Human Ideologies and Governments

International Ideologies
Corporatocracy is a government form found throughout the Solarian Alliance and well beyond its borders in which the state is dominated or entirely subverted to the will of corporate interests. It, unlike many of its counterparts in the Alliance, lacks any strong ideological commitments beyond ensuring the profits of dominant corporate actors and can take on a variety of ideological stances to achieve this goal. Changes are so often that the modern corporatocracy can be described as “chameleonic” in its willingness and readiness to change its core beliefs. Corporatocratic systems generally have some broad defining traits, with the most common of these being endemic corruption (such as on New Hai Phong) and a massive amount of corporate influence upon the government’s legislation process (such as in the Republic of Biesel).

The primary example of a corporatocracy in the Orion Spur is the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate and NanoTrasen-dominated Republic of Biesel, but many lesser examples exist. Corporatocratic governments are not without their detractors, which range from anti-corporate insurgents in the Corporate Reconstruction Zone to the Solarian Alliance’s Moscow-based Communist Party. But despite these detractors, the corporatocracy seems to be stable for now. With the phoron crisis deepening every day, it remains to be seen how long the Spur’s megacorporations will be able to hold their grip before they inevitably must release it.

Anti-Corporatism is an ideological stance that, as its name would imply, is broadly defined by its opposition to megacorporate interference in the government and economy of its local region. Its nature as a broad, though generally left-leaning, “big tent” coalition of ideologies means that these Anti-Corporatist groups can often agree on very little aside from their mutually shared distaste for megacorporations. As such they will often collapse or otherwise dissolve after the immediate megacorporate threat is dealt with, and typically only persist when another unifying force, such as an additional external threat or internal moral cause that the front can rally around, is present.

The best example of a true Anti-Corporatist united front is the League of Independent Corporate-Free Systems in the Northern Wildlands, a state that emerged following the collapse of Solarian authority in the region in late 2462. While not explicitly united fronts many other ideologies share Anti-Corporatist traits, with some examples including Elyran Revolutionary Thought’s more left-leaning branches, Soviet-style Communism, Himean Syndicalism, and New Hai Phongese Socialism.

Libertarianism is an ideology that upholds personal liberties and freedoms as the ultimate goal that a society should strive for. As an ideology, it can generally be divided into left and right libertarianism, with right libertarianism being the much more widespread version. Both ideological schools of thought are united by a mutual distrust of strong state institutions and other forms of central authority, which they view as threats to personal liberty.

Right libertarianism, generally in the form of anarcho-capitalism, is the most widespread libertarian school of thought, and is prevalent throughout the Eridani Corporate Federation. Left libertarianism is generally much less common, having been replaced by more centralized leftist ideologies such as Soviet-style communism and Himean syndicalism. Zaurghis, a shipping hub of the southern Coalition of Colonies, is one of the few places in the modern Orion Spur where both left and right libertarian thought can be found.

Warlordism does not, technically speaking, refer to a form of government or an ideology. Instead, it generally refers to a region in which the central authority has collapsed and armed local leaders referred to as warlords have risen to fill the vacuum. These warlords belong to a spectrum of ideologies and equally diverse, and often conflicting, goals in mind for their given zones of control. But all share one common trait: the inability to enforce their control of a region through any system other than the possession of a monopoly on violence. Life in a warlord-controlled region is often defined by uncertainty and violence, and in some regions one cannot be certain who will control their region at the end of the day.

In the Orion Spur, the regions most impacted by warlordism are the Northern and Southern Wildlands that formed after the Solarian Collapse in late 2462, both of which were ravaged prior to the Collapse by rogue Solarian fleets and have continued to be plagued by uncertainties as warlords fight for dominance over the scraps left by the retreating Alliance. The former heartland of the Confederated States of Fisanduh, a nation on Moroz that collapsed after its defeat by the nascent Empire of Dominia, has been similarly ravaged by warlordism, though for a far longer time. Inner Fisanduh, according to some analysts, has been so ravaged by warlordism that it may not recover for centuries. Some areas of the Eridani Corporate Federation’s underworld can fall under the umbrella of warlordism on a much smaller scale due to consecutive generations of Dreg gang warfare and a lack of a functional central government.

