I would assume the first alliances would be worth having a look at them if you want a "capsuleer state not dependent of an NPC entity". My information about them is second- or third-hand, though. TTI and a few others might be worth a glance, too. Democratic states haven't fared very well - XETIC, Majesta Empire? So lots of them would be dictatorships, and a whole lot personality cults. Of the current ones, ironically I'd think Goons might be amongst the most serious faction, even if their culture is somewhat deviant of the Prime Fiction norm. (Some other alliances might be quite well-structured at the top, too.)
What do you expect of infomorphs? Being mad isn't a requirement, but it helps?