The Retired Delegate of Alsted is a gargantuan, cultured nation, ruled by a federal presidency with a fair hand, and renowned for its museums and concert halls, strictly enforced bedtime, and keen interest in outer space. The hard-nosed, democratic population of 26.811 billion Alstedians enjoy a sensible mix of personal and economic freedoms, while the political process is open and the people's right to vote held sacrosanct.

The government — a sprawling, bureaucracy-choked morass — juggles the competing demands of Education, Healthcare, and Environment. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of San Junipero. The average income tax rate is 76.2%.

The strong Alstedian economy, worth a remarkable 1,431 trillion Alstedian Dollars a year, is extremely specialized and solely comprised of the Book Publishing industry. State-owned companies are reasonably common. Average income is 53,400 Alstedian Dollars, and evenly distributed, with the richest citizens earning only 4.1 times as much as the poorest.

New safety regulations require all cars manufactured in Alsted to be bombproof, employers may fire workers without giving any reason, planespotters are emigrating in droves, and corporate lobbying has been outlawed. Crime is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Alsted's national animal is the Snowy Owl, which soars majestically through the nation's famously clear skies.

Alsted is ranked 208,034^th in the world and 919^th in Europe for Lowest Overall Tax Burden, scoring -32.01 on the Hayek Index.