on democratic principles - people vote within their System/State to elect Congressmen, and a President with an 8-year term and a "Vote of No Confidence" after the first 4 years.[6] There are trillions of citizens who can vote in the elections. The interstellar democracy is supported by ancient bureaus.[2]

However, corporate loyalty oils the machine, and Federation space is a battleground of commerce. Commercial organisations compete as aggressively as the law will allow for the time and attention of the Federal citizen (aka Federals or Feds), who goes through life bombarded by advertising.[6]

Corruption is not unusual – individuals defend it shamelessly when caught as ‘getting one over the system’. Social class is only determined between ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’. In regards to classes of wealth, one can expect to discover widespread poverty, prominent wealth, and everything in between.[6]

The huge gross domestic product (GDP) of the Federation economy funds a very large, well-equipped Federal Navy which projects its values and influence.[6]

The efficient exploitation of human space has made the Federation very powerful and influential. The prevailing capitalist attitude of the Federal economy has made trade a competitive business, but one can discover near limitless opportunity if they know how to exploit the system.

The Federal Grand Lottery is the largest lottery in the galaxy. It regularly hands out millions of credits to winners. The annual Galactic Jackpot is by far the most popular lottery game.[75]

Culture

Culturally the Federation is tolerant of some things (like religions) but utterly intolerant of drug-taking, slavery, and certain cultures. A great many things are illegal, like slavery, cloning and certain narcotics.[6]

The media drives a culture of celebrity. Top ranking politicians, social commentators, entertainers and super-rich all command a great deal of media attention. This provides a sizable distraction for the populace, to the extent that foreign wars conducted by the Federation on their behalf get little media attention. This has ensued for many hundreds of years, and there is no sign of it changing.[6]

WorldCraft in Epsilon Eridani has been the Federation's favourite tourist resort for more than 300 years.[76]

Technology

Robotics such as robots and androids as well as advanced software are used extensively in Federal society. They do certain type of work so that people don't need to do the same. Clones and slaves are illegal in Federal space.[6][77]

Between 3290 - 3300 CE, the Achilles Corporation sold over 20 million robots throughout the Federation, including nearly 300,000 PA912 models.[78]

Animal cloning is legal in Federal space. Such as in 3302, the Starship Enterprises Corporation cloned hundreds of Earth animals inside special in vitro chambers.[79]

The Federation's Farragut-Class Battle Cruiser capital ships, supplied by Core Dynamics, are robust, practical war machines inside and out.[80]

Public Holidays

Date Name Notes
Once every four or eight years Inauguration Day The day after a Federal election when a new president-elect takes the oath and is sworn into office as the President of the Federation.[81]
12 February Abraham Lincoln Starport Celebration Annual remembrance of Abraham Lincoln Starport's namesake, President Abraham Lincoln.[82]

Corporations

Notable Federal corporations include:

Population

The Federation is the most populous of the three superpowers, and has an estimated population of 1,944,378,037,821 as of April 3306.[83]

As of January 3308, the Federation controls 3,730 systems, of which the ten most populous are:[84]

Rank System Allegiance Population
1 G 203-47 Federation 31,607,896,208
2 Blatrimpe Federation 27,637,512,817
3 Oduduro Federation 24,232,635,347
4 Sol Federation 22,780,919,531
5 Inti Federation 21,698,919,221
6 HR 5632 Federation 20,369,766,950
7 Coriccha Federation 20,071,718,380
8 LP 339-7 Federation 18,860,097,527
9 Rana Federation 17,566,027,075
10 BD-00 632 Federation 14,704,429,811

Government

Leadership

Zachary Hudson

Zachary Hudson, the current Federal President

The President of the Federation is the elected head of state and head of government of the Federation. The President is elected for an eight year term by the citizens of the Federation.[2] The president faces an automatic "Vote of Confidence" by the people after four years. If the incumbent President wins the vote, they are allowed to complete their full term, but if the incumbent loses the vote, a new Presidential election is called. Presidents select and appoint a Vice President to serve as Acting President in the event that the President is unable to lead. The current Federal President is Zachary Hudson, and his Vice President is Brad Mitchell.[85]

When the leader of one of the Federation's two main political parties, the Liberal Party and the Republican Party, is elected President, then the leader of the other party automatically becomes Shadow President. The Shadow President has no authority in the sitting President's administration, but he or she is often at the top of their party's list to run for the Presidency during an election. The current Shadow President is Felicia Winters.

