Politics

This is not official policy on the setting, but rather a work in progress

The Alliance is, like any large political entity, a prey to party politics. The nature of the Parliament means that alliances between factions are a constantly shifting morass of self-interest and deceit, but the main elements currently in play are:

The Confuscio-Federalists

This faction believes, in general terms, that the most stable form of Government, which will bring the greatest good to the most people, is to have a strong central Government, with as few decisions devolved as possible. It was in part this faction who inspired the Unification War.

The Devoluto-Whigs

Taking their name in part from both the original US political party opposing central Federal authority, and the equivalent Liberal party of Great Britain, this loose affiliation believes that whilst the Alliance itself should be maintained, as many decisions as possible should be devolved to the lowest possible level of the bureaucracy.

Patriots

These people, in fact, are not a single faction, but many. They bear their chief loyalty to the planet of their origin. This means that there are many 'Patriotic' factions, each striving to bring advantage to their own home.

Separatist/Libertarians

In contrast to the Whigs, this group believes (or believed) that the Alliance should slowly withdraw from all worlds where it is not wholeheartedly welcomed. Its influence was largely broken around the time of the U-War, but it gained some resurgence with the broadwave transmission by Captain Reynolds.

Militarists

There are those who believe that the role of the military is to be above the political fray. These individuals would disagree. Whilst not precisely a Military-Junta-in-the-making, they are firm advocates of the central role the military has to play in political decision making.

Civilianists

This is the belief that purely political and policy decisions should be made in an entirely civilian setting. Obviously, they are in a currently unsuccessful position, since the Military _does_ have its own political representation within the Parliament. It would also include those military officers who would like to act as advisors to politicians rather than politicians themselves, and have the military stand 'above' the political fray.

Monetarists

The belief that it is through Capitalism that the 'Verse will generally become more prosperous

Interventionalists

A throwover of Communist belief in a more 'Socially fair' 'verse, this espouses the intervention of 'Big Government' at some level (be it local, planetary, or System wide) to 'level the playing field' between richer and poorer.

Obviously, none of these political positions are exclusive, and someone may hold more than one ("He's a Confuscio-Federalist Civilianist Interventionalist" would indicate one who believes in the rule of the Alliance as a means of giving a fairer society for all its citizens, in a civilian run administration).