Organs of the Federation

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There are seven principle organs of the United Federation of Planets:

Legislative

Federation Council

The lower house of the legislative branch is comprised of each member of the United Federation of Planets, represented by one senior councilor and two deputy councilors, with each member accorded one vote. A member in arrears in the payment of its apportioned budget may not vote in the Federation Council if the arrears equal two or more legislative sessions [one Terran year each], unless the remainder of the Federation Council votes that an acceptation is appropriate.

  • any recommendation shall be referred to the Security Council prior to action
  • when the Security Council is executing its responsibilities in regards to a dispute or situation, the Federation Council shall refrain from any relevant recommendations (unless so requested by the Security Council
  • shall study and make recommendations on issues regarding interplanetary cooperation in regard to politics, encourage development of interplanetary law and codification, and promote cooperation in the fields of economics, culture, social discourse, education and health
  • consider and approve a budget for the Federation for each upcoming session, borne by its members as apportioned
  • establish subsidiary agencies as needed to perform its functions
  • decisions by the Federation Council on 'matters of substance' shall be made on a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the members both present and voting; when proposed by one member and seconded by two additional members, a specific issue may be considered to be a 'matter of substance', when decided upon by a simple majority vote of the members both present and voting
  • Matters of substance include:
    • recommendations with respect to the maintenance of interplanetary peace and security;
    • the election of non-permanent members to the Security Council;
    • the election of members of the Trusteeship Council;
    • the admission of new members to the Federation;
    • the suspension of rights and privileges of membership;
    • the expulsion of members;
    • questions relating to the operation of the trusteeship system;
    • budgetary questions.
  • decisions on issues not deemed to be a 'matter of substance', shall be made by a simple majority vote of the members present and voting

Security Council

The upper house of the legislative branch is comprised of eleven (11) members of the United Federation of Planets. The five (5) permanent members are Alpha Centauri, Andor, Earth, Tellar, and Vulcan. The six (6) rotating members are elected by the Federation Council; three (3) new members are elected at the end of each session to replace the three longest-serving rotating members. Retiring members are not eligible for immediate re-election. Each member has one vote, with decisions made by affirmative votes of seven (7) members. A member that is party to a dispute will refrain from the vote, with a minimal affirmative majority made up of six voters. Each member is represented at all times at the seat of the UFP, wherever that is determined to best facilitate the Security Council's efforts. Non-members of the Security Council may be invited to participate in discussions (but not vote).

  • primarily responsible for prompt and effective action to maintain interplanetary peace and security, under the acceptance of the members of the Federation and their support of its decisions
  • provides regular and special reports to the Federation Council
  • in accordance with its primary responsibility, works closely with the UFP President to properly employ Star Fleet
  • discusses and orders actions regarding:
    • establishment of subsidiary agencies
    • determine the existence of any threats to the peace
    • call upon parties in a dispute to maintain the peace and security via negotiation, inquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement, administration through assigned agencies or other peaceful means
    • recommend procedures-at any stage of a dispute-to resolve the dispute
    • decide upon actions to resolve a dispute or return to the maintenance of peace and security, to include:
      • partial or complete interruption of economic relations
      • partial or complete interruption of interplanetary communications
      • partial or complete interruption of space travel
      • severance of diplomatic relations
      • employment of Star Fleet with demonstrations, blockades or other operations deemed appropriate
    • invite members (not already present on the Security Council) providing armed force at the behest of the Federation to participate (but not vote) in discussions
    • shall consider the jurisdiction of the Interplanetary Supreme Court of Justice in regards to legal disputes

Military Staff Committee

The Military Staff Committee (MSC) is established and tasked by Article 47 of the Articles of the Federation to "advise and assist the Security Council on all matters relating to the United Federation of Planets' military requirements for maintaining interplanetary peace and security". The committee serves as the most direct legislative authority for Star Fleet.

The committee is comprised of the following members:

Other members of the United Federation of Planets may be invited to provide representation on the military staff committee (where its responsibilities requires the participation). Originally, the committee was made up only of the five founding members, but the membership was modified in 2208 to include the representative of the Secretary of Star Fleet, in the role of the committee's director, a position usually held by a Star Fleet civilian.

In accordance with its primary responsibility, the MSC works closely with the UFP President and the Joint Chiefs of Staff to properly employ Star Fleet, to include:

  • Preparing the provisional budget for Star Fleet operations;
  • Reviewing and approving the locations of starbases and other installations for maintaining interplanetary and interstellar peace and security;
  • Assisting the Joint Chiefs of Staff in oversight of expenditures and facilities related to Star Fleet, particularly those within Federation territory that is not the territory of any specific member.

Additionally, the MSC shall be responsible (under the Security Council) for the strategic direction of any armed forces placed at the disposal of the Security Council. Questions relating to the command of such forces shall be worked out subsequently.

Economic and Social Council

This department of the Federation (will be) comprised of (up to) 18 members of the Federation for three-year terms, with one-third of the body replaced by election of the Federation Council at the end of the preceding year. Retiring members are not eligible for immediate re-election. Each member has one vote, with decisions made by a simple majority of those members present.

