United Federation of Planets
United Federation of Planets | |
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Cardassian Union | |
Capital and Branches |
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Currency | Federation Credit for external trade and capital transfers, majority of Federation member worlds operate without legal tender or currency |
Affiliation |
In the fictional universe of Star Trek, the United Federation of Planets (UFP) is the interstellar government with which, as part of its space force Starfleet, most of the characters and starships of the franchise are affiliated. Commonly referred to as "the Federation", it was introduced in the original Star Trek television series. The survival, success, and growth of the Federation and its principles of freedom have become some of the Star Trek franchise's central themes.
The Federation is an organization of numerous planetary sovereignties, including Earth and Vulcan. The franchise focuses on Starfleet, the exploration and defence arm of the Federation, rather than the government. Viewers are rarely given details of the internal workings of the government; however, many episodes refer to the rules and laws that the Federation imposes on the characters and their adventures.
Development
Early in the first season of Star Trek, Captain Kirk had said the Enterprise's authority came from the United Earth Space Probe Agency.[1] Bases visited in the series were labeled "Earth Outposts".[2] In August 1966, Gene L. Coon was hired by Gene Roddenberry as a writer for Star Trek. Actor William Shatner credits Coon with injecting the concepts of Starfleet, Starfleet Command and the United Federation of Planets into the show.[3] One of the first teleplays Coon was credited with was "A Taste of Armageddon", where an ambassador on the Enterprise is referred to as a Federation official.
Eventually, the series became an allegory for the current events of the 1960s counterculture,[4] placing great emphasis on an anti-war message and depicting the United Federation of Planets, a vast interstellar alliance founded on the enlightened principles of liberty, equality, justice, progress, and peaceful co-existence, as an idealistic version of the United Nations.[5]
Reception
The optimistic view of the future present in the Federation has been highlighted as unique among most
In 2020, Screen Rant noted the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "First Contact" for exploring the United Federation of Planets and how it sometimes struggles with contact with aliens.[10]
In-universe portrayal
Like many things in Star Trek, episodes and
In the
The Federation is depicted as a democratic republic, led by a President based in Paris on Earth.[16] Presidential powers include issuing pardons[17] and declaring states of emergency.[18] This president is supported by a cabinet.[19] The Federation also has a supreme court[20] and a legislature, the Federation Council, with delegates from its various member worlds.[21] A constitution and a charter have both been referred to as founding documents of the Federation.
Several planets are shown to desire Federation membership. Joining the Federation is a complicated process, and requires meeting various criteria. Disqualifying criteria include caste-based discrimination[22] and violations of sentient rights.[23] A single, unified government is not required for admission, but is desirable.[24] Most Starfleet personnel are Federation citizens. Non-citizens can join Starfleet, but the process is more difficult,[25] as with all non-Federation races.
The Federation's counterpart in the Mirror Universe is the Terran Empire, a human-dominated authoritarian state which has formed an empire by conquest.
Future of the Federation
In the Short Treks episode "Calypso", taking place at an unknown time in the distant future, the character of Craft refers to the "V'draysh". Little is said about the V'draysh, except that it is at war with Alcor IV, and that the V'draysh people are searching for artifacts from ancient human history. The writer of this episode, Michael Chabon, stated that the name "V'draysh" is intended to be a syncope for the word "Federation".[26]
In the 32nd century setting of the third season of
Non-canon references
In non-canon sources like the original 1975 Star Trek Star Fleet Technical Manual, Johnson's Worlds of the Federation, and roleplaying games, the Federation's five founding members were Earth (or Terra), Vulcan, Tellar, Andor, and Alpha Centauri. Some non-canon works assert that founding member Alpha Centauri is home to a human race (transplanted by the Preservers from classical third-century BC Greece) known as, variously, Centaurans, Centaurians, or Centauri.
The 1980-to-2188 historical guide Star Trek Spaceflight Chronology posits the Federation as being incorporated at 'the first Babel Interplanetary Conference' in 2087.
In books such as the Star Trek Star Fleet Technical Manual and the novel Articles of the Federation, the Federation's founding document is the Articles of Federation.
References
- Tomorrow is Yesterday"
- Arena (Star Trek)"
- ^ "Gene L. Coon: The Man Who Made STAR TREK Worth Saving". November 8, 2017.
- ^ Time (magazine)
- ^ "Woody Goulart » Gene Roddenberry". October 31, 2011. Archived from the original on October 31, 2011. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
- New York Times. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
- Slate Magazine. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
- Slate Magazine. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
- ^ Joseph Gargiulo (October 17, 2015). "The utopian future of 'Star Trek' doesn't work without extreme inequality and some slavery". Business Insider. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
- ^ "The 15 Best Star Trek: TNG Episodes Of All Time". ScreenRant. April 28, 2020. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
- ^ "Star Trek, Fandom, and Mythos: The Themed Convention | in Media Res". September 9, 2010.
- ^ The Outcast (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
- ^ "Metamorphosis (Star Trek: The Original Series)"
- ^ Star Trek: First Contact
- ISBN 978-0-671-50106-8.
- ^ Star Trek IV and VI
- ^ Star Trek: Discovery Michael Burnham
- ^ As depicted in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and "Homefront"
- ^ "Extreme Measures (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)"
- ^ Doctor Bashir, I Presume?
- ^ Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
- ^ Accession (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
- ^ The Hunted (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
- ^ "Attached" (The Next Generation)
- ^ In "Heart of Stone" the Ferengi Nog requires a letter of recommendation from a command-level Starfleet officer in order to apply for Starfleet academy
- ^ Michael Chabon confirms the word V'draysh is a syncope, Michael Chabon's official Instagram page