The White House on Mars is the official residence and workplace of the President.[86]

Federal Congress

Federal Congress is made up of 500 Congressmen (the term for both men and women). They sit in Congress, in Olympus Village on Mars – which replaced its location in Washington DC early in the 3rd millennium. Congressmen are expected to attend in person to vote.[4]

Anyone can run for election to Federal Congress. They do not need to be backed by a political party or minor faction, but it helps. There are two major parties: the Liberals and the Republicans. Corporations generally do push (and fund) their chosen candidates or parties (e.g. Hudson), as do other special interest groups. Like the President, Congressmen are elected for an eight year term by the citizens of the Federation, with a "vote of no confidence" after four years.[2] If the vote of no confidence succeeds then a full election takes place. A Congressman (or President) cannot serve multiple consecutive terms, though a Congressman can (and often does) become President immediately after a term as a Congressman.[4]

Congressmen spend their days representing their constituency. They can also hold other office as part of government – for example chairing committees etc. They are not allowed to have corporate interests that might conflict with their political roles (though quite often some hide them via their friends, spouses etc, and not all get found out).[4]

Every Federation system has representation at the Congress, but generally a Congressman represents multiple systems, except a few core systems (like Sol) that have more than one Congressional representative, based loosely on historic population. Phenomenal growth in the outer systems has meant that they have little representation in Congress, and there is frequent discussion about creating many new Congressmen to address this balance, but the various power blocks realise it will change the balance of power away from the core systems, the very people who would have to vote it through – so many agree it is unlikely to happen in the near future.[4]

Congressmen do not change when their system's controlling minor faction changes, and serve until their term is up, but their life could become difficult, so they might resign, triggering a local election.[4]

Federal colonies continued to mature into Congressional members and became accepted as Federal States throughout the next two centuries. However, the ratification of each colonial charter and approval of membership made the governing body of the Federation more and more unwieldy. This meant getting decisions made became more and more of a laborious and time consuming process, increasingly relying on Presidential Influence. Eventually in 2594, Congress passed an Act reducing the total number of congressmen dramatically at the subsequent election round, amid much controversy.[85]

In parallel, the President's fixed four year term was extended to a single eight year term, with a Vote of Confidence by the people after four years. This was to address the problem that increasingly the Presidents were serving two consecutive terms (their limit - a historical limit dating back to pre-Federation days), and few credible candidates would stand against them in what increasingly were referred to as the 'mid-term' election.[85]

Government agencies

Criminal justice
Regulatory authorities
Foreign relations
Security services

Federal Law

Mars Terraformed

Mars terraformed, 3300

The Federation is an interstellar representative democracy. Every Federal citizen has rights and freedoms enshrined in the Constitution such as the right to vote in elections. Each adult citizen has one vote per election within their star system or state to elect Congressmen and the President of the Federation. Anyone of the Federation is free to run for election to Federal Congress and in Presidential elections.[2][5]

Constitution

Federal law is based on an agreed constitution known as the Federal Accord, also simply called the Constitution, which was derived from the laws and principles of the United States of the Americas, the other former countries of Earth, and the ancient Constitution of the United States, but was also greatly simplified.[87] The Federal Accord was ratified in 2242 by the five founding systems of the Federation: Sol, Tau Ceti, Delta Pavonis, Altair, and Beta Hydri. It outlines certain rights and responsibilities for member states and citizens. The protection of xeno-culture and life forms was a key tenet of the Federation's founding.[8] Federal laws are proposed and approved in Federal Congress on Mars. The sheer size of the Federation makes it very hard for any single system to have any influence on changing it.[7]

People have rights and freedoms, enshrined by this agreement. A great many things are illegal, like slavery, cloning and certain narcotics. Local 'State' law prohibits other trafficking to a greater or lesser degree. Things like ship-based weapons, personal weapons, other milder drugs and alcohol are banned in some systems.[7] The Federation does respect human life, xeno-culture and lifeforms in its own way and much more than the Empire,[8] although the Federation doesn't respect freedom as much as the Alliance.[88]

