The Allied States of Hogston is a mammoth, genial nation, ruled by Tom Gollock with a fair hand, and remarkable for its keen interest in outer space, absence of drug laws, and restrictive gun laws. The compassionate, democratic population of 5.749 billion Hogstonians hold their civil and political rights very dear, although the wealthy and those in business tend to be viewed with suspicion.

The medium-sized, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Education, Welfare, and Administration. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Lohnbork. The average income tax rate is 26.5%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The large but inefficient Hogstonian economy, worth 221 trillion Hogstones a year, is fairly diversified and led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Furniture Restoration, Tourism, and Basket Weaving. Black market activity is notable. State-owned companies are common. Average income is 38,594 Hogstones, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 2.2 times as much as the poorest.

The government forces Hogstonians to eat their vegetables, the Finance Ministry posts hourly updates on where taxpayer money is spent, the number of deaths due to poor fungus identification is mushrooming, and owning a really cute pet is grounds for immediate investigation. Crime is relatively low. Hogston's national animal is the Falcon, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies, and its national religion is Folosofosm.

Hogston is ranked 197,118^th in the world and 8^th in Alliance of Sovereign Nations for Lowest Crime Rates, with 58.05 law-abiding acts per hour.