The Solarian Alliance
Military Governments are a form of authoritarianism in which the military has seized control of an entire state. While not by any means a concept unique to the Solarian Alliance, the Alliance itself has a long history of flirting with the concept of autocratic governments in which the mandate to rule comes from the power of its military rather than the voices of citizens. These governments, while occasionally integrating civilian elements into their leadership, lack any real democratic elements and generally rule by mandate or by emergency decree, often drawing their legitimacy from promises of future democratization once the emergency has been resolved.

Military governments such as those found in the Coalition of Colonies prior to its revolt and the Solarian Alliance post-Collapse are generally declared during times of intense crisis, with the civilian government often inviting naval leaders to take control of their governments as stabilizing actors. Others come to power via coup d'états, which can be inspired by a variety of factors. While the aims of military governments can vary greatly depending on the circumstances of their creation, with the historical pre-Interstellar War mandates focusing upon suppressing dissent and the current Solarian junta focusing on national stability, most share an emphasis on military strength and ensuring national security.

Civilian Dictatorships are, in contrast to their military counterparts, defined by a dictatorial level of state control by a civilian government where the state’s military is subservient to the will of the civilian government (or unwilling to coup the civilian government and set up its own dictatorship). Civilian-led dictatorships, like their military counterpart, are not a concept unique to the Solarian Alliance but have a long history in it, and many governors within the Alliance are entrusted with dictatorial “emergency powers,” that essentially temporarily transform the government into a dictatorship during a time of crisis. The political party of the dictator typically remains involved in the government to some extent, but the true power of the government remains in the hands of the dictator alone. Many of these Solarian civilian dictatorships eventually revert to normal democracies following the period of crisis, but it remains to be seen if the ongoing state of emergency declared after the Solarian Collapse of 2462 will continue to allow such governments to persist for years to come.

While civilian dictatorships can be found throughout the Alliance and the broader Orion Spur following the Solarian Collapse, the primary example of such a government is the Solarian Provisional Government in the Southern Wildlands. Unlike its nearby counterpart, the Southern Solarian Military District, the SPG’s civilian government maintains a perhaps tenuous control over its local naval branch, and the local governor has enacted the dictatorial emergency powers granted to him in order to stabilize the anarchic situation in the Southern Wildlands.

Solarian Populism is an ideology that is hard to place upon either the left or the right due to holding a multitude of right-wing and left-wing stances at the same time. Broadly speaking, it is nationalistic (sometimes to the point of jingoism or extreme patriotism) and places the Alliance above other human powers, tends towards anti-corporate attitudes (particularly in the wake of the Republic of Biesel’s expansion), opposes further non-human or skrellian immigration to the Solarian Alliance (with some hardliners even advocating for a cessasion of skrellian immigration), firmly opposes granting concessions or rights to synthetic life such as IPCs, and places the interest of the everyday Solarian above those of the elites that it often associates with corporatism. Many Solarian populists are, however, not opposed to working alongside such elites to further the interests of the common Solarian citizen.

While Solarian populism can be found throughout the Alliance, it is strongest in areas that view themselves as having been “wronged” by the megacorporations that dominate the Spur’s economy such as the working-class Jintarian communities of Venus and Silverun’s Originals. The primary representative of Solarian populism in the Alliance following the Solarian collapse is Senator Hendrik Strom, a former senator of Venus and current emergency governor of the Sol System. His party, the Solarian People’s Party, has long been favored by the Solarian Navy and seems to be in an ideal position to win an easy majority when elections are opened, which will come.

