Royalist Party (Aquitayne)

Royalist Party
Chairperson	Lydia Arnholt (Grados)
Commoner's Representative	James Albright (Ordias)
Prime Minister of Aquitayne	James Zaeir (Faer)
Lord's Elector	Marcus Quill (Antea)
Deputy Prime Minister	Brett Veger (Ostson)
Deputy Coalition Director	Timothy Riechfeld (Acril)
Founded	1734 (1734)
Preceded by	None
Headquarters	430 North Government Street, Telora, 29-045
Student wing	University Royalists of Aquitayne
Youth wing	Young Royalists of Aquitayne
Membership (2014)	54.6 million
Ideology	fiscal conservatism, agrarianism, nationalism, statism, social democracy, environmentalism
International affiliation	None
Colors
House of Lords	37 / 126
House of Commons	315 / 786
Website
www.royalistparty.aq
Politics of Aquitayne Political parties Elections

The Royalist Party of Aquitayne is the current majority party in the Magnus Magnatus (National Assembly), and one of two major contemporary political parties in Aquitayne, along with the People's Party. Tracing its heritage back to Carolus Mayne's Independence Party, the modern-day Royalist Party was founded in 1734, making it the oldest political party in Aquitayne.

In the beginning years of the party, its platform was strong conservatism and popular sovereignty, as at the time, Aquitayne was a subject of the Empire of Exponent. Around the mid-19th century, classical liberalism would sweep the party during the Bread Riots of 1863 that swept the nation. Some ideals of religious toleration would be pushed through the Parliament afterwards, which is largely seen by historians as the mark of the Progressive Age. It wouldn't be until the beginning of the 20th century that modern social liberalism would take hold of the party, after the election of Prime Minister Leopold Harris in 1902. The Royalists' philosophy of modern liberalism advocates strong social and economic equality, without going so far as total government regulation of the economy. It also strongly supports the welfare state, advocating for large social programs to assist those in need. The Royalist Party aims for a mixed economy through necessary government regulation via workers unions, minimum wage standards, equal opportunity, consumer protection, as well as adequate environmental protection.

There have been 21 Royalist Prime Ministers, excluding the appointed Prime Minister during the Aquitaynian War of Independence. The most current Prime Minister is James Zaeir, who took office in 2015. The Royalist Party has had a super majority in the Magnus Magnatus 4 times throughout since 1734.

The Royalist Party is and has remained the majority party since the 2014 general elections, after securing a coalition with the Environmentalists to secure a majority in the House of Lords.

History

1730-1741

File:Royalistmeeting.jpg

Meeting of the Cadavers, historically seen as the first meeting of the Royalist Party in opposition of the Empire of Exponent.

The roots of the Royalist Party are found in what was the Independence Party, a group of men who demanded secession from the Empire and sovereignty for Aquitayne. These individuals were considered traitors by the Empire and they were hunted for years until they were finally caught on the outskirts of Ordana, riding away from a meeting they had conducted the previous day. The Empire made a spectacle of their deaths, and as they were well-known public figures, historians believe it only served to deepen the resolve of the commons to fight back, though that wouldn't occur for another four years.

The Royalist Party was officially founded during the Meeting of the Cadavers, on the 16th of August, 1734. a group of well-educated men living in Telora that opposed the Empire of Exponent's occupation of the country. The group would regularly meet in secret to discuss the current events of the times. Usually at different locations weekly, roughly 25 men would gather in the basements of taverns and homes to ridicule the Empire and discuss ideas on how to win back their freedom. It was around this time that especially large tax hikes on industrial goods like lumber and outbound trade were pushed through the Empire's legislature in response to a deepening economic crisis. It was after these new taxes that the Cadavers published a small document to be distributed throughout the country, titled Son of the Pretender.

It was a fictional novel written by Nathaniel Gladwell, among others, that followed the story of a son who grew up in a house not knowing that he had been stolen from his real parents. The book described the maltreatment of the child by the parents, and seemingly how the child found no fault with the parent, especially the father, until later in life, when he finally mustered the courage to strike back. The ending pages discussed an allegorical freedom associated with standing up for one's rights and sovereignty. Although the book was never officially published and had no author listed on it, it was heavily censored by the Empire and was printed on makeshift printing presses and spread via word of mouth to those who couldn't read.

The Party would serve as the de-facto governing legislature throughout the majority of the Aquitaynian War of Independence, although rival parties, such as the Reasonists, would continue to demand that the assembly formally surrender. The Reasonists, however, would not last long into the war. There is no concrete evidence to support the idea that the majority of the Reasonists were assassinated on the orders of other members of the legislature, but there are newspaper reports describing mysterious disappearances and accidents all including Reasonist members of the legislature. Eventually, in 1732, the legislature would pass a law that forbid the discussion of a formal surrender to the Empire unless the legislature voted to repeal the law first. The logic behind this move was that if they needed to surrender, the real vote would occur to repeal the law, and in the mean time it got rid of the Reasonists.

The Royalist Party would, overwhelmingly, lead Aquitayne out of the War for Independence and into the founding of a new nation. It would be the Royalist Party that drafted the new constitution and permitted a monarch to remain on the throne, so long as they did not impede on the legality or functionality of the legislature itself.

Political Issues

Economic Issues

Fiscal Policy

The Royalