Federation Politics

22nd century

Internal

• At founding, Federation policy was torn between outreach and isolationism. (ENT Novel: A Choice of Futures, Tower of Babel)
• After a series of elections and appointments of pro-outreach politicians, the Federation found quick growth in its first decade, including accepting the United Worlds and Colonies of Rigel. (then a major independent economic power in near-Sol space) as an early member (ENT Novel: Tower of Babel)
• Following the significant failures in dealing with Sauria and the Partnership of Civilizations, new membership began to stall as various interested parties — including Lorillia, Tesnia, and the Xyrillian homeworld — withdrew their applications. (ENT Novel: Patterns of Interference)

Klingon Empire

• Relations with the Klingon Empire were often fraught, as the Federation inherited the strife previously directed at its member nations, United Earth and the Confederacy of Vulcan in particular.
• Direct engagements were rare, as Federation space did not yet abut against Imperial space, and as the Empire was in a period of consolidation for much of the late-22nd and early-23rd century. (ENT Novel: Live by the Code)

Orion Syndicate

• Though the public position of the Orion government towards the Federation was neutrality, the Orion Syndicate — and specifically, the Three Sisters — in response to the Federation's potential role as a stabilizing force for the Borderland region, engaged in a large number of covert actions intended to either collapse the nascent nation or undermine its position with neighboring powers. (ENT Novel: A Choice of Futures, Tower of Babel, Patterns of Interference)
  • Operations included encouraging a martial reaction to the Vertian crisis, sabotaging relations with the United Worlds and Colonies of Rigel, providing covert support to Maltuvis in his domination of Sauria, and encouraging isolationist perspectives within the Federation following the collapse of the Partnership of Civilizations. (ENT Novel: A Choice of Futures, Tower of Babel, Patterns of Interference)

Other

• A brief conflict between the Federation and the Nalori Republic in the late 22nd century sours relations between the two powers up to the late-24th century. (SCE Short Story: "Invincible, Book One")

24th century

Gamma Quadrant

• Bajoran Wormhole discovered May 2369, opening a pathway for Starfleet to begin exploration into the Gamma Quadrant.
• Early contacts with wormhole-local civilizations — the Wadi, the Hunters, the Rakhari — largely neutral to negative. (DS9: "Move Along Home", "Captive Pursuit", "Vortex")
• First rumors of the Dominion reached the Alpha Quadrant through Ferengi economic outreach c.April 2370. (DS9: "Rules of Acquisition")
• Diplomatic outreach to Gamma Quadrant begins to cultivate allies 2370-2373, most prominently the Paradan rebellion. (DS9: "Whispers", "Facets", "Homefront", "Nor the Battle to the Strong", "You Are Cordially Invited")
  • Efforts include providing Federation world Draylon II as land for the Skrreean diaspora following a failure to arrange settlement on Bajor (DS9: "Sanctuary")
• Dominion efforts against the Federation (along with neighboring powers) begin about the same era, including multiple attempts to encourage both external and internal conflicts. (DS9: "The Adversary", "The Way of the Warrior", "Broken Link", "Homefront")
• A significant portion of Federation political figures begin to speak out against exploration of and communication with the Gamma Quadrant to avoid further antagonizing the Dominion. (DS9 Novel: Rising Son)
  • Such positions often include the mistaken belief that wormhole-local space was claimed by the Dominion rather than simply near it. (DS9 Novel: Rising Son)
  • However, that point was often countered through the examples of Dominion expansion towards the wormhole (such as via the T-Rogoran or the assault on the Teplans) coupled with the Founders' innate xenophobia and desire to dominate and the above-mentioned actions already taken against the Federation and the Klingon Empire. (DS9: "Sanctuary", "The Quickening")