New Hai Phongese Socialism is a broadly popular leftist ideology throughout the Alliance that, as the name implies, originated in the factory towns of New Hai Phong. It has long been considered to be a companion ideology to Solarian populism, but differs on several key accounts. It is less nationalistic than its populist counterpart, significantly more anti-corporate, extremely opposed to tajara immigration and residence in the Alliance yet ambivalent on other species, similarly opposed to IPC rights, and also professes to place the interest of the common Solarian above those of elites. New Hai Phongese socialists often decry Hephaestus Industries as the primary example of corporatism run wild in the Alliance due to the megacorporation’s domination of the ideology’s planet of origin, and many prominent New Hai Phongese socialists have been accused of being funded by the main rival of Hephaestus: Einstein Engines. The ideology’s vehement hatred of tajara and IPCs similarly stems from experiences on New Hai Phong, where both tajara and IPCs were seen as “stealing” jobs from local workers.

While the movement’s stronghold is on New Hai Phong, ideological adherents can be found throughout the Alliance. Its strongest proponent, however, is New Hai Phong Senator Le Hanh Trang – one of the most prominent politicians of the post-Collapse Alliance. Her party— it is a broad coalition referred to as the Solarian Socialist Unity Party, or SSUP— does not have quite the naval favor of Strom’s SPP, but still expects to sweep a number of positions thanks to its solidly anti-corporate stance in the post-Collapse Alliance. Whether this stance will result in anything remains to be seen, as none are certain when elections will be held in the Alliance.

Solarian Conservatism is an old ideological wing with the Alliance that has dedicated itself to upholding the tried-and-true traditions that made the Alliance into the superpower it was prior to its decay and partial collapse in the 25th century. Modern Solarian conservative thinking can be traced back to Luna, which remains an ideological stronghold of this ideology even today. It is a strong promoter of concepts such as duty, honor, and federalism, the Solarian concept of a union of planets working together, instead of more radical changes proposed by populists or leftists in the Alliance, which adherents of the Solarian conservative tradition often view as rabid and deranged. While not as outwardly nationalistic as other Solarian ideological movements, it is a resolute supporter of the Solarian Navy, has a more positive view of corporations than other Solarian movements due to its Lunan origins, generally opposes non-skrellian immigration, and believes that synthetic life such as positronics are best kept as property rather than citizens.

Despite its venerable history Solarian Conservatism is viewed by many as a political ideology on a steady decline to borderline irrelevancy. It has lost much of its traditional military support base to more nationalistic populist parties that support less restrained warfare. Additionally its soft pro-corporate stance has become very unpopular following the Solarian Collapse, which many Solarians view as having been caused by corporate meddling rather than the Alliance itself. These losses have seen the ideology’s main representative, the Sol First Party, steadily shrink over the past decade and lose much of its remaining power in the post-Collapse military takeover of the government. Luna remains one of the last strongholds of Solarian Conservatism, and many analysts doubt that it will be able to make major gains when the military opts to reopen elections.

Solarian Social Democracy is a broad term used to refer to leftist movements in the Alliance that have opted to, or accepted the necessity of, work in an environment with capitalism and megacorporations. Proponents of this ideology believe that a functioning free market and functioning welfare state are not mutually exclusive, and are perfectly capable of existing alongside one another in the Alliance. It is not a terribly nationalistic movement by Solarian standards and instead opts to concern itself more with the plight of the Solarian working class, believes in a regulated market in which megacorporations operate with state supervision, generally opposes non-skrellian immigration, and is firmly against the granting any rights to synthetics, fearing that such a decision will take away power and employment from the working-class Solarian.

This movement originated on Callisto and still enjoys a comfortable majority there, but can be found throughout the Alliance. It is additionally found abroad, though with local variations that make these branches distinctive from the Solarian version. Solarian Social Democracy heavily influenced much of the thinking of the pre-Collapse Reform Party but now is primarily represented by the Solarian Popular Democratic Party (SPDP), which is strongest in the Sol System itself and has found particular success on Callisto. However, the SPDP lacks much of the naval support that the SSUP and SPP have, making its fortunes in the Alliance’s inevitable first selections quite uncertain.

