The People's Republic of New Garfield is a massive, environmentally stunning nation, ruled by The Garfield Committee with an even hand, and renowned for its irreverence towards religion, devotion to social welfare, and stringent health and safety legislation. The compassionate, democratic population of 3.589 billion New Garfieldians enjoy extensive civil rights and enjoy a level of social equality free from the usual accompanying government corruption.

The enormous, liberal, socially-minded government juggles the competing demands of Education, Healthcare, and Administration. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Arbuckle. The average income tax rate is 78.5%, and even higher for the wealthy.

The large but inefficient New Garfieldian economy, worth 197 trillion GarfCoins a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. The industrial sector, which is highly specialized, is led by the Trout Farming industry, with major contributions from Information Technology, Book Publishing, and Tourism. Average income is 55,101 GarfCoins, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

The government has declined to declare any particular religion as its 'official' one, the poor are often seen pale and dizzy after selling their blood to make ends meet, the installation of street lights across remote goat tracks has left citizens bemused, and farting etiquette is taught in schools. Crime, especially youth-related, is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. New Garfield's national animal is the tabby cat, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests.

New Garfield is ranked 11,432^nd in the world and 325^th in the South Pacific for Nicest Citizens, with 30.78 average smiles per day.