From Scratchpad

The planet Earth, traditional homeworld of homo sapiens, is in the universe of "Space the Ultimate Frontier" politically divided into two main political rivals, the United Earth Governing Alliance, the one-world government which has governed the entire planet for centuries; and the Red World Empire, the regime which dominates the planet Mars (see Mars in Space the Ultimate Frontier). The United Earth Governing Alliance is governed by a bicameral General Assembly composed of a Lower House elected by direct popular vote, and an Upper House elected by the Lower House. Both houses of the Assembly have full legislative powers. Executive powers in the Governing Alliance are vested in the Council of Ministers elected by the Upper House of the Assembly, and judicial powers are vested in the Supreme Tribunal, a suppreme court elected by the Assembly's Lower House and in lesser courts appointed by the Supreme Tribunal. The Earth territory under the rule of the Martian-based Empire is ruled by a military governor appointed by the ruling First Citizen, and economically exploited by Mars-based private corporations, though Earth citizens under the rule of the Red World Empire elect an Advisory Assembly to express popular opinions to the local governor, and this assembly has the right to appeal to the First Citizen or the Senate on Mars, at least in theory.