Jovian Union of Governments

The **Jovian Union of Governments** (Jovian: ***Jovie Zhengfu***), also known as the **JUG***,* **JZF***, or rarely* **Jovia***,* is a political, economic, and defensive union of all states on the three Jovian moons of Io, Europa, and Callisto. The Union has an estimated total population of 21.6 billion, making it the most populous of such unions in the Solar System.

The Union and Jovian citizenship were not founding aspects of Jovian life. Before the Kontemps, the closet thing to the Union was an extension of multiple Earth-originating states, and the inhabitants were second-class citizens thereof. Originally known as the Union of Murmansk, participating states signed a heavily-enforced treaty that declared Jupiter and its surrounding area a demilitarized zone. The Jovian states were some of the first to break away from Earth, and with the Bauer Accord in 2464, the first entity resembling the modern day Union was created. With this Accord, a new basic constitution was ratified by all member states, which they could individually add to. This event is often cited as the official beginning of the Kontemps, since it is the first time a sovereign government existed beyond the Asteroid Belt, and the first Awakened-headed government in general.

The Bauer Accord also established citizenship for sapients living on the three "moons of concern", excluding Ganymede. The following institutions were founded as per the Accord:

* **Jovian Diet.** This is the legislative branch of the JUG. Members are elected from districts of their home nations. These districts are distinct from ones used in national elections, and are much closer to equal distributions of population. The population of these districts elects them; Union-scale parties are generally coalitions of the local one from each state.
* **Jovian Council.** This is a collegiate body acting consisting of the heads of government of each member state of the JUG. Should a state have a separate head of state, like the Empire of the Sun, then such heads of state are invited to attend all proceedings as observers and speakers. The Jovian Council has the ability to propose laws to the Jovian Diet, though in practice this is rarely done.
* **Jovian High Government.** This is the executive branch of the JUG. The Jovian Diet nominates, from its own ranks, a President and Vice-President of the High Government. Each state's individual parliamentary organization nominates, again from its own ranks, a Representative. The President, Vice-President, and each Representative have one vote and have their own cabinet and staff.
* **Jovian Court of Justice.** This is the judicial branch of the JUG. It consists of the Supreme Court, which has the power of judicial review and interprets law brought to it from lower Courts of Appeals, and the General Court, which hears criminal and civil cases that have been escalated to an international level. This mostly consists of actions taken by or against the institutions of the JUG.
* **Jovian Defense Corps.** This is a multinational defense organization that has the power to direct the entirety of the JUG member states' military against a "unilateral threat" - meaning one that threatens the entire Union. This has been used in times of natural or manmade disaster, to deescalate intra-Union tensions, and early in Union history, to defend itself from outside threats. It includes a sizable contingent of professional Peacekeepers who assist with small-scale issues and humanitarian aid, a more heavily-armed Rapid Deployment Force called up from each member state, the power to hire mercenaries and contractors within the constraints of its budget, and Jovian Special Operations Command, its special forces division which is empowered to act "in the manner of war, outside the jurisdiction of this Union, even in times of peace".
* **Jovian Central Bank.** This is the organization responsible for issuing the Union's currency, the Jovian mark. Other currencies, both outside and within the Union, are considered valid, but may not be accepted everywhere; the Jovian mark is required to be accepted anywhere within the Union's jurisdiction. The Jovian Central Bank's main goal is to maintain the stability of prices within its jurisdiction. Because of its stability since its creation in 2511, other states have either officially or unofficially adopted the Jovian mark, including many places on Ganymede.