The Challenge
So the challenge, inspired by these two excellent examples (all credit to @Wolfram and @TheNixonator , respectively), is to create an alternate political party system for a country using obscure, defunct or marginal political parties or factions that existed in that country historically. Paramilitaries and secret societies pulling a Know-Nothing are allowed. There was some support for Social Credit in the US so I'm counting it as an example.
Consensus:
Prohibitionist beliefs:
- The government should be willing to intervene in society.
- The free market can be made to work, but is unsustainable on its own.
- The United States should avoid foreign entanglements unless there is an overwhelming reason not to.
Creditist beliefs:
- The most important issues Americans face are threats to the social fabric.
- Rights are individual in nature, and relate strongly to individual virtue.
- Women should have more rights as individuals and not be forced or guided into the household.
- Immigration should be controlled to maintain the present culture and the least economic competition for the native-born.
- Immigrants should assimilate to the dominant culture to the greatest practical degree.
- The market should be subject to widespread intervention to increase equality and freedom.
- However, the provision of zero-interest credit by the Federal Reserve, the prohibition on unregulated creation of credit through loans, the subsidizing of products to reduce their list price, and the National Dividend do not make economic sense and should be reformed or abolished.
- Government social programs such as the provision of universal health insurance should be monopolies.
- Social engineering, whether to establish a common culture or to eliminate prejudices and unwelcome practices (for example, racism, homophobia, and smoking) is a legitimate use of government.
- Robust systems to prevent discrimination (whether on the grounds of race, gender or gender identity, sexuality, or many other factors, but not cultural matters) should be in place.
- The national government should have as close to a monopoly over education as possible, and should be very involved in curricula.
- Censorship of media and policing of consumer products to ensure public health and virtue are legitimate uses, and indeed duties, of government.
- The United States should avoid intervening in other countries' affairs unless there is an overwhelming humanitarian interest in intervention.
What am I missing?
- The most important issues Americans face are pocketbook issues.
- Rights are collective in nature, and relate strongly to institutional systems.
- Women should have more rights as members of the household and not be forced or guided into acting as individuals (e.g. by being part of the wider economy on their own, or acting as primary wage-earners).
- Immigration should be aimed at ensuring the most economic opportunity for both the native-born and the immigrants in question.
- It is not the business of government to compel immigrants to assimilate to the dominant culture.
- Other than interventions in the finance system to boost purchasing power, the market should remain as free as possible.
- The government should provide zero-interest credit through the Federal Reserve, prohibit the unregulated creation of credit through loans, subsidize products to reduce their list price, and provide each household the share of the national wealth diverted from them by corporate non-wage costs.
- Government social programs such as the provision of universal health insurance should compete with private business as a "public option".
- Social engineering is outside the scope of government.
- The government should not force private businesses to obey its own standards by imposing anti-discrimination ordinances.
- Education should be provided by the government, but devolved and funded by state and local governments, with the federal government's only role being to resolve disputes and fund/operate schools and programs that could not otherwise be funded/operated.
- Censorship and overwhelming police power should be avoided where possible.
- The United States should avoid intervening militarily in other countries' affairs, but should foster trade so long as it does not exploit American workers.
As for the rules:Anti-Masonic: Once freemasonry is destroyed, all problems will be solved. This is the main platform of the party. They are rather big-tent (a sort of united front against the freemason criminals), however, they lean more towards nationalistic views and can be considered right-wing populists on non-freemasonry issues. Many are Warhawks, and many supported the liberation/invasion (depends on who you're asking) of England to free them from their "freemason overlords". The Anti-Masons usually do well when the rate of acts by terrorists is high, or America is in need of military action. On social issues, they are strangely progressive, as they truly want to unite all races, religions, and creeds in the destruction of freemasonry. There is also a rather large Christian values faction, which mainly just siphon away voters from the Prohibition party.
Readjuster: Formed after the Great American War on the platform of "to break the power of wealth and established privilege", and they stuck to their promises (the fact every other party is anti-elitist as well helps when that's your goal). They are recognized as the left-wing populist party. As of the late 1980s, the Readjusters have grown increasingly popular among the farming community and in the midwest, which has originally been a Prohibition stronghold. On freemasonry, they cannot of course outright defend the freemasons, or they might receive a visit in the night by the Bureau, however, they are as progressive as you can get on the issue without being decried as an elitist-sympathizer, or even worse, an outright freemason. They are the most socially left-wing party, however, that's more a division in factions than an official stance of the entire party.
Prohibition: Some say the Prohibition Party was doomed from the start and that is it was a miracle it lasted so long, but that's not really accurate, what really doomed them was the Readjusters decision to focus on the south and the midwest (both formerly prohibition strongholds) and the strong Christian faction in the Anti-Masons, both parties stealing those who could be considering to vote for the Prohibitionists. However, the last Prohibitionist President Ike Skelton losing re-election was really in a way the nail in the coffin, however, the party officially dissolved in 2017. On the issue of freemasonry, members are usually either indifferent or actively support the suppression of any and all of those are even slightly support the society (or just the legalization of it).
- I'm being pretty loose in my definition of party/faction, but please limit it to historical groups that existed in the country you're writing about, or create a scenario where the that country expands if you want to bring in outside groups.
- Alternate party mergers are acceptable as long as the names of the current major or third parties aren't used.
- A heterodox blend of political planks makes it more interesting for all involved.
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