The Federation government is divided into three branches, though it lacks a strict separation of powers that characterizes many other governments: * The Council of the United Federation of Planets * The President of the United Federation of Planets * The Supreme Court of the United Federation of Planets (The Federation Supreme Court was established in "Dr. Bashir, I Presume?," an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The novel Articles of the Federation portrays the Judiciary Council, a Federation Council committee, as being the "highest legal authority" in the Federation that seems to perform the same function that a Supreme Court does. No explanation for the discontinuity has yet been given.)