Rule by judges

[Ze'Manel Cunha]

Originally Posted by Brett

The suggestion that the colonies involved were united or federated rather than co-operating would be politically offensive, in-universe.

How about if they were simply a "League"?

A League gives the impression that the colonies are allied with each other against common enemies, but in no way are they united with their competitor members.

Just like a sports league doesn't mean different teams are united, since they can hate each others' guts like there's no tomorrow, and while no one necessarily likes the referees/judges, everyone agrees to abide by and enforce the judgment of the refs/judges on their own people.

The only issue you'll have is the inevitable rise of a League Commissioner, Supreme Justice, or other type of High Judge, and how the individual members can keep such from overreaching.

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by Brett

I took a course in administrative law as part of my training as a bureaucrat, and they were mentioned there.

They've gotten rare because they are instruments of equity rather than law, for addressing a gap in the law where you have a right to demand somebody do something but there is no statutory process for compelling them if they fail. If there is already a law in place, you'd use that, and these days we have a lot more law....

In the case of the court scheme here, I'd expect "contempt of court" rather than "mandamus", the offended party is the court itself, not somebody appealing to it for a remedy.

[Rocket Man]

Originally Posted by Ze'Manel Cunha

How about if they were simply a "League"?

A League gives the impression that the colonies are allied with each other against common enemies, but in no way are they united with their competitor members.

Just like a sports league doesn't mean different teams are united, since they can hate each others' guts like there's no tomorrow, and while no one necessarily likes the referees/judges, everyone agrees to abide by and enforce the judgment of the refs/judges on their own people.

The only issue you'll have is the inevitable rise of a League Commissioner, Supreme Justice, or other type of High Judge, and how the individual members can keep such from overreaching.

A league led by judges ... would that be the Justice League? (Rimshot)

[David Johnston2]

Note that if this was a GURPS Space setting then the term for such a set up is "coalition".

[Anders]

Originally Posted by Ze'Manel Cunha

How about if they were simply a "League"?

A League gives the impression that the colonies are allied with each other against common enemies, but in no way are they united with their competitor members.

Just like a sports league doesn't mean different teams are united, since they can hate each others' guts like there's no tomorrow, and while no one necessarily likes the referees/judges, everyone agrees to abide by and enforce the judgment of the refs/judges on their own people.

The only issue you'll have is the inevitable rise of a League Commissioner, Supreme Justice, or other type of High Judge, and how the individual members can keep such from overreaching.

What about the U.S. under the Articles of Confederation? The central power had some very limited powers but the lion's share was in the colonies.

[Polydamas]

Originally Posted by Ze'Manel Cunha

How about if they were simply a "League"?

Or even a "league of nations." Latin would be federatio or societas; I haven't read the right kind of Greek to suggest a Greek word.

[Anders]

Originally Posted by Polydamas

Or even a "league of nations." Latin would be federatio or societas; I haven't read the right kind of Greek to suggest a Greek word.

I think it's Hegemony.

[Agemegos]

Originally Posted by Asta Kask

I think it's Hegemony.

A hegemony is dominated by a hegemon, a leader. (The word ηγεμών means "prince" in Modern Greek, but I'm pretty sure it was used of cities/states in classical times.)

In any case, I'm looking for a term for the form of government, not a title for the polity. The CIA World Factbook describes the Commonwealth of Australia as a "federal parliamentary democracy". I'm looking for the term corresponding to "federal parliamentary democracy", not "Commonwealth".

[Curmudgeon]

Given that "the eight colonies all vehemently insist on their mutual independence and several sovereignties", the government has to be considered as balkanized. The fact that they are co-operating and have multi-lateral treaties doesn't really alter that. While they certainly seem to be better integrated than the United Nations or the European Union, the legal position of the Eight Colonies differs from those two organizations in degree rather than kind. The existence of the former two organizations aren't enough to keep either Europe or Terra from being classed as balkanized, so it's difficult to see how it could be otherwise for the Eight Colonies.

Put another way, all it takes is one recalcitrant government to come to power in one colony and any classification based on their former co-operation goes right down the tubes.

IIRC GURPS Traveller, or perhaps Classic Traveller, did refine the Balkanization classification by order of magnitude:
Diffuse: approximately 1000 governments
Balkanized: approximately 100 governments
Factionalized: approximately 10 governments
so the Eight Colonies might be classed as factionalized rather than balkanized if you care to make that distinction.

[Polydamas]

Originally Posted by Brett

A hegemony is dominated by a hegemon, a leader. (The word ηγεμών means "prince" in Modern Greek, but I'm pretty sure it was used of cities/states in classical times.)

Yes, a hegemoon ἡγεμών is a leader in Classical Greek, and it refers to individual men or poleis.

Originally Posted by Brett

In any case, I'm looking for a term for the form of government, not a title for the polity.

Do you have to work within a specific jargon and set of definitions? It seems that English has plenty of words for an association which don't imply subordination or merger. "Alliance of states with an international court" would cover it in a phrase.

I suppose that *dikastarchia δικασταρχία would be rule by judges. But I think that the point is that the judges don't rule, they just serve at the agreement and convenience of eight free and independent states. Edit: The Greeks usually called their confederations koina "shared things"