Key systems

Eta-Cassiopeiae-Federation-Mathew-Maddison

Eta Cassiopeiae

  • Sol - Location of Earth, the birthplace of humanity, and Mars, which features the Federation capital city of Olympus Village. One of the original five signatories of the Federal Accord of 2242.
  • Tau Ceti - The planet Taylor Colony features the first extraterrestrial biosphere encountered by humanity, and became humanity's first extrasolar colony. One of the original five signatories of the Federal Accord. Also the birthplace of Shadow President Felicia Winters.
  • Delta Pavonis - The planet Reagan's Legacy was home to the second extraterrestrial biosphere encountered by human explorers, which was at a much earlier stage of development relative to Tau Ceti's. Early human colonization led to its complete extinction, and the planet has since been terraformed into an arid Earth-like world. One of the original five signatories of the Federal Accord.
  • Altair - The planet Biggs Colony is a humid, mostly oceanic Earth-like world, renowned for its strikingly beautiful and infamously dangerous biosphere. One of the original five signatories of the Federal Accord.
  • Beta Hydri - The planet Homeland was an early human colony and today is one of the most densely-settled Earth-like worlds. One of the original five signatories of the Federal Accord.
  • Nanomam - A key military production system and the personal headquarters of Federal President Zachary Hudson.
  • Rhea - Home to a large agricultural industry based on its twin Earth-like worlds, and a popular tourist destination. The personal headquarters of Shadow President Felicia Winters.
  • Lembava - Home to a number of high-tech Federal corporations, and the personal headquarters of Sirius Corporation CEO Li Yong-Rui.
  • Eta Cassiopeiae - The Federation's most important military bastion and the headquarters of the Federal Navy.[89]
  • 17 Draconis - One of the Federation's most isolated and remote colonies.

Military

Federal Navy

Main article: Federal Navy

The Federal Navy is the Federation's primary warfare force. Federal Navy fleets patrol Federal systems, confront incursions from other superpowers, factions, and organisations, and support allies and friendly factions across the Core Systems. The head of the Federal Navy holds the rank of Fleet Admiral.

Federal Navy Auxiliary

Ranks of the Federal Navy Auxiliary Federation insignia simple
No. Rank Unlocks
0 None None
1 Recruit None
2 Cadet None
3 Midshipman Federal Dropship, The Sarge invitation
4 Petty Officer Sol
5 Chief Petty Officer Federal Assault Ship, Vega, Beta Hydri
6 Warrant Officer PLX 695
7 Ensign Federal Gunship, Ross 128
8 Lieutenant Exbeur
9 Lieutenant Commander None
10 Post Commander Hors
11 Post Captain None
12 Rear Admiral Federal Corvette
13 Vice Admiral None
14 Admiral None

There are 14 ranks in the Federal Navy Auxiliary, which can be joined by any independent pilot. As pilots rise through the ranks, they are rewarded with access to exclusive Federal ships, missions, and restricted system permits.

Federal Navy ships

Core Dynamics has designed and produced six ship models for use by the Federal Navy and its close allies.

Permits

For a list of permits, see Permits/Federation.

Permits are required to access certain systems that are otherwise locked out by the computer of your Frame Shift Drive (FSD).

Such permits are rewarded by the controlling faction for that locked system, when you become friendly with that faction, by accomplishing missions such as "Federal dispatch" and receiving ranks. You can often find that faction on a station outside the main system they control.

Once finished several dispatch quests, simply visit the Bulletin Board at any of the faction's stations to accept a job titled "Federal invitation". Accepting the job automatically adds the permit to your FSD computer.

Trivia

  • Originally, the Federation government was intended to feature three main political parties: Democrats, Republicans, and Libertarians. By the time Elite Dangerous launched, this had been changed to just two political parties, Liberals and Republicans. Michael Brookes still mentions Libertarians though. So they may be the third major political party put more aside.[4]

