So on your fictional world(s) who or what is in control? What is the government like and is it accountable? Who controls the media (and how is that made up)? Who fights the controllling influences and are they successful? What happens to those who fall foul of the criiminal justice system?
Is there a long history of civil strife in your ficitonal setting? How does the past affect people's every day existence? What literature is acceptable in your world? What is banned and why?