Thread:Eugene.bae.902/@comment-28398720-20161023185932/@comment-28398720-20161024060637

I am pretty sure its democracy --such "US" stories are always about democracy ;) -- and from what I see:
 * No ruler with absolute power - Even during a time of Emergency, the Council voted on issues, it wasn't just Chancellor Jaha
 * Power is vested in the people - lawfully elected representatives ( i.e. Chancellor, council, and possibly station representatives)
 * The council power were restricted by laws ( Kane "do by the book" )
 * The laws seem harsh to us but were necessary for survival on the Ark, not as means of control or enforce the will of few over the many.
 * Btw its likely that things didn't start that way. Here is an observation from the Novel "But lately, people were being executed within hours of their retrial for crimes that, a few years ago, would have been pardoned."


 * No forceful suppression of dissent e.g. After the Culling when Kane is attacked Jaha choose to 'Send a signal for a general assembly to the station representatives' and declassify the recording of the council meetings.

So I doubt its authoritarian democracy, just very difficult circumstances.