The Incorporated States of Planet Phaeton is a huge, orderly nation, notable for its barren, inhospitable landscape, pith helmet sales, and spontaneously combusting cars. The hard-nosed, hard-working, cynical population of 389 million Planet Phaetonians are ruled with an iron fist by the corrupt, dictatorship government, which oppresses anyone who isn't on the board of a Fortune 500 company. Large corporations tend to be above the law, and use their financial clout to gain ever-increasing government benefits at the expense of the poor and unemployed.

The relatively small, pro-business, well-organized government prioritizes Defense, with Law & Order, Education, and Public Transport also on the agenda, while International Aid and Spirituality aren't funded at all. Citizens pay a flat income tax of 9.3%.

The strong Planet Phaetonian economy, worth 25.2 trillion Renminbis a year, is broadly diversified and led by the Uranium Mining industry, with significant contributions from Basket Weaving, Automobile Manufacturing, and Arms Manufacturing. Average income is 64,887 Renminbis, but there is an enormous disparity between incomes, with the richest 10% of citizens earning 356,401 per year while the poor average 6,004, a ratio of 59.4 to 1.

Air Planet Phaeton is rumored to receive more government funding than the Planet Phaetonian Air Force, the country has been 'going shopping' by annexing nearby nations for their resources, all major public areas are watched by police surveillance cameras, and education and welfare spending are on the rise. Crime is moderate. Planet Phaeton's national animal is the Capellan Power-Cat, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to widespread deforestation.

Planet Phaeton is ranked 67,268^th in the world and 24^th in 001 Alpha Prime for Most Corrupt Governments, with 27.29 kickbacks per hour.