The Most Serene Republic of Ghosts in the Machine is a mammoth, safe nation, notable for its state-planned economy, absence of drug laws, and devotion to social welfare. The democratic population of 8.315 billion Ghosts in the Machineans 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, socially-minded, outspoken government juggles the competing demands of Welfare, Education, and Healthcare. The average income tax rate is 49.8%, but much higher for the wealthy.

The large but stagnant Ghosts in the Machinean economy, worth 141 trillion Pennies a year, is driven entirely by a combination of government and state-owned industry, with private enterprise illegal. However, for those in the know, there is a slick, highly efficient, quite specialized black market in Tourism, Trout Farming, Cheese Exports, and Pizza Delivery. The private sector mostly consists of enterprising ten-year-olds selling lemonade on the sidewalk, but the government is looking at stamping this out. Average income is 16,987 Pennies, and distributed extremely evenly, with practically no difference between the richest and poorest citizens.

Crime is totally unknown, thanks to a capable police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Ghosts in the Machine's national animal is the Penguin, which frolics freely in the nation's sparkling oceans.

Ghosts in the Machine is ranked 255,782^nd in the world and 1^st in Ultra Right Axis for Largest Publishing Industry, scoring -4.69 on the Bella Potter Productivity e-Index.