Note: Readers may be wondering about the "first estate" comment in panel five. 31st-century UNS political scientists use a revised and expanded form of the estate model as a shorthand for describing where power lies.
- The First Estate is the executive branch, including all military arms and the massive bureaucracy that administers government.
- The Second Estate is the legislatures and lawmakers who create the laws (the instruction sets, if you will) that set the bounds of activity for the First Estate.
- The Third Estate is the Judiciary, which interprets and (at risk of circular definition) adjudicates disputes with regard to the laws created by the Second Estate.
- The Fourth Estate is the media, including not just reporting arms, but also entertainment, organized religion, and independent media personalities like actors, directors, and other famous folk. They interpret, opine upon, and pre-adjudicate all activities and events, swaying the influence and opinions of the other Estates.
- The Fifth Estate is Private Enterprise. They own things, including vast tracts of land, cities, and positions in the first four Estates.
- The Sixth and final Estate is the voters. Theoretically they wield great power. In practice, they never actually pick it up and do anything with it unless one of the other Estates tells them to.
The model is, imperfect, obviously, and is a source of significant contention. Is the Plutorliament, a legislative body comprised of purchased seats, part of Estate Five, or Estate Two? Is the "Judges Punch & Judy" show part of Estate Four, or Estate Three? And finally, is the Office of the President truly at the top of the First Estate, or is it just an appendage to the media in Estate Four?