  • initiates, by direction to established executive or council agencies, studies and reports of the interplanetary economic, social, cultural, educational, health, and related matters of the Federation
  • make recommendations for the purpose of promoting respect for, and observance of, intelligent life-form rights and fundamental freedoms for all
  • prepare draft procedures and requirements to the above related matters
  • call for interplanetary conferences on the above related matters
  • coordinate the activities of the relevant agencies through consultation with and recommendations to such agencies and through recommendations to the Federation Council and to the members of the United Federation of Planets
  • assist the Security Council when requested on relevant matters

Trusteeship Council

This department of the Federation (will be) comprised of members administering trust regions, members of the Security Council (if not presently administering trust regions), and elected members without trust region administration responsibilities in numbers necessary to equal the total number of members administering trust regions. The elected members shall serve for a period of three-year terms and will have one vote apiece, with decisions made by a simple majority of those members present.

  • accepts and considers reports from the administrating authorities (of a trustee region)
  • accepts petitions regarding the regions and examines them with consultation of the administrating authorities
  • periodically visit and examine the regions
  • establish reporting criteria upon which the administrating authorities will base a periodic report to be delivered to the Federation Council

Executive

Presidency

see also: Federation Presidents, UFP Executive Departments

The President of the United Federation of Planets is the democratically-elected head of state and head of government of the United Federation of Planets. As leader of the Federation, the president is widely considered the most powerful person in the known Alpha and Beta Quadrants.

The President ascends to the position through a popular election, serving an unlimited number of four-year terms. Presidential candidates are declared by the Council of the United Federation of Planets, which reviews anonymously-submitted petitions for candidacy before declaring that a given individual qualifies for the office. When a President unexpectedly resigns, dies, or is otherwise unable to discharge the powers of the office, the Federation Council declares a councilor to be President Pro Tempore; the President Pro Tempore then serves for a short term length set by law, while a special election is then called by the Council.

The role and selection of the Presidency has changed from that originally envisioned by Article 96. The first President, Thomas Vanderbilt of Earth, was titled Federation Council President and oversaw the original and solitaire legislative Federation Council, serving as a lead speaker. Within his three-year term, the Council developed a far more complex system of government, creating an executive that would serve also as the head of state and commander-in-chief of Star Fleet. Starting in 2164, the new President of the United Federation of Planets was selected in the Federation Council by majority vote, from a limited quantity of candidates nominated by the members' representatives to the (newly established) Security Council for qualification screening. The President would serve a four-year term and could re-apply to run for any number of additional terms. When a President unexpectedly resigned, died, or was otherwise unable to discharge the powers of the office, the Federation Council declared a councilor to be President Pro Tempore for the remaining length of that standard year. A new President would be selected prior to the end of that year, to assume a new four-year term on the first day of the new year.

In 2260, Article 96 was revised to mandate that, beginning with the November 2262 general election, the President would be elected by popular vote, with each adult citizen of the United Federation of Planets casting one vote. The office of the President was also modified to fill a set term of four years, regardless of how long the elected official held the role. When a President unexpectedly resigned, died, or was otherwise unable to discharge the powers of the office, the Federation Council declared a councilor to be President Pro Tempore for the remaining length of that term. A new President would then be selected prior to the end of the final year, to assume a new four-year term on the first day of the new year. However, this has not always occurred according to intent:

  • In 2288, President Hiram Roth was elected to a third term (2289-2292), but died that same day. President Pro Tempore Alistair Fergus was selected to serve the remaining weeks of Roth's second term and for the first three weeks of 2289, until a special general election saw Ra-ghoratreii (of Efros Delta) sworn into office.
  • In 2379, President Min Zife resigned suddenly during the third year of his second term, due to the Tezwa scandal. Instead of assigning a President Pro Tempore for the remaining length of the year, the Security Council proposed (and the Federation Council agreed) a special general election to be held in October, with the new President's term starting in November, until the end of 2380. The rationale was that the tumultuous period following the Dominion War and the Tezwa scandal needed to be affirmed by the UFP citizenry. Cestus III governor Nanietta Bacco was elected for the shortened term, as well as two additional full-length terms. Following her assassination in her third term, two Presidents Pro Tempore were successively assigned, until a special election was again held in 2385.

Star Fleet

see also: Star Fleet Organization (2161), Star Fleet Organization

The armed forces for the Federation is initially comprised of vessels and personnel of the founding members for the purposes of peace-keeping, exploration and safe navigation of the territory that comprises the Federation. At the same time, the nascent organization is charged with developing facilities, recruitment procedures and training that obviates the necessity of drawing upon the armament of any member, except when assisting it in the performance of its duties and obligations. This star fleet shall work under the direct cognizance of the Federation President, under the authority provided by the Security Council, and with the administration of the duly appointed military staff. The organization is authorized to construct a headquarters site and twenty 'star' bases located equitably within Federation territory, seeking funding when required to meet this responsibility.

The star fleet is initially authorized to develop and field 150 combat-capable ships (referred to as "cruisers"), along with those retained from the member nations, as well as procure and construct as many support ships needed to assist in the primary missions assigned, to include vessels with the nature of scouts, destroyers, transports, resupply, shuttlecraft, and survey ships.

Judicial

Interplanetary Supreme Court of Justice

Chapter XIV of the Articles of the Federation do not spell out the composition of the Interplanetary Supreme Court of Justice; this shall.

The Court is comprised of fifteen justices, selected by the elective nomination of thirty judges by the Federation Council and then the final election for the available seats by the Security Council. Justices serve for a period of nine-year terms, with five new members replacing the time-limited justices every 3 years. In the event of an early opening, a special election by the Security Council is conducted, considering the remaining (and non-selected) candidates previously considered at the last immediate election. No two justices may hail from the same member planet.

The Court holds the final judicial authority over Federation laws and may authorize the Security Council to uphold its decisions.

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