The
Earth Federation
The one constant in the Gundam saga is the sprawling,
bureaucratic, corrupt and cowardly Earth Federation. This unified
world government organized the space colonization program, and
then proceeded to incur the undying enmity of the spacenoids by
turning Earth into a private playground for government elites.
Acronyms used in the animation imply that it might properly be
referred to as the "United Nations" or "Earth
Union," but the Sunrise animation studio has since decided
that "Earth Federation" is to be the official
translation.
Earth Federation
Government
This is the central government that rules over Earth and its
space territories. The Federation Government's exact structure is
unclear, and at various times it appears to be run by both a
cabal of cabinet ministers and a bickering mob of demogogic
politicians. Our best guess, based on material published in
Gundam reference books and oblique references in the animation,
is that the Federation Government is organized along the lines of
the modern-day United Nations.
According to this model, the highest authority is the Earth
Federation Assembly, a congress of elected representatives from
the Federation's member nations which meets once or twice a year
to debate broad policy matters (as seen in Z Gundam). The
assembly is headed by a chairman, who is the top official in the
Federation Government. Meanwhile, a permanent security council
takes care of day-to-day matters and supervises the Earth Federal
Forces. This would presumably be the shadowy cabal we see in
Gundam 0083, deciding how to respond to the threat of the Delaz
Fleet.