Soviet Communism as an ideology is easily the furthest left of the Alliance’s mainstream schools of political thought. It dates back to the October Revolution of 1917 on Earth in what is now the Soviet Union, effectively making it one of the oldest living ideologies in the Orion Spur. Soviet-style communism rejects many of the tenets of typical Solarian politics: it is not particularly nationalistic (with many of its adherents rejecting the Alliance’s rampant militarism), rejects the market-based approach entirely in favor of a command economy, and favors a style of leadership where the Communist Party (generally its local branch) exercises complete control over the state and its economy. Soviet Communism generally rejects positronics and other synthetics due to a long-held belief that these generally corporate-produced synthetics serve to undermine the collective power of the working man, and opposes most non-human immigration for similar reasons.

Soviet-style communism is generally only found in the USSR, on Earth, and in those planets and cities colonized by it such as Pluto. Non-orthodox (or “non-hardline”) interpretations of this form of Marxism are not recognized by the Communist Party’s Central Committee in Moscow, and are thus viewed as illegitimate by most followers of the Soviet style. Those planets and regions that follow the Soviet style almost always elect candidates belonging to the official communist party of the Alliance: the Communist Party of the Alliance of Sovereign Solarian Nations (CP-ASSN). However few CP-ASSN candidates from outside the USSR and its colonies are ever elected, which has left the Party with only scarce amounts of influence in the Solarian government. Despite these issues, and the ongoing rise of megacorporations, true adherents of Soviet-style communism know that these are mere bumps upon the road to the inevitable triumph of socialism in the Alliance.

Martian Nationalism is a dying ideology, killed in the same phoron-based firestorm that destroyed the red planet and killed billions of Martians in the blink of an eye. Those Martian nationalists that remain are a haggard, dying breed of rabble-rouser that have had the river of history leave them behind following the Violet Dawn disaster. When Mars was still a habitable planet, full of life and promise, Martian Nationalism was a broadly left-nationalist ideology that called for a greater degree of independence from the broader Alliance for the red planet and repatriations for injustices done to it by the central government over the centuries since the end of the Interstellar War. But this is all in the past now, and the dreams of Martian Nationalism now lie starved to death in the mostly-abandoned halls of the Red Gaia arcology or flash-burned into ash in the phoron-filled hellscape that was once the great arcology of Olympia.

Fascism is an ideology talked about by many and understood by very few. Born on Earth in the fires of the chaotic 20th century out of fusion of disillusioned leftists and radical nationalistic thought, the ideology has long persisted in the background of humanity’s politics since its dramatic fall from popular grace in the same century as its origin. Though some traces of Marxist thought can be found within its worldview, it is at odds with its leftist counterpart. Fascists are virulently nationalistic and slavishly devoted to the Solarian state, with many opting to serve in its military. Corporations and other institutions may be allowed to exist but must be under the control of the state and the government, which is often dominated by a single strongman figure. Non-human immigration is an anathema to Solarian fascists, who paradoxically view such outsiders as both sniveling degenerates inferior to humanity and an existential threat to the integrity of a human-dominated Alliance. Positronics and synthetics are, interestingly, tolerated and often actively encouraged by Solarian fascists, which view such machines as the perfect shock troops for a fascist movement if lawed properly: unerring in their adherence to Solarian fascist thought, merciless in their enforcement of the state’s will, and unquestioning in their absolute loyalty to the state and its leadership.

In the modern Alliance fascism can only be found across the fringes of politics: in the smoking rooms of naval bases, where officers huddle to discuss the weaknesses of the civilian government. In meeting halls on planets that have suffered from terrorist attacks by aliens, packed full of those who have grudges against the greater Orion Spur. It can be found in hundreds of other places on the dim periphery of polite political society, ever present as a backdrop. ATLAS flirted with Solarian fascism during its reign but ultimately was undone by their connections when former Prime Minister Frost used ATLAS’ connections to far-right movements to dissolve the party. In the lawless wasteland of the Northern Wildlands, however, Solarian fascists have been delivered their first true fascist state: the Solarian Restoration Front. If the SRF, with its rabidly xenophobic and feverently nationalistic stance on the Alliance, can achieve a victory in the Northern Wildlands with the help of its allies in the Solarian Navy, Solarian fascism may have its chance in the limelight— and the whole Spur may suffer due to it.

