Federations
Federations are a form of government, a political union, or a faction that is composed of provinces, states, or other regions joined together to form a single, more powerful. political entity. While there is a central government, the states themselves maintain some degree of autonomy and there may be differences in law and cultures between them. Fictional federations are often used in science fiction worlds, where a coalition of humans, aliens, and others have joined together for mutual benefit or protection from a larger threat. Federations may have developed originally from an alliance of factions. Fictional federations are often used to explore themes of unity in the face of danger and overcoming historical prejudice.
| Synonyms: coalitions, unions |
| Example Mythonyms: the Federation of Sol, the Brightstar Alliance, the Federation of Independent States |
| Factions |
Designing Fictional Federations
Overview
Fictional federations share many of the same considerations as alliance of factions. Worldbuilders often test the resolve of individual states within the federation and their willingness to remain by designing fictional histories, events, or outside malicious forces that cause strife within the union. A collapse of a federation may lead to civil war.
Faction Identity
Fictional federations are often composed of a large variety of different cultures, species, and/or aliens. This vast assemblage of different sub-factions allows worldbuilders a broad canvas to explore how different elements mix in both positive and negative ways among a larger group of people. Keeping individual sub-factions unique within the larger federation, as well as crafting an identifiable identity for the federation itself can be a challenge but also an opportunity.
