Negotiations between representatives of various governments are always going on—­dealing with political, economic and cultural issues.  Within each nation such negotiations are conducted between spokesmen for various government departments.  Internationally they are conducted by representatives of various governments working through their diplomatic or consular services.  Within each nation and between nations confrontations may be settled by negotiation.  At each level they may result in armed conflict.

Governments exist to deal with conflicts and, where possible, to resolve them before they reach the shooting stage.  This is notably true in domestic affairs because there are usually public officials charged with the duty of dealing with problems.  Internationally, unless there is an international agency such as the Universal Postal Union of the Organization of American States, the issue must be settled by special representatives of the parties.

The argument for a world government begins with the assumption that means should exist to deal with international issues before they reach an acute stage.  Such means exist within each local government.  Similar arrangements should exist at the international level to deal with issues that arise between governments.

The political core of a social stage beyond civilization will be a planet-wide, international, regional and local network of institutions, integrated, coordinated and administered on the federal principle:  local affairs controlled locally; regional affairs controlled regionally; international affairs controlled by a planet-wide political authority.  Such a relationship would imply states rights for the local authority; regional rights for the regional authority, and full awareness in the central authority of the possibility, at this juncture, of establishing order, justice and mercy on the planetary level—­in our present terminology, a “world government.”

Basic to this federal structure would be the Jeffersonian assumption:  “That government governs best which governs least”, with an amendment:  “provided that the authority in question governs sufficiently to establish and maintain physical health, social decency, order, justice and mercy in reasonable proportions throughout the area subject to its jurisdiction”.

At each level, local, national, regional and planetary, there will be committees, councils or other authorities with full responsibility for the conduct of public administration at the local, the national, the regional and the planetary or international level.

Currently the federal principle is widely established at local and national levels.  Attempts are being made in various regions to effectuate stable authorities at the regional level, such as the United States of North America or the United States of Mexico.  There has been much talk of planet-wide government established by one wealthy and militarily powerful nation over its peers, or by a voluntary association with its peers.  Institutions established thus far:  League of Nations, The United Nations, The World Court, the Universal Postal Union, have fallen far short of stable, planet-wide, all inclusive political authority.