The Coalition of Colonies
Xanusanii Social Democracy is a leftist movement that originated on Xanu shortly after the end of the Interstellar War. While it holds many stances that are similar to its Solarian counterpart – the necessity of working in an environment with capitalism and megacorporations, an emphasis on social welfare, and a lack of outward-facing nationalism – the trauma of its origin in the years following the Interstellar War has caused Xanusanii social democracy to have significant differences from Solarian social democracy. As a movement it is a significant proponent of defense spending while opposing unnecessary foreign warfare (a stance that has often put it at odds with Gadpathur), believes in a well-regulated market where megacorporations and smaller local corporations can function alongside one another, is a proponent of human and non-human immigration (particularly favoring refugee populations), and is neutral on synthetic rights.

Xanu Prime is the primary stronghold of the Xanusanii model of social democracy, where it is often credited with the rebuilding of the planet’s shattered economy following the Interstellar War. This success, and its comparatively moderate ideological stances, have seen it steadily spread throughout the Coalition of Colonies and beyond, though it is not yet as widespread as Solarian social democracy. Supporters of Xanusanii social democracy often find themselves in conflict with Himean syndicalists, which view the Xanusanii stance as too soft on the megacorporations they view as having wronged the Coalition.

Himean Syndicalism is a left-wing socialistic ideology that calls for the creation of a society based upon the strength of unions and their workers and promotes the use of direct action, such as sabotaging production, general strikes, and demonstrations, to achieve this goal. Himean syndicalism traces its roots to the general uprising that overthrew Hephaestus’ control of the planet during the Interstellar War and has long retained an ideological emphasis on revolutionary action through the process of general strikes. While not particularly nationalistic, Himean syndicalism has a large emphasis on the creation of defensive militias in order to safeguard the revolutionary state, though it tends to distrust large standing forces. It is an extremely anti-corporate ideology, with megacorporations having few chances to operate in areas subscribing to this ideology, and Hephaestus Industries in particular often outright denied chances to interact with Himean syndicalist governments at all. Immigration and positronics are treated along similarly ideological lines, and immigrants that are perceived as having been “wronged” by corporations will find themselves more readily welcomed by syndicalists than their non-wronged counterparts.

The capital of Himean syndicalism and general syndicalist thought are the United Syndicates of Himeo, the industrial heart of the Coalition of Colonies. The revolutionary nature of Himean syndicalist thought and its emphasis on anti-corporatism has allowed this ideology to spread well beyond the borders of the United Syndicates and greater Coalition, and local branches (often underground by necessity) can be found across the Orion Spur. Himeo itself has made no attempts to exert control over these branch movements, viewing such attempts to be anathema to the ideology’s emphasis on control by local unions. Himean Syndicalists and Soviet-style communists, despite both emphasizing a state controlled by workers, are not known to cooperate with one another due to ideological differences.

Agrarianism is a conservative ideology that places a heavy emphasis on political decentralization, egalitarianism, and the primary of the small, self-sufficient family farmer or herder over massive megacorporate-run factory farms. A very old ideology, agrarianism is extremely popular on Vysoka due to the ideals it emphasizes. Agrarianism primarily concerns itself with the welfare of independent farmers and herders and is a generally anti-corporate ideology and views uncontrolled capitalism as a threat to the traditional fabric of agrarian society. However, this is not to say that agrarianists are utterly unconcerned with urban centers as agrarian parties generally place a heavy emphasis on fighting urban issues such as overcrowding and pollution. The stronghold of agrarianism is on Vysoka, though it can be found anywhere in the human-controlled Orion Spur where significant numbers of independent farmers still remain.

