Systems Alliance (ME:Redux)

The Human Systems Alliance, colloquially known as the Systems Alliance or more informally as simply the Alliance, is the representative body of Earth and all human colonies in Alliance-administered space. Backed by Earth's most powerful nations, the Alliance has become humanity's military, exploratory, and economic spearhead. The Alliance unites all humans and synthetics within its colonies, and while the Alliance is relatively new to the galactic community, it has already made a name for itself by their rapid expansion into the Skyllian Verge and gaining observer status by the Citadel Council, receiving an embassy on the Presidium. The Alliance is governed by a parliament based at Arcturus Station, which also serves as the Alliance's capital.

Government and politics
The Alliance is a parliamentary federation that is responsible for the governance and defense of Earth and its many extra-solar human colonies, and represents humanity on the galactic stage. It is a supranational government, and contains within it many different countries and colonies. Its primary function is being the vehicle by which humanity conducts extraterrestrial affairs, and their authority over the member-states' domestic policies is constitutionally limited to a significant degree.

The head of state and head of government of the Alliance is the Secretary-General, which is a position elected by the Parliament for a term of six years, and a maximum of two terms. The Secretary-General appoints the Directorate, a council of people who head the Alliance's several departments and serve as the advisory board to the Secretary-General.

Despite the member-states of the Alliance being mostly democratic, the Alliance itself is not a fully democratic institution. The Secretary-General is not directly elected, but is elected by the MPs of the Alliance Parliament. Representatives in the Alliance Parliament are selected in a variety of ways; either they are elected by the member-state's legislature (such as the European Union or Canzuk), directly elected by the citizenry (as is the case on the colonies of Eden Prime and Benning), or appointed (in the case of Oliveira). There are a few seats in Parliament reserved for 'Spacers', or those who spend a significant amount of time in space (legally defined as six months or longer) and don't remain on any planet or colony for very long. The representatives for these Spacers are directly elected by Spacer Corporations, a voluntary association of Spacers that are tied to a specific seat of Parliament.

Military
The fighting arm of the Systems Alliance is the Alliance Defense Force (ADF), which consists of the Alliance Army and Alliance Navy.