I think it is less defined; from the OT we're led to understand that the Empire controls the bulk of the Galaxy, and the rebellion a few outposts on remote worlds. In the PT we also understand the Republic also controls most of the Galaxy - though the Trade Federation and CIS are both pretty ill-defined (but those movies aren't exactly something one should copy). Still, we can gather that they're substantial splinters from the galaxy-spanning Republic.

In the new movies, though, it's not clear if the New Republic replaces the Empire, or if it's just a handful of planets - Starkiller base seems to blow it all up in one go? The First Order is similarly badly defined; is it a sort of terrorist cell operating from remote bases like the rebels were, or is it an empire in its own right? Is the Resistance a part of the Republic, or is it operating within the First Order's empire? I thought the Rebels won in Episode 6; if they did why is their army so small if there's still an enemy empire about?

That the politics of the Prequel Trilogy were done badly (despite being one of the focuses of that trilogy) doesn't mean audiences can't follow politics or that they can't add anything to the setting. The dialogue of the Prequels was also done badly, but one would hardly say that we should avoid dialogue because of that.