Luceian Democracy is an ideology founded upon two central pillars: that it is the duty of every true follower of Ennoia to help the people, and that democracy is the best form of government for its followers. This form of religiously-influenced democracy is generally conservative in its leanings and places a great amount of emphasis on upholding the fabric of Assunzione’s traditional society, and protecting its faith and culture from potentially harmful external actors. To ensure Assunzionii society is ready to endure societal shocks Luceian democrats have invested heavily into a social safety net build by both the government and by the Luceian Church, which has ensured that no citizen of the Republic will ever fall below a certain economic level as long as both the church and the state continue to function. Luceian democratic thought emphasizes pride in the Republic and in the Luceian faith instead of rampant nationalism, holds a neutral stance on megacorporate involvement in the Republic, and is generally against non-Luceian immigration to the Republic without good reason. Positronics, as long as they follow the Luciean faith, are actively encouraged to engage in the Republic’s quasi-theocratic form of democracy.

As a regional ideology, Luceian democracy barely has a presence outside of the Republic of Assunzione. While the ideas of religiously-influenced democracy can be found throughout the Orion Spur, the unique environment of the Republic of Assunzione, where the church and the state are so closely entwined as to be inseparable, is what gave rise to Luceian democracy and made it so difficult to recreate elsewhere.

Ultra-Militarized Regimes are an unusual form of state in which the state itself is essentially a gigantic military organization that has supplanted and replaced all forms of civilian government. Almost all resources of an ultra-militarized regime are put towards military endeavors that are supported by a societal doctrine of uncompromising nationalism and dedication to the state’s military goals. Ultra-militarized regimes are generally extremely nationalistic and often have an external enemy power they utilize to encourage jingoism amongst their citizens. Due to the economic autarky that ultra-militarized regimes pursue, few megacorporations are willing to do business with them— with the exception of Zavodskoi Interstellar. Immigration is generally extremely uncommon both to and from these regimes due to their militarism, and synthetic rights are almost unheard of. Instead, they are viewed as tools to strengthen the state and military.

The only example of a contemporary ultra-militarized regime in the Orion Spur is the United Planetary Defense Council of Gadpathur, a highly-militant authoritarian government dedicated to countering Solarian influence in the former Weeping Stars region of the Coalition of Colonies. While Gadpathur’s large military, strategic position between the Central Coalition and Sol, and willingness to fight the Solarian Alliance to the bitter end has afforded it a great amount of clout in the Coalition, its ideological stances have not found success beyond its borders The Gadpathurian tradition of rabid hatred of the Solarian, economic autarky, and the militarization of all levels of society is something few societies can reasonably imitate.

The Empire of Dominia
Absolute Monarchism is doubtlessly one of the oldest forms of government known both to humanity and to the broader Orion Spur. It is defined by the concentration of absolute power into a singular individual that inherits power through a hereditary line of succession. While much of the day-to-day running of the absolute monarchy is left to the monarch’s ministers and subordinates, the monarch themselves reserves the right to overtune or enforce decisions at will. Ideologically these governments tend to be traditionalist and conservative, but their nature as a government by a singular individual lends them a degree of ideological flexibility that allows them to surpass the traditional bounds of conservatism. Leaders in this form of government will often claim that they have a divine right to rule in order to discourage potential competition and to promote further loyalty from the commoners of their monarchies.

The primary example of an absolute monarchy in the Orion Spur is the Empire of Dominia, which is currently ruled by Emperor Boleslaw Keeser the First. While the Empire has established itself as a competent regional power this success has not translated into an increase in absolute monarchies beyond its borders, and absolute monarchies are regarded as an antiquated “thing of the past” by most humans in the Orion Spur outside of the Empire.

