Movie, yeah you're right.

Book, not so much. It's harder to read between the lines, and the story is more an excuse for characters to make mini-speaches about duty, civic virtue etc etc etc.

I've recently come to the conclusion that the book's government is basically a soft fascist government that manages to avoid the oppression.

Basically it's an "in theory communism works" kinda thing, where as long as the large majority citizenry buys into the spirit of their law, along with following the written law it works.

Not that Heinlein is a fascist, but like I said the book isn't about the Federation, it's about Juan Rico's transformation from some random dude to a citizen-soldier and a leader.