Chapter Text
UFP Economics
In the United Federation of Planets, most often called the Federation, a modified form of the universal income system was employed alongside price controlled capitalism. All citizens received a Federation Basic Allotment no matter if they were employed or not to cover living necessities.
Federation Basic Allotment
Every federation citizen was given replicator credits to accommodate a basic wardrobe, household items, and food for a week. The amount was based on average usage throughout the Federation plus fifty percent. Unused RC were simply returned to the system at the end of the week if not used and the new allotment given.
As part of FBA citizens received 500 FC (federation credits) per week to use on non-replicable goods, services, and experiences. Unlike the RC (replicator credits) the federation credits were not returned at the end of the week if not used. They were generally held in a person’s normal banking account.
At the age of eighteen, or as young as sixteen with waiver, citizens would receive a housing credit. One housing credit was equivalent to an apartment of 140 square meters with basic appliances and furniture. The layout would typically be two bedrooms though the interior arrangement could be modified as per the occupants preference.
All medical services throughout the UFP are free regardless of citizenship status. Education is free to all citizens with a majority of institutions also offering free or low cost options for non-citizens.
Replicated Items
All replicated items are generated from patterns. All UFP citizens have access to an extensive library of free ones which include food, household items, clothing, and a variety of other everyday items. Some were only accessible through specialty facilities such as industrial replicators in the case of things like ground skimmers.
Outside of the free replication patterns there were licensed ones which introduced a federation credit surcharge for their use. The profit generated from this would go directly to the license holder each time an item was created.
While altering replicator patterns could be quite complicated and often outsourced to specialized companies, cosmetic changes were easy. Colors could be changed or art could be added using a simple graphics interface.
Food recipes could also be modified and saved to a personal index with relative ease.
Buying A Medium Raktajino
Generally the cost of an item replicated outside of the home or public replimats was the equivalent replicator credit to create it plus a service charge in federation credits. The average amount of replicator credits consumed is a constant with a small return when the cup is reclimated.
A stock standard one from a hotel lounge replicator would likely cost 1-2 federation credits.
A signature brand blend or otherwise specialized version from the same replicator would cost 1-5 federation credits.
A shop that makes them fresh by hand from replicated ingredients would cost 2-5 federation credits.
A specialty shop that blends them from organic ingredients by hand would cost between 3-10 credits.
FBA and Partnerships
Due to how Federation laws worked, combining FBA into a single household account was entirely voluntary even in cases of marriage or other domestics partnerships. It was more common to combine housing credits and replicator credits but not federation credits in a household rather than fully combining all three. This is in part due to the ease of transfer for federation credits should partners decide to make a joint purchase.
Some would choose not to fully combine their replicator credits and instead contribute a specific amount. This was particularly common if one party was generally in charge of food preparation or replication of household goods as FBA replicator credits could not be transferred freely unlike federation credits.
The practice also wasn’t limited to those engaged in partnerships, those choosing to live communally with family or friends would often do so as well.
FBA and Star Fleet
When someone enlists or becomes an officer in Starfleet they do not cease to receive FBA. They continue to receive it in addition to service benefits which often include additional federation credits.
The provided quarters, even family quarters, are not considered to represent the HC provided by FBA. It is not unusual for a fleet member to have an apartment on their homeworld or a world they intend to live on after they retire from service.
It is also common for Fleet members to either list their housing for use through the local tourism bureau when on extended assignments. This generates a modest amount of federation credits and the tourism bureau is responsible for upkeep during its time listed.
Informal lending of personal residences between fleet members was also common.
Replicator Credits
Citizens could purchase replicator credits which would be kept in a separate account but could be combined with FBA. These credits had no expiration date and would remain in the holders account until used or transferred.
10 credits = 1 replicator credit
1 replicator credit = 125 g of material and the energy to convert it to a complex object
Reclamation
A replicator could take objects and reclaim them back into credits but there was some loss involved. Typically less than one percent of the mass and all of the energy originally expended. This resulted in a person generally only getting seventy five percent of a replicator credit back. If they were FBA replicator credits, it was simply kept on the account. If they were non FBA they were refunded as whole replicator credits if there was a sufficient amount involved with less than full credits being refunded as federation credits.
Housing Credits
When an individual was born on a given federation world a housing credit was automatically generated for them and held until the age of eighteen. This was used to help plan the growth of population centers and related amenities. If a citizen was born off planet then their default allotment was decided by their parents planet of origin.
The housing credit included in FBA could not be sold or traded but was possible to have the planet associated with it reassigned. More popular worlds like Earth generally had a waiting list that at times was in excess of ten years for any location and longer for desirable ones.
Beyond the FBA it was possible to buy additional housing credits. Additional Credits would guarantee that the housing unit represented the number of housing credits in cost x 140 square meters or an equal amount of land. Non FBA housing credits or properties purchases with them could be willed.
1 Housing Credit = 100,000 Credits
Federation Credit to Gold Pressed Latinum Exchange
The physical size of gold pressed latinum has little to do with latinum content itself and more with ease of use and protection of the contents. As such a brick of latinum is only moderately larger than a bar but has a higher content of liquid latinum.
The practice of “shaving” GPL is to carefully cut the gold carrier without disturbing the liquid latinum continued within it. A process that is possible as it is stored in thin layers rather than larger chambers.
1 Credit = 1 Slip
100 Credits = 1 Strip
2,000 Credits = 1 Bar
200,000 Credits = 1 Brick
100 Slips= 1 Strip
20 Strips= 1 Bar
100 Bars= 1 Brick
10 credits = 1 replicator credit
1 replicator credit = 125 g and the energy to convert it to a complex object
1 Housing Credit = 100,000 Credits = 5 bars of GPL
At a guestimate 1 federation credit = .50 USD