Imperial Mandates are planets of the Empire of Dominia generally within its core worlds that have either been colonized by Morozians (natives of the planet Moroz, the Imperial capital) or judged loyal enough to be considered honorary Morozians (such as the residents of Novi Jadran, the Empire’s “model colony”). In contrast to their colonial counterparts, those planets that have been declared as Imperial mandates by the Emperor receive much less harsh treatment and are allowed a degree of autonomy as their loyalty to the Emperor is considered to be total enough that whatever actions they take are undoubtedly for the benefit of the Empire and Emperor rather than trifling personal gains. Imperial mandates are ruled over by a governor that sits on the Empire’s main colonial authority: the Council of Imperial Governors.

As they are generally limited to the Empire’s core worlds, the prime examples of Imperial mandates are the Dominian core worlds of Zhurong, Alterim Obrirava, and Alterim Balteulis. One exception to this trend is the colonial world of Novi Jadran, which was awarded the status of Imperial mandate by Emperor Boleslaw Keeser the First for its steadfast loyalty to the Empire of Dominia throughout its period as a colonial government.

Imperial Viceroyalties are the primary method through which the Empire of Dominia expands and controls its frontier provinces. These colonial governments are initially primarily staffed by Dominian citizens and gradually transition into having more and more collaborationist Ma’zals involved in them as time goes on, though the true power in the government will always rest with the Morozian-born bureaucrats at the top. Economically speaking, these governments are primarily concerned with ensuring that the resources and wealth of their planet returns to the Dominian core worlds where it will be used in further Imperial conquests. Dominian viceroyalties receive their orders from the governor of their planet and rarely entertain most requests made of them by their native populations, which often inspires resistance by the native population. Viceroyalties generally have very strong links to the Imperial military, and often rely upon Imperial Army garrisons to enforce their rule in the short term. The often-draconian nature of the Empire’s colonial regimes is intended to soften as more and more of the local population submits to Imperial rule in order to encourage a swift submission to Dominian rule on the planet.

Viceroyalties can be found throughout the Imperial frontier upon worlds such as Sun Reach, a recently-conquered addition to the Empire that was only formally added to it in 2460. The brutal methods that the Dominian Empire’s colonial governments employ to bring stability and order have greatly soured its interstellar reputation, particularly in the Coalition of Colonies, and brought it into further diplomatic conflict with the nearby Republic of Elyra. Despite interstellar pressure, the tried-and-true “strong methods” of the Empire’s colonial governments seem likely to continue under the current Emperor.

Tribunalist Democracy is an unusual form of government which believes that the Moroz Holy Tribunal is not mutually exclusive with democratic forms of governance, and that such a form of government is more in line with the Goddess’ vision than the current absolute monarchy of the Empire of Dominia. This radical stance has resulted in its banishment to the war-torn region of Inner Fisanduh, where it has opted to lick its wounds and bide its time. The main promoters of this form of government are the Goddess’ Resistance, an insurgent group located in the mountains of Inner Fisanduh. Outside their fortified compounds and the villages they protect, Tribunalist democracy is generally only found in expatriate communities consisting of Dominian refugees.

Ma’zalist Communalism is an ideology that calls for the total upending of the Empire of Dominia’s social order where nobles rule over commoners in order to create a more just state, one in which the Ma’zal is free to do as he or she pleases without having to answer to a Primary or Secondary. To create a society in which the Ma’zal is their own master must inevitably result in armed struggle against the Primaries, which has manifested in the ideology’s main proponent: the All-Morozian Union of Ma’zalist Communes, an insurgent group operating in Outer Fisanduh. Ma’zalist communalism, while a leftist ideology, is not based in Marxist thought and instead derives its thinking from more classical ideas of republicanism and liberalism.

The Serene Republic of Elyra
Elyran Revolutionary Thought broadly defines the political ideology of the Serene Republic of Elyra. Born of a rejection of the authoritarian Solarian colonialism, the central pillar of Elyran Revolutionary Thought is the creation of a strong, independent Republic that is able to stand on its own. To this end it tends to be externally isolationist and anti-megacorporate, and features very little opportunities for immigration. However the “Four Faces of Elyran Politics,” Elyra’s four major parties (all of which claim to adhere to Elyran Revolutionary Thought), often agree on little domestically. As such, the ideology can broadly be broken down into four camps.

