The People's Republic of Balist is a gargantuan, socially progressive nation, ruled by Christian Moreau with a fair hand, and notable for its daily referendums, national health service, and absence of drug laws. The compassionate, democratic, cheerful population of 16.964 billion Balistians are free to do what they want with their own bodies, and vote for whomever they like in elections; if they go into business, however, they are regulated to within an inch of their lives.

The large, liberal, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Education, Healthcare, and Environment. It meets to discuss matters of state in the capital city of Turica. The average income tax rate is 97.7%.

The frighteningly efficient Balistian economy, worth a remarkable 3,177 trillion Credits a year, is quite specialized and led by the Information Technology industry, with major contributions from Tourism and Book Publishing. State-owned companies are common. Average income is an impressive 187,322 Credits, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Elections have become procedural nightmares due to voters persistently rejecting candidates, community organizers have given up going door to door because nobody is home, when their backs are against the walls Balistians look out for gay men, and college students make ends meet by selling their kidneys. Crime is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Balist's national animal is the Tiger, which frolics freely in the nation's many lush forests, and its national religion is Perisium.

Balist is ranked 289,011^th in the world and 824^th in 10000 Islands for Most Corrupt Governments, with 0.37 kickbacks per hour.