Solar Union

The envisioned future community of Earth, its sister planets and other objects orbiting the sun must function within a political framework. The chart below presents a scenario of one sort of framework in which the envisioned life in 2200 might operate.

A Framework for the Solar Union*

Government Branches: Executive Council Prime Minister Assembly of Representatives Senate Supreme Court Academy of Scientists	*Solar Federations:* Earth Federations of States**, Luna, Mars, Jovian Moons
*Union Territory:* Solaria, Heavy-Lift Space Ports, Solar Wildernesses, Antartica, Research Stations, Saturnian Moons, other unorganized inhabited & uninhabited bodies in space.	Solar States: Autonomous Earth City States (viz. Singapore) & Nation States (viz. Kurd Republic), Individual Space Habitats & Asteroids
*Membership requirements modeled after those set forth for the European Union in the 21st Century
**Examples of possible Earth Federations: American, Andean, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, European, India, Indochina, Indonesian, Iranian, Maghreb, Mesoamerican, Oceana, Semitic, South African, Turkic.

Sovereign members of this union would include national federations on earth, individual earth nations & city states and other individual and federations of planets, moons, asteroids and artificial structures in space. The capital is envisioned as a new city named Solaria located in central Australia, with a canal connecting it to the southern ocean. Dependent territories would include space ports, research stations on earth and in space, wilderness areas, and frontier regions.

Common Agreement

This Solar Union 'Common Agreement' would require: (1) functional democracy, (2) governmental authority exercised under a rule of law, (3) respect for human rights (happiness, religious, economic, environmental, social, health, education and political) and minority peoples, (4) support for free scientific inquiry, and (5) effective protection of the natural environment. Membership would be delayed for frontier territories that are still being developed for human habitation and denied to nations that fail to adhere to the common agreement.

Political Structure

The perceived political structure would enable continued human progress both on earth and outer space in conjunction with the enhancement of the natural environment. The envisioned Solar Union would be a political union (similar to today's European Union) of independent political entities within the solar system who adhere to a common agreement or constitution.

The scenario contemplates citizen representation through a Solar parliament. The parliament is envisioned as bicameral; with equal representation for political entities in one house and representation based on population in the other. There would be a prime minister elected by the two houses of the parliament. The supreme court members would be appointed for 10 year terms. The Academy of Sciences would be a new branch of government, recognizing the importance of science in the success of the Union.