Star-Law VS. Local Law What is the UPF?

What is the United Planetary Federation? Is it a Representative government with all the power thereof or is more like the United Nations. In the Rules it sais that the UPF relies on donations from it's member worlds to function so it can't be too powerful. I have to think it is like The Articles of Confederation before the US Constitution.  Or else it operates like the United Nations. It is definately not a powerful Government In my opinion. If it was a powerful Government There would literaly be no Pirates in any of the MAJOR systems. The Fleet would be Bigger. This is why It might be illegal to do &quot;A&quot; on one planet but perfectly Legal on another.<br />Opinions plz?<br />