Jay Allan: Marines

The government maintains a large number of paramilitary organizations through which it enforces control over the population. Elections are held regularly but change very little. The two political parties determine who will run in what district, so generally there is only a single choice in each election. Voters may express displeasure by failing to vote for the designated candidate or by writing in an alternative, however anyone taking such action risks punitive sanctions, such as an unexplained reduction in one's medical priority rating.

The economy consists solely of large enterprises, run by the corporate magnates in cooperation with the government. There is little competition, and markets are allocated by government fiat. The system is an economic failure constantly on the verge of bankruptcy, but it is sustained by the wealth created by the space colonies and their exploitation of the mineralogical treasures of the new worlds.

The colony worlds of the Western Alliance have a radically different societal structure from that of the Alliance on Earth. The earliest colonists left Earth with almost no prospect of ever returning. The challenge of developing new worlds attracted independent and adventurous individuals, just the kind the government was happy to ship off to space.

The distances and travel times between colony worlds made it impractical for the central government to exert tight control over these remote, tiny populations, so they were left mostly on their own. As long as the expected resources flowed back to Earth, the colonies were allowed to govern themselves as they saw fit.

Most of these worlds adopted democratic governments of one sort or another, and the frontier in general had a spirit of egalitarianism that was long ago lost on Earth, if it had ever truly existed there.

Democracy on the rim was not perfect. Some of the worlds established enhanced levels of citizenship, usually preferencing those born on the world over those who emigrated from Earth. Others produced their own odious politicians not unlike those on Earth. But generally, the colonials were a rugged, self-reliant breed, resentful of the intrusive government they'd left behind, and highly resistant to the development of anything remotely similar on their new homeland.

When colonies were tiny and starships slow, this arrangement worked without any problems. But as the importance of the colonies increased and populations grew, the central government on Earth began to interfere more and more in day-to-day colonial affairs. The colonists resisted these attempts, and tensions slowly increased. The nearly constant warfare with the other powers kept this problem from becoming severe by focusing energies and resources on defeating the enemy. But the discontent remained, and it was increasing.