The Retired Delegate of Alsted is a gargantuan, safe nation, ruled by a federal presidency with an even hand, and notable for its compulsory military service, public floggings, and devotion to social welfare. The hard-nosed, democratic population of 35.306 billion Alstedians have some civil rights, but not too many, enjoy the freedom to spend their money however they like, to a point, and take part in free and open elections, although not too often.

The government — a sprawling, bureaucracy-choked morass — juggles the competing demands of Healthcare, Education, and Environment. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of San Junipero. The average income tax rate is 84.7%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The very strong Alstedian economy, worth a remarkable 2,319 trillion Alstedian Dollars a year, is extremely specialized and solely comprised of the Book Publishing industry. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is 65,701 Alstedian Dollars, and distributed extremely evenly, with little difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

New safety regulations require all cars manufactured in Alsted to be bombproof, employers may fire workers without giving any reason, planespotters are emigrating in droves, and corporate lobbying has been outlawed. Crime is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Alsted's national animal is the Juniperon Otter, which frolics freely in the nation's sparkling oceans.

Alsted is ranked 41,648^th in the world and 486^th in Europe for Lowest Crime Rates, with 77.01 law-abiding acts per hour.