Elyran Revolutionary Thought – Constitutionalist is the ideology of the Republican Revolutionary Society, the oldest and largest of the Republic’s four major parties. The Constitutionalist school under the RSS claims to be the most accurate interpretation of Elyran Revolutionary Thought as it was originally intended, and the Constitutionalists are often regarded as the most conservative of the Four Faces in their interpretation. This interpretation of Elyran Revolutionary Thought is isolationist, anti-megacorporate (instead preferring to bolster native corporations and government economic involvement), strongly opposed to immigration, and holds a positive view towards positronic citizenship. On social programs, the RSS generally supports the current status quo. The Constitutionalist school of thought is popular across the entirety of the Republic, but is strongest on Damascus II – the heart of Elyra’s revolution.

Elyran Revolutionary Thought – Liberalist is the ideology of the League of United Republicans, the Republic’s second-largest party. The League’s interpretation of Elyran Revolutionary Thought is more economically liberal than its counterparts, and has pushed for a lessening of immigration restrictions for skilled migrants. This interpretation of Elyran Revolutionary Thought is less isolationist, promotes limited megacorporate involvement via the use of special administrative zones, believes immigration restrictions should be lessened for skilled migrants, and holds a positive view towards positronic citizenship. The League believes that Elyra’s social programs should be expanded. Liberalist thought is popular across the entire Republic and has significant minorities on every planet aside from Damascus II, and has been known to carry more votes than the Constitutionalists at times.

Elyran Revolutionary Thought – Islamist Democratic is the ideology of the Muslim Democratic Conference, Elyra’s third-largest party. The MDC’s interpretation of Elyran Revolutionary Thought fuses it with Islamic values and principals, believing that a moderate Islamist approach is the best course for the modern Republic. The Islamist interpretation is difficult to define along the traditional left-right axis used throughout the democracies of the Orion Spur. It is a proponent of military isolationism, favors the controlled involvement of megacorporations in Elyra’s economy, wishes to loosen immigration restrictions (with some members calling for alien (aside from vaurca) citizenship to be permitted), and wishes to strip all positronics of their citizenship as they believe synthetic life lacks a soul. The MDC believes that Elyra’s social programs should be expanded. The Islamist Democratic interpretation is most popular on Damascus II, with small followings scattered across the broader Republic.

Elyran Revolutionary Thought – Militarist is the ideology of the Elyran People’s Party, the newest major party of the Republic. The EPP’s interpretation of Elyran Revolutionary Thought is significantly more militant than any of its counterparts, and is the only of the four major interpretations to advocate for spreading Elyran Revolutionary Thought abroad. The Militarist interpretation is an atypical mix of economic isolation combined with nearly unrestricted immigration and military interventionism that attracted few followers until the Lii’dra Incursion. This interpretation of Elyran Revolutionary Thought is extremely nationalistic and militant, vehemently opposes megacorporate involvement in Elyra’s economy (and views the nearby Coalition of Colonies as the only true trading partner for the Republic), combines liberal human immigration with xenophobia, and seeks restrictions on positronic citizenship. Militarist thought has small followings across the Republic, but is most popular on Bursa.

Special Economic Zones are zones in the Serene Republic of Elyra where megacorporate involvement is allowed to a limited degree. A SEZ does not have its own independent political stances, and simply exists as a subordinate entity of the Ministry of Economics, Revenue, and Commerce. As the only regions where foreign megacorporations are allowed to nominally operate in the Republic of Elyra a SEZ will often possess a larger foreign population than Elyran population, and they have often become major points of debate over Elyra’s current highly-restrictive system of immigration. The most significant example of a SEZ in the Republic is the moon of Persepolis: New Suez, home of the New Suez Free Trade Zone.