[Christopher Halsey]

THE PRESIDENCY OF THE UNITED FEDERATION OF PLANETS

To celebrate Federation Day please enjoy this brief description of the role of the President of the United Federation of Planets, the leader of the free galaxy.

The government of The United Federation of Planets

Encompassing over 8,000 light years and comprised of over 150 member states, 500 planets and almost 10 trillion sentient lifeforms, The United Federation of Planets is the most ambitious political and culture experiment ever conceived of.

The United Federation of Planets is an interstellar federal republic, composed of planetary governments that agree to exist semi-autonomously under a single democratically elected government based on the principles of universal liberty, rights and quality and the desire to share knowledge and resources in peaceful cooperation, social development and defense.

The Federation is governed by the Federation Council made up of representatives from each member state and led by the President.

Election and terms of office

The President of the United Federation of Planets is the democratically elected head of state and head of government of the United Federation of Planets. The role was created in 2164, three years after the founding of the Federation, with the first President taking office in 2165 and serving until 2169.

Initially the Federation presidency had considerably less autonomy than equivalent positions in many governments however over the years the Federation President has become more autonomous with much less overview from the Federation Council.

A term as Federation President usually lasts four years although the Federation Council can allow for lengthened terms of up to six years in exceptional circumstances. Should a President be unable to discharge the powers of their office or unexpectedly leave the position then the Federation Council elects a President Pro Tempore who serves for a short term length until a special election takes place. To date this has only happened twice in Federation history.

The role of the President

Since the Federation lacks a strict separation of powers which are found in many other governments, the President not only serves as head of the executive branch but also as the head of legislature. As such, the President is expected to preside over all full sessions of the Council of the United Federation of Planets although this is not always the case during special circumstances.

As per the Articles of the Federation, the President is required to nominate Federation Councillors the the various sub-councils of the Federation Council, with the full Council then being responsible for ratifying the nomination made by the President. The President does have the option to preside over meetings of the various sub-councils should they wish to, if not then the chair of the council in question serves as the presiding officer. Whilst providing over the Council or sub-councils the President reserves the right to determine who may speak to the Council from the Speaker’s Floor and has the power to decide when voting on a bill or resolution will take place regardless of whether or not they themselves are entitled to a vote on the issue in question.

Whilst the President can only nominate Federation Councillors to the various sub-councils they do have the authority to appoint Federation ambassadors to foreign nations without requiring any authorisation from the Federation Council.

The President and the Federation Starfleet

Although the Federation President does not have the authority to declare war they do serve as the commander-in-chief of the Federation Starfleet, this allows the President to preside over special sessions of the Federation Judiciary Council which serve as courts-martial of Starfleet Officers. This also gives the President the ability to issue orders to Starfleet forces with a presidential order over-riding an order from any senior Starfleet Officers or even sub-councils of the Federation Council in executive issues. They also hold the right to declare a state of emergency on any Federation member state or planet without needing approval from the Federation Council.

Place of work and official residence

The President’s office is located on the 15th floor of the Palais de la Concorde in Paris on Earth. This floor also features a private study, a waiting room, two meeting rooms and the Presidential transporter room. The 14th and the 13th floors are home to the President’s staff as well as the Presidential Chief of Staff and cabinet ministers.

Château Thelian is the official residence of the President of the United Federation of Planets and is named after Thelianaresth th'Vorothishria, a former Andorian Federation President who had the residence constructed in the early 24th century.

Leader of the free galaxy

The duties of the President of the United Federation of Planets are numerous and despite increased autonomy they do still require the support of the Federation Council to create and implement policy, nevertheless the President is widely considered to be the single most powerful person in the known Alpha and Beta Quadrants and acts as both as a political and an inspirational leader for almost 10 trillion sentient lifeforms.

[Minnow Raydor]

Woops clicked the wrong thumb there Chris was meant to be a thumbs up.

[Christopher Halsey]

Woops clicked the wrong thumb there Chris was meant to be a thumbs up.

[Minnow Raydor]

Am so sorry there just so close together and my excuse is am tired so going to bed now before I miss click anything else but good read btw it nice to see Federation Education making its come back.

[Christopher Halsey]

Am so sorry there just so close together and my excuse is am tired so going to bed now before I miss click anything else but good read btw it nice to see Federation Education making its come back.

Apology accepted but you owe me!

[Mark Okuda]

Very interesting read. I like to be edumacated.

[Solace]

Woops clicked the wrong thumb there Chris was meant to be a thumbs up.

Lies! Excellent read though Chris, thanks for posting

[Infinity]

I agree with what the others have posted, I love reading what you write Chris. Top Notch Thread. Definitely interesting and I hope you do more of them!

[Christopher Halsey]

I agree with what the others have posted, I love reading what you write Chris. Top Notch Thread. Definitely interesting and I hope you do more of them!

Thanks Infinity I appreciate the feedback. I'm certainly intending to write more so long as there is an audience for these sorts of pieces.

[ChurchNacs]

i enjoyed reading this i plan to read more