Well...

For the no rush option, I sorta see what you mean, but that's half the fun. 

For the governments, they DO have different goverments.  Each faction has a government that's different from each other.  But, some civic options would be nice, like Resource Focus, which increases your fleet upkeep for credits but decreases it for resources, and stuff like that.  Bad example, but you see what I mean.

For minor races, I agree completely.  I was thinking about this a lot.  Only problem is, it could really slow down expansion and the like, especially if you have to bombard the planet into submission, so it might just be best to not implement it.

For sanctions, a big, fat, no.  If everyone tells you to do something, you shouldn't be forced to do it.  That would be incredibly annoying.  If they want you to listen, they should have to arrive at your home planet with a large fleet.  HOWEVER, something similar, like special trade deals or something.  Where both players have to say Yes.

My 2 cents.

2 and 4 really don't fit with Sins. Unlike GalCiv, Sins has a pretty set lore backdrop - TEC, Vasari, and Advent are bitter enemies. What would make them sit down in some galactic council and decide to abolish slavery? The government types is a similar story - the game is sandbox, but the races are not. The Vasari aren't going to change from being slavers to communists, and the Advent aren't going to adopt gender equality.

Sins does better with rushing than any other game. Don't want to fight too quickly? Play a map where the two homeworlds aren't 2 jumps apart. Flying grav wells takes time, more than rushing across a slightly larger box in another RTS.

The no rush option... Yeah, that has issues. It's more of a thing that players should agree to on their own, not something enforced through the game mechanic. I understand the impulse(I myself enjoy gigantic fleets duking it out much more) but if you want that, go for the big maps with few players.

To governments, I agree. Some civic system would be nice, to distinguish your empire from the other three of your race in the game.

Minor races... I think things are pretty good as they are. The current setup represents a few colonists defending their home. The planet only exhibits the massive population and such once it's part of a vast network of resources that is the empire.

And finally, the idea of sanctions only works if you are cooperating to some degree with the people you are trying to sanction. The backdrop of Sins is pure war, no quarter asked or given, in the end. Though temporary alliances may exist, you have no real way of forcing descisions on another player.

And the AI? Normal is normal for a reason. It doesn't cheat. This is an example of unfair bastard AI, except it's not really a bastard, because we asked for it.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheComputerIsACheatingBastard

skywalker under 20 rush is almsot impossible on most maps   Most of my ebst rushes are about 20 minutes in, cause rushing with 10 frigates won't do, you must hit with 20-30 to overrun the enemy effectively, kill all construciton frigates and frig factories

Hey guys... why are you fearing a no rush option? Its only an option. No one says that you MUST use it. So if some player mind, thats a good idea, than I think, it should find a way into the game setup options! If you set that option to any number or not, thats your own decision!

And so i think, it should be with all that options! Minor Races where always an option and never a must-have! So if you don't like it, don't activate them! But i think, too, that they give the game a nice advance.

Also i can think about a fourth Major Race. Maybe a cool new biological Race with Bio-ships and so on. Something like Species 8471 in Star Trek...

Maybe you can put in an option, to split the races into a military faction and a civil faction, both with a strong focus on their specialty. So it could be some more fun to play in a team, each focusing on their strengthens. So the military faction gets their heavy combat ships and the civilians only some minor defense ships, maybe not capable of using phase lanes, and for example they could get a big refinery cap. So the civilians could have the much bigger caps, but need the defense of some military ships, or will be destroyed even by a small enemy fleet in a small time!

Thats are ideas to give the game some more empire-like options... And dont forget: All these should be optional gameplay additions... so a player who likes short fights, can do that by switch all that off and playing a fast-paced war-game!