It seems to me that there is something inherently corrupt in how the upper eschelons of Starfleet operate. It perpetually has rogue Admirals, whether power hungry on their own or subverted by outside aliens. These Admirals all seem to wield enormous power. Plans for genocide, experimenting with technology made illegal by treaty, conspiring with the enemy to prevent peace talks, and facilitating the destruction of Earth itself. One wonders what the “good” Admiralty is doing beyond twiddling their thumbs (or thumb-equivalents). It practically requires that there are always a handful of Captains and crew who have strong moral compasses and a willingness to challenge authority when it serves a greater good. Nearly every crew featured in a series is full of rule-breakers and those willing to step outside the lines. It’s been going on since Archer’s days and continues unabated through the 35th century. Starfleet and the Federation continually has its bacon saved by crews of individual ships.
(Yes, it’s an product of the writing, you don’t need to tell me that. But it does make for a very strange fictional power structure.)
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