United Planets (Ultimate Earth)

The United Planets is an intergalactic government made up of multiple alien species, It was an interstellar union of planetary governments that agreed to exist semi-autonomously under a single central government based on the principles of universal liberty, rights, and equality, and to share their knowledge and resources in peaceful cooperation, scientific development, space exploration, and mutual defense.

Unlike its imperial rivals, who derived power from a single species subjugating other races, the UP's various member worlds joined willingly and were equals in the UP's democratic society. It was originally composed of Trantor and a large number of other planets in the Milky Way Galaxy. Its jurisdiction has never been determined, as at times, it seems to extend beyond the Milky Way and into other galaxies.

## Government and Politics

### Executive Branch

The United Planets was headed by the Chief of State. The Chief of State was elected by fifty percent and one vote majority of the Senators, for four year terms. The Chief of State was also the President of the Senate and Commander-in-Chief of the Fleet, although that title was sometimes used to refer to the highest ranking member of the military. The Chief of State could be recalled by a majority vote of the Senate on presentation of a petition of no-confidence by a majority of the Ruling, or Inner, Council, or by a quarter of the primary members of the Senate.

The election of a President could be blocked by the Ruling Council on a unanimous vote. In practice, the power of the Ruling Council to void an election and initiate the recall of a sitting President meant that any candidate proposed by or approved by the Ruling Council was likely to be elected by the Senate. The Ruling Council consisted of the chairmen of the Senate councils and the President of the Senate. The President could select any member of the Ruling Council to conduct the business of the Senate in her absence from that body. If the president became incapacitated, incommunicado, or died, the chairman of the Ministry Council selected an acting Chief of State from among the following: any former President, the current Minister of State, any former Minister of State.

The Post of Chief of State had emergency powers via the charter of the Chief, a document that empowered the Chief of State to serve as the leader of the new Galactic Senate. The office of the chief would have little central authority and was not an executive position. The Chief of State served as both the head of state and head of government; as chief executive officer of the government, the Chief of State determined most of the UP's foreign policy, managed budgetary concerns, and served as supreme commander of the UP's military forces.

### Legislative branch

The United Planets government had a decentralized structure, giving its member worlds more influence over galactic matters of state. Primary members were represented in the Senate by a senator. Senators were the ambassadors of their homeworlds, and member worlds were able to maintain their government and society in accordance with local beliefs, customs, and traditions. There was a wide variety of different local governments along the political spectrum: from monarchies to republics to hive-like communes. Senators received one vote in all matters—procedural and substantive.

As a body with a large and potentially unlimited membership, the Senate-in-whole was an almost impossibly unwieldy structure for getting work done. Consequently, most of the real governance was performed by the Senate's councils, committees, and commissions. The daily business of the Senate proper was primarily speech-making and public debate.

Despite its outward appearance of unity, the Senate was divided into two feuding factions, the Populists, which believed that almost all authority should reside in individual member worlds, and the Centrists, who supported a stronger central government. The two factions frequently squabbled over policies and government spending, creating an atmosphere of political deadlock and distrust in the Senate. As a result, the UP was unable to carry out several of its functions including preventing the resurgence of organized crime, enforcing financial regulations, and patrolling the shipping lanes.

### Judicial branch

The Court of Justice was the judicial branch of the United Planets. The members of the Court of Justice were selected by the Senate Justice Council from a list of nominees presented by the President of the Senate. The First Justice was elected by the other members of the Court from among their number. Nominally independent, the power of the Court of Justice was limited by its narrowly defined jurisdiction: to review charges of violations of the Charter by members or by the other branches of the United Planets's government. The Court of Justice did not serve as the court of last appeal for ordinary civil and criminal cases; those were settled by local judicial authorities on member worlds.