The Federated Suns has been a military power almost from its inception. War expands its territory, frequently bolsters its economy and binds its otherwise loose-knit people together more than any other element of its society. Unusually for such a militaristic state, the glorification of military exploits coexists with a high degree of personal freedom and democratic local government. This democratic strain, a legacy of the nation's visionary founder, has provided a crucial counterbalance to the military-expansionist mindset at critical points throughout the Federated Suns history.