Unified Earth Government: Difference between revisions

|notable    = [[Credit|UN credit (cR)]]

*[[2525]] (certain functions absorbed by the UNSC)<ref name="HSP"/>

The '''Unified Earth Government''' ('''UEG'''),<ref group="note">The UEG is referred to as the "''United'' Earth Government" in some sources, including the directory sheet accompanying [[Dr. Halsey's personal journal]] and the Aft Armory Notice within the [[Infinity Briefing Packet|''Infinity'' Briefing Packet]].</ref> is the central [[civilian]] government that administers [[Earth]] and its colonies throughout a portion of the [[Orion Arm]] of the [[Milky Way]] galaxy. It encompasses the [[Colonial Administration Authority]] and the [[United Nations]], the latter of which governs the [[United Nations Space Command]].<ref name="HSP">[http://halostory.bungie.org/oconnor_mclees_080508.html '''Halo Story Page''': ''Frank O'Connor/Robt McLees Interview - August 2008'']</ref>

During the [[Human-Covenant War]] the UNSC assumed the governing function of the UEG in the face of possible extinction from the overwhelming [[Covenant]] threat.<ref>'''[[Bestiarum]]'''</ref><ref name="HSP"/><ref name="frank">[http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rPeMxbvCjYo '''YouTube''': ''Halo: From A to Z with Frank O'Connor'']</ref> The UEG still exists as of [[2558#March|March 2558]],<ref>''Halo: Escalation'', Issue 7</ref> (the [[Ruth Charet|current president]] having held office since 2553)<ref name="president">'''Halo: Glasslands''', ''page 43''</ref> though whether it has regained executive and legislative power from the UNSC is unknown.

The Unified Earth Government traces its origins back to the early days of [[human colonies|human colonization]] of the [[Sol System]] in the late 21st century. The organization was originally created by the [[United Nations]] in [[2075]] as an assembly of political leaders and brilliant minds and tasked with attempting to avert the crises of the next century by solving governmental unification issues of colonizing non-Earth territories.<ref name="h4evg"/><ref name="email"/>

The UEG was reformed into a full-fledged governing entity in [[2170]],<ref name="email"/> in response to the destructive [[Interplanetary War]] of the [[2160]]s. With numerous Earth governments fighting independent battles against [[Frieden]] and [[Koslovics|Koslovic]] forces, the [[United Nations]] became involved, eventually using the war to absorb most, if not all, terrestrial and extraterrestrial governments into itself; the goal was to form a united governing body to combat the terrorists and stabilize the planet and its off-world colonies. UN-aligned forces won the war in 2170 and the Unified Earth Government was formed, with its primary military, scientific, and exploratory force being the newly established United Nations Space Command.  

With the beginning of the Human-Covenant War in February 2525 and the Covenant's systematic annihilation of the [[Outer Colonies]], the UNSC became humanity's greatest protector against the genocidal threat. The UNSC thus overrode the civilian rule of the UEG and established itself as an [[emergency military|emergency military government]], with the military becoming humanity's primary government. Although the Unified Earth Government was more open to stepping down in this time of crisis, the Colonial Administration Authority resisted the UNSC's drastic rise in power. It was subsequently stripped of its power and influence.

In January 2553 [[Ruth Charet|Dr. Ruth Charet]] took office as the [[President of the Unified Earth Government]]. She called for a new era of peace, progressiveness, and rebuilding in the wake of the Covenant War.<ref name="president"/>

In the years following the war the UEG became involved in a [[Reclamation conflict|new conflict]] against irregular [[Covenant remnants|Covenant splinter groups]], joined in [[2557#July|July 2557]] by surviving [[Forerunner]] [[Promethean]] constructs led by the [[Ur-Didact]].<ref>'''Halo 4'''</ref>

The UEG is headed by a [[President of the Unified Earth Government|President]].<ref name="president"/> A number of other executive offices are known to exist, among them the [[Minister of Information]],<ref>'''[[Halo 2]]''', ''[[Metropolis]]'': [[:Image:Metrosign-8.jpg|Image:Metrosign-8.jpg]]</ref> the [[Secretary of Defense]],<ref>'''Halo 2''', campaign level ''[[Metropolis]]'': [[:File:Metrosign-3.jpg|File:Metrosign-3.jpg]]</ref> and the [[Minister for the Colonies]]; the last position is likely part of the CAA.<ref name="president"/> Inferring from the first and last positions, the UEG would appear to be based around a parliamentary system. Other executive ministries include the [[Department of the Treasury]], under which operates the [[Internal Revenue Service]].<ref>http://transmit.ilovebees.com/outbound/taxes_suck.wav</ref>

While the UEG is formally a union of independently governed worlds,<ref name="enc43">'''[[Halo Encyclopedia]]''', ''page 43''</ref> Earth is in a privileged position over the colonies in the election process, which has been a source of discord with some colonials.<ref name="frank"/>

