State of the Union, circa 250AU
The State
Codexia is a Federal Republic spanning almost six hundred light years. Its citizens have settled more than forty worlds in thirty-eight systems, and control dozens of others via outposts of varying sizes. Several of the aforementioned worlds are now home to more than a million people. The Republic is an increasingly decentralized form of state government. Administration of far-off colonies and the continued assurance of their loyalty to Unity Megalopolis is reliant on the parcelling out of many legislative powers to planetary governors. Splinter settlements are also suspected to exist outside of patrolled Codexian space - they are peopled by independents, outcasts and outlaws, primarily. There is an element of internal resistance to the central government, with a large number of citizens (at least, in an absolute sense) resentful of a heavy tax burden and various government policies. However, for the moment, they are no threat to the ruling authority.
Society
Codexian society at large remains much as it was at the turn of the second century. Which, of course, is not saying much, considering that said society was exceedingly complex, fraught with many ideological fault lines, and prone to fracture. It is a society full of subcultures, religious movements, cults, fads and obsessions. The ties that bind these disparate peoples together are those of death, taxes, culture and a largely shared everyday experience. A difficult history with aliens has left them embittered, distrustful and very belligerent toward other life forms. The growing Phyr minority (their population is rapidly expanding in the refugee settlements) is giving many citizens the opportunity to interact with xenos on an everyday basis. This is both alleviating the problem, and exacerbating it in some quarters.
Economy
The economy of Codexia has been through some very difficult times, recently, but has come through the recent recession with gusto. Although the government is faced with repaying an extraordinary debt, growth has been very strong in recent years, and the economy has expanded at least four-fold since the recorded 200AU gross domestic product. Industrial production is extremely healthy, spurred on by steady exports to the Raumen clans and excellent AI stewardship. Slowly, surely the trade balance is tilting in favour of the humans, for the first time. For all the precision engineering of the Raumeni, Codexian industry is ultimately proving to be the greater economic force.
Technology
Apart from the advent of true AI in 223AU, Codexia has not advanced a great deal technologically in the past fifty years. Economic instability and a lack of impetus have together acted to prevent much of an investment in a variety of technological fields. The greatest advances have come in the private, commercial sector, where innovation is tied to consumption. Here, the endlessly evolving Codexian society has acted as a catalyst for novelty.