Videos

Gallery

See also

References

  1. Elite Dangerous Knowledge Base > The Federation > Introduction
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Galactic Superpowers - Story - Elite Dangerous
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 GalNet: The Founding of the Federation
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Frontier Forums: Governments and politics in Elite Dangerous by Michael Brookes
  5. 5.0 5.1 The Federation Sourcebook, EDRPG
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 Newsletter #22
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Tourist Spot 0162, "Federal Constitution"
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 GalNet: A Clash of Titans
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Tourist Spot 0165, "Ancient History"
  10. 10.0 10.1 Tourist Spot 0181, "The Birthright Wars"
  11. 11.0 11.1 Tourist Spot 0183, "Birthright Final Act"
  12. GalNet: Galactic News: New Superpower Bases in the Pleiades
  13. GalNet: Community Goal: New Federal Outpost
  14. GalNet: Galactic News: Federal Outpost Campaign Concludes
  15. GalNet: Galactic News: Cold War Thawing?
  16. GalNet: Galactic News: Federal Blockade Ends
  17. GalNet: Galactic News: Federal Capital Ship Destroyed by Thargoids
  18. GalNet: Galactic News: Federation Addresses Rumours
  19. GalNet: Galactic News: Aegis to Widen Remit
  20. GalNet: Community Goal: Engineers Appeal for Thargoid Material
  21. GalNet: Galactic News: Federation Withdraws from Pleiades
  22. GalNet: Galactic News: Empire Pulls Out of Pleiades
  23. GalNet: Aisling Duval Announces Marriage to Federal Ambassador
  24. GalNet: Galaxy Reacts to Federal-Imperial Betrothal
  25. GalNet: Aisling Duval's Secret Relationship Revealed
  26. GalNet: Aisling Duval Wedding Cancelled
  27. 27.0 27.1 GalNet: Political Turmoil for President Hudson
  28. GalNet: Inquiry into Starship One's Destruction Concludes
  29. GalNet: Arrest Made in Starship One Criminal Case
  30. GalNet: Fleet Admiral Vincent Named as Starship One Saboteur
  31. GalNet: Marlinist Refugees Flee to the Federation
  32. GalNet: Congress Votes to Accept Marlinist Immigrants
  33. GalNet: Empire and Federation Clash Over Marlinists
  34. GalNet: Federal and Imperial Forces Engage in Battle
  35. GalNet: Federal System Resists Imperial Takeover
  36. GalNet: Terrorists Identified Among Marlinist Refugees
  37. GalNet: Terrorist Bombing at Federal Starport
  38. 38.0 38.1 GalNet: The Shadow of War
  39. GalNet: Coalsack Nebula Project Gathers Ammonia Worlds Data
  40. GalNet: Sirius Corporation Campaign to Establish Marlinist Colonies
  41. GalNet: Utopia Invites Superpowers to Galactic Summit
  42. GalNet: Sirius Corporation Secures Hosting of Galactic Summit
  43. GalNet: Hudson and Winters Confirmed for Galactic Summit
  44. GalNet: Federation Damaged by Corruption and Conspiracy
  45. GalNet: Victory for Federal Forces Against Jupiter Division
  46. GalNet: Jupiter Rochester Sentenced to Life Imprisonment
  47. GalNet: Jupiter Division Inspires Corporatist Movement
  48. GalNet: Core Dynamics Triumphs Against Jupiter Division
  49. GalNet: Corporatists Stalled by Jupiter Division's Defeat
  50. GalNet: Superpowers Make Progress at the Galactic Summit
  51. GalNet: Galactic Summit Cancelled – NMLA Attacks Superpowers
  52. GalNet: Starport Bombing Casualties Include Federal Vice President
  53. GalNet: Anti-NMLA Intelligence Unit Formed
  54. GalNet: Federal Congress Grants Emergency Surveillance Powers
  55. GalNet: Federation Begins Anti-Terrorist Monitoring
  56. GalNet: Federal Leaders Launch Rival Data Requests
  57. GalNet: Hudson Initiative Increases Federal Surveillance
  58. GalNet: Federal Citizens Approve Government Scrutiny
  59. GalNet: Four Federal Systems Declare Independence
  60. GalNet: Federation Battles Independents in the Azaladshu System
  61. GalNet: Independence Spreads from Azaladshu System
  62. GalNet: Federation Threatened by Further Secession
  63. GalNet: Rebellion Spreads Across Federal Systems
  64. GalNet: Federal Forces Combat New Rebellion
  65. GalNet: Victory Against Federation for Independent Factions
  66. GalNet: Rebellion Spreads Through the Federation
  67. GalNet: Delta Pavonis Hosts Political Conference
  68. GalNet: Progress Between Federation and Yuri Grom
  69. GalNet: Yuri Grom Targeted by Federal Strike
  70. GalNet: Ambassador Condemns Entrapment of Yuri Grom
  71. GalNet: Superpowers Plan to Replace Aegis
  72. GalNet: Hudson Attempts to Remove Presidential Limit
  73. GalNet: Federation Divided by Hudson's Proposal
  74. GalNet: Hudson Refutes 'Dictatorship' Concerns
  75. GalNet: Search for Lottery Winner
  76. Tourist Spot 0213, "WorldCraft Theme Park"
  77. Elite Wiki: Empire
  78. GalNet: Further Surveillance Robots Discovered
  79. GalNet: Galactic News: Wildlife Reserve Campaign Concludes
  80. Official The Art of Elite Dangerous art book, August 17 2016
  81. GalNet: Zachary Hudson Becomes the New President of the Federation
  82. GalNet: Celebration at Abraham Lincoln Starport in Earth Orbit, Sol
  83. reddit: Demographic changes in the Galaxy, 2020
  84. Data gathered from EDDB on January 31, 2022
  85. 85.0 85.1 85.2 Tourist Spot 0180, "Congressional Streamlining"
  86. GalNet: Galactic News: Galactic Leaders Respond to Discovery
  87. Rolling Stone: 'Elite' Creator on Sci-Fi, Politics and His Studio's Next Big Thing (archived at archive.is)
  88. YouTube: Elite: Dangerous - Epic History of The Federation
  89. Elite Encounters RPG
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