GUN=Not a very good alliance. Sorry, I applied for graduation, they took most of my freedoms away, including what my gov. stance was. Plus, it took them over 2 weeks before they even LOOKED at my graduation request.
However, if you're a leftist, the Socialist Empire is a good choice. If not, I would say go to IRON. They have some nice start-up aids, and have a very well organized forum. Plus, they're the strongest alliance in the game currently, with over 650 members.