posted
Once all is said and done, isn't the Federation simply that...a federation or, for a lack of better term, a confederation? (Both of which terms I will toss around as follows.)
The method to my madness goes:
Seeing as each planet has its own government and governmental types, each most likely of a different nature, they remain or retain their own identities (such as in cases of internal affairs, self defense) yet also come together as a whole in their function as the identity of the Federation, united for a common purpose. I'm not huge on politics, but isn't Australia organized in the fashion of a federation?
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Only in the sense that the US is- all your states have their own little ways of doing things, haven't they? Hasn't one got a unicameral legislature?
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quote:Originally posted by Futurama Guy: Once all is said and done, isn't the Federation simply that...a federation or, for a lack of better term, a confederation? (Both of which terms I will toss around as follows.)
What a nation calls itself and what it is can be two completely different things.
And all a "Federation" has to be is a group of things (in this case, planets).
We have never seen individual governments on UFP member worlds, and in fact we have seen the UFP running a planet directly, with no mention of any planetary authority.
This suggests to me that the planets do not have individual governments.
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How do we even know that there are local governments? Earth certainly doesn't seem to have one.
Uh-uh. Ain't no way that an organization that big could have no local governments. Otherwise you'd have the Federation council deciding the speed limits in residential neighborhoods on Andor. They have better things to do.
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I've just found mention of a tidbit that throws some confusion on the issue of ambassadors...
Kor was appointed as Ambassador to Vulcan in 2370.
Whoops!
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quote:Originally posted by MinutiaeMan: I've just found mention of a tidbit that throws some confusion on the issue of ambassadors...
Kor was appointed as Ambassador to Vulcan in 2370.
Whoops!
Yeah and a Tholian Ambassador was on DS9 and Earth. The Klingons may be allies but they're still a foreign power, I'm sure they have Embassies on most of the major Federation planets.
Most nations maintain a single main embassy in a foreign nation's capital, but they also set up consulates in various other important cities around the country. I'm not familiar enough with international diplomacy... do the people in charge of consulates also get the title of Ambassador?
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quote:Originally posted by Omega: How do we even know that there are local governments? Earth certainly doesn't seem to have one.
Uh-uh. Ain't no way that an organization that big could have no local governments. Otherwise you'd have the Federation council deciding the speed limits in residential neighborhoods on Andor. They have better things to do.
I meant local government in the sense of a government that actually has real power. I suspect Earth has something more like an English County Council than an American State Legislature and Governor.
And the people who are in charge of Consulates are called Consuls, not Ambassadors.
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quote:Originally posted by Futurama Guy: Once all is said and done, isn't the Federation simply that...a federation or, for a lack of better term, a confederation? (Both of which terms I will toss around as follows.)
The method to my madness goes:
Seeing as each planet has its own government and governmental types, each most likely of a different nature, they remain or retain their own identities (such as in cases of internal affairs, self defense) yet also come together as a whole in their function as the identity of the Federation, united for a common purpose. I'm not huge on politics, but isn't Australia organized in the fashion of a federation?
I'm not big on the politics either - but yes Australia is a Federation - well Federation of the states of Australia or the colonies occured on Jan 1, 1901. We became one country instead of a group of colonial states.
We are are officially the Commonwealth of Australia.
Each state has their own state-level governement and there is of course a Federal Government.
Our system of government borrowed parts from Britain and the US.
My brother'd know all this stuff.
-------------------- "Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica." - Jim Halpert. (The Office)
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I do not think there is any way that there could be no local government on planets; sure, their powers would be restricted by Federation laws and required standards but to try the central government of 150+ planets is simply too unwieldly.
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Agreed. Like Bajor would still keep their own government etc. They would as a planet become part of the greater whole - contributing troops etc.
-------------------- "Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica." - Jim Halpert. (The Office)
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