The Volokh Conspiracy post, &quot;How Federal is Star Trek&#x27;s Federation?&quot;, is probably the best thing I&#x27;ve read on Trek&#x27;s political economy. It describes something rather more authoritarian ...<p><a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.volokh.com&#x2F;posts&#x2F;1190182117.shtml" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.volokh.com&#x2F;posts&#x2F;1190182117.shtml</a>