The Terran Federation
Overview
The Terran Federation is the governmental authority claiming jurisdiction over Earth, its orbital habitats, the Moon, and the asteroid belt. Nominally a democratic federation of regional governments, in practice it functions as a corporate-influenced oligarchy where the lines between public authority and private power have blurred beyond recognition.
Political Structure
- Federation Senate: 200 members representing regional governments
- Executive Council: 7 members with a rotating chair
- Judiciary: Nominally independent, effectively deferential
- Belt administration: Minimal – corporations handle most governance in the belt
Economic Relationships
The Federation is dependent on belt resources for its technological civilization. Corporate lobbying dominates policy formation. “Public-private partnerships” blur governmental and corporate lines. Tax revenue from corporations funds Federation operations, creating a dependency that shapes every policy decision.
Military Capability
The Federation Navy is the primary military force, with approximately 150 combat vessels. Its belt presence is limited – corporations provide their own security. The Navy’s intervention authority is theoretically unlimited but practically constrained by the political realities of corporate influence.
History
The Federation emerged from the resource crises of the 21st century, consolidating from regional governments in the 2070s-2090s. Initial idealism gradually corroded as corporate influence grew. By the 2100s, the “corporate senator” had become a recognized pathway to wealth. The current system stabilized in the 2130s, with formal prohibitions on corporate positions for serving officials masking the reality of post-service employment.
Current State
The Federation provides the legal framework within which belt extraction operates. It collects taxes, maintains the Navy, and officially sets labor standards – all while allowing corporations to write the actual rules. Most Federation citizens have never thought about belt workers. The belt provides materials for their comfortable lives; how those materials are extracted is not their concern.
Cultural Notes
- Earth perspective: Belt workers are abstract, rarely considered
- Media coverage: Corporate-influenced, focused on Earth concerns
- Public awareness: The belt exists as a source of prosperity, not a place where people suffer