[RFC] The United Federation of Planets

[robkelk]

Well, mainly because they're Starfleet, and Starfleet implies a certain amount of conformity. You'll notice that in canon once the various members join the Federation that different design philosophy goes out the window in favor of a uniform design. Member states can get away with nontrad stuff when it's not in Starfleet, private transports or inactive reserves or cultural enclaves or what have you.

I'm thinking of the original series, where almost all of Starfleet was human with the notable exception of one Constitution-class ship crewed by Vulcans (and that fact was noted as being unusual). All we've really seen on-screen is the Terran part of Starfleet.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012