Confederation (MultiChronos)

A Confederation (also known as confederacy, alliance or league) is an alliance of sovereign star polities that unified for special purposes. Confederation's members - which are interstellar and non-interstellar - could be seen as more organized than anarchy, but more freedom than federation or republic.

Usually formed from treaties, a confederation is unified for specific purposes, such as collective defense or common prosperity. Confederalism represents a main form of inter-governmentalism, this being defined as ‘any form of interaction between states which takes place on the basis of sovereign independence'.

Purposes in which a confederation is made can be vary, but normally including:

• Mutual defence against a larger, encroaching state.
• Establishment of a larger economic sphere (market).
• Reasons of cultural, ethnic, social, or racial solidarity.

Member states in confederations usually retain much more freedom than those of federations. In short, most member states are in charge of themselves, internally, while the central government is more of representatives in external matters, shared defenders and advisors.

The nature of the relationship among the member states constituting a confederation varies considerably. Likewise, the relationship between the member states and the general government, and the distribution of powers among them is highly variable. Some looser confederations are similar to inter-universe organizations (i.e, the Confederates, DPTH, ALU...). Other confederations with stricter rules may resemble federal systems (i.e, Oceania, NSC, Indochina....). In general, confederations within one galaxy are closer to be federacy, while beyond a galaxy, they're more like confederacy. Due to their natures, the central authority in most confederations is relative weak; well-organized and better managed than anarchy, but still weak. Policies set up through decisions in Parliament or Congress, legislature council composed of all member polities and civilizations, will require subsequent implementation by all, or most, members to take effect. Hence, such decision isn't law directing toward the individual, but instead have more the character of inter-state agreements. Decision-making processes in various confederations, therefore, usually require extensive works, lengthly and slow, as they have to reach consensus (unanimity) and not by majority.

Confederation other terms

Below are other most common terms (names) associated with Confederation. It should be noted that due to size and nature of all current known space, any polity can be a confederation, regardless if their names are in this list or not.

* Accords

• Adherences
• Alignments
• Alliances
• Allies
• Axis

* Cartels

Coalitions

Collectives

Commondalities

Commonwealths

Compacts

Concordances

Concordats

Concordiates

Concords

Confederacies

Confederates

Consortias

Consortiums

Consulates

Convocations (rarely n usually religious-connected)

Cooperations (rarely)

* Demarchy

Dominion (rarely)

Domain (rarely, usually non-spacefaring)

Economic Zone (also known as Demilitarized Zone, Cooperative Zone or Joint Region)

(Free) Enterprise Zone (more commonly as economic unit than politic one)

Guilds

Leagues

Migrant/Nomad Fleets

Pacts

Spheres

Syndicates

Trade Blocs

Trusts

Power structure

Due to their natures, the power structure in most confederations is usually near-identical.

The central government usually is weak and play the roles of supervisor, collective defense, and representative in pan-universe affair. The regional and local governments, therefore, enjoy significant autonomy. Most regional communities are self-governed, preserving most of their cultures and identities, only bending what could be bent to align with fellow allies.

The advantage of this system is making sure that central government's in check. Most communities within a confederation need not to fear their supreme authority is capable of harming their regions or cultures. In fact, within even most imperialistic confederations, such as the YIC, the Cayeden or the OPO in APAC, or the Angazran, the Dorssia or the IEF in EUROPA, regional communities or species preserve most of their traditions, cultures and social aspects, only complying to common laws, paying tributes and contributing to common defense for protection, benefit from R&D and participating in various markets.

While the disadvantage for such system is extreme long periods for every law's or bill's making process. The core elements of a confederation are enacted so that all, or most, of member races and civilizations have to go through such process. While making sure the opposing levels for such bill or tax are minimizing to the possibly lowest, it also prolongs such process, making extremely difficult for collecting taxes or enforcing laws. The disagreements between member states are usually quite high, creating more difficulties for central authority.
As such, most confederations have to rely extensively to technology or magic, to maintain their powers and authorities, as well as interstates connection.

In general, this type of government is more popular than most on interstellar scale, due to the size and distance of different worlds and civilizations, making a central authority holds all power is impossible.

Trivia

Based off mainly from The Traveller, but also from fairly just about any works (again, mostly anime) the writer has ever read, watched or known of.