The Republic Constitution and Common Law
The founding of the Republic ushered in the first unified government that was recognized as representing all Umbrians. The cornerstone of this new global governing body was the Constitution, a document outlining the rights and duties of Umbria's citizens and the manner and structure of planetary governance.
Independent and strong spirited, many had believed the Umbrians were incapable of forming a unified governing body. However, after two centuries of expanding trade and cultural exchange, the nations of Umbria were finally able to come to an agreement on a highly federalized system of government, under the guiding principle that the best and most responsive governance is local governance.
The successful implementation of this government would be far from smooth, with numerous setbacks and false starts along the way. However, the people of Umbria and their leaders were ultimately able to codify an agreed to framework which would become the Constitution of the Umbrian Republic.
The Constitution enumerated those areas which would fall under the purview of the central government, while everything outside of that scope was left to local governments. Amongst the areas retained were managing the Republic's treasury, its defense, the use of common resources, global trade, and upholding those laws and regulations issued for the same.
Regarding the structure of government, the constitution outlined the establishment of a judicial, legislative, and executive branch, each with their own responsibilities. The legislature would be responsible for the creation of all laws and regulations, and had strict oversight over the executive. The executive branch was responsible for executing the laws passed by the legislature, but possessed complete authority over the bureaucracy which fulfilled those legal mandates. Finally. The judicial branch was responsible for applying the Republic's legal framework and identifying areas of dispute for further clarification from the legislature.
As the Republic expanded into the stars, the lengthy experience of its founding would prove invaluable as the Republic began establishing its first colonies. With the rise of significant populations on Umbria's colonies, the clamor for self-governance grew, and the Republic's central government was eager to demonstrate that they were listening.
A great deal of effort was spent adapting the Republic's experience with federalism into a framework which could be applied to the governance of those new worlds. Ultimately, the Senate decided to afford the colonies the maximum freedom possible while still safeguarding the individual liberty of their colonists. They chose to apply the Republic's constitution across all Umbrian worlds, creating universal and well documented rights and responsibilities.
They also retained the right to create Republic-wide policy on a number of different legislative topics. Just like local governance on Umbria itself, anything not specifically reserved to the Senate would belong to the elected representatives of the planetary governments.
This body of legislation which applied Republic-wide became known as the Common Law, and its primary goal was to ensure that no matter the distance between them, all Umbrians continued to see themselves as part of one collective society. Under this framework, disputes between worlds are handled with dialogue and mediation. Interplanetary trade and ubiquitous cultural organizations only further cement their shared identity.
Even as the Republic faces its first hostile encounter with an alien race, Umbrians everywhere are unified in their dedication to its defense.