Even though it originally formed the UEG, the United Nations has been absorbed into a branch of the Earth government by the 26th century. Its exact function and role are unclear.<ref name="HSP"/>

Prior to first contact with the [[Covenant]] at [[Harvest]] in 2525, the Unified Earth Government kept no foreign relations with the exception of battles against [[Insurrectionists]] on rebellious colonies, whose independence the UEG did not recognize.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach'''</ref><ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest'''</ref> As of [[2553]], the UEG maintains its earlier truce with the [[Thel 'Vadam's Covenant faction|Covenant faction]] under the leadership of [[Arbiter]] [[Thel 'Vadam]], which serves as the diplomatic face of the Sangheili as a whole. By [[2558]], [[Rear Admiral]] [[Horatio Temkin]] was in charge of the diplomatic relations to [[Sanghelios]].<ref name="HE5">'''Halo: Escalation''', ''Issue #5''</ref> However, tensions remain as the UEG must again deal with elements of the weakened Insurrectionist movement, with worlds like [[Venezia]] actively seeking to secede.<ref>''Halo: Glasslands''</ref>

The United Nations Space Command is the UEG's primary military, exploratory, and scientific arm. The UNSC is intended to protect colonists and colony worlds from attack by [[piracy|pirates]], [[Insurrectionist]]s and other threats, such as the Covenant. It includes various [[UNSC Special Forces|special forces]], and [[Colonial Militia|militia]] organizations but is composed primarily of five branches: the [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marine Corps]], the [[UNSC Navy|Navy]], the [[UNSC Army|Army]] the [[UNSC Air Force|Air Force]], and the recently formed [[Spartan (branch)|Spartans]]. The UNSC also maintains a number of scientific organizations, among them [[UNSC Astrophysics]],<ref>'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''', ''page 138''</ref> while the [[UNSC Engineering Corps]] is devoted to surveying viable planets for colonization or [[terraforming]].<ref>'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''', ''page 123''</ref>

The UEG's member nations maintain their own standing militaries. It is unclear how they are maintained in relation to the UNSC. Prospective members of the [[Orbital Drop Shock Troopers]] are drawn from the ranks of national special operations groups as well as from the UNSC's own special forces.<ref name="Field Guide">[http://www.bungie.net/projects/odst/guide.aspx '''Bungie.net''': ''Halo 3: ODST Field Guide'']</ref>

The UEG uses the [[UN Credit|United Nations Credit (cR)]] monetary unit to organize its economic stability by selling or buying military equipment, supplies and costs for shipping, etc. The UN cR was likely implemented by the United Nations at some point before the formation of the Unified Earth Government in 2170. For transporting food and raw materials between colonies, the UEG maintains a [[UNSC commercial fleet|merchant navy]], run by the [[UNSC Department of Commercial Shipping|Department of Commercial Shipping]].

===Colonies===

[[File:Halo Star Map V2.png|thumb|right|200px|An approximate map of significant systems]]

Human-occupied systems are known to encompass a relatively wide radius of the [[Orion Arm]] of the [[Milky Way galaxy]], in various stages of colonization, from the well developed [[Inner Colonies]] to the relatively recent and struggling [[Outer Colonies]]. By [[2490]] there were more than 800 worlds under human control, ranging from small outposts and settlements to thriving colonies and military strongholds.<ref>'''[[Xbox.com/Halo]]''' - ''Timeline''</ref> Most of the colonies under the influence of the UEG were under the direct governance of the [[Colonial Administration Authority]].<ref name="HSP">[http://halostory.bungie.org/oconnor_mclees_080508.html '''Halo Story Page''': ''Frank O'Connor/Robt McLees Interview - August 2008'']</ref> Originally military oversight for the colonies was provided chiefly by the [[Colonial Military Administration]], though the UNSC eventually usurped its duties due to widespread corruption in the CMA's ranks.<ref>'''Halo Encyclopedia''', ''page 69'' (2011)</ref>

Influence over these worlds was greatly reduced by the Covenant during the war, with only Earth and a few scattered colonies left mostly intact by the end of the conflict in 2552. Since the end of the conflict the UEG has worked to restore its galactic territories and avoid secessionism and has even recolonized some of its former worlds, including [[Reach]].

===Nation-states===

There are still numerous [[national government]]s on Earth and other planetary bodies that fall under the UEG's power.<ref name="Field Guide"/> They appear to maintain a limited degree of independence, although their overall authority is negligible as most governing functions are handled by the UEG.<ref name="ch37">'''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''', ''page 37''</ref>

*Though the UN and the UEG are functionally separate entities,<ref name="HSP"/> the name "United Nations" is used to refer to humanity's central governing agency in ''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''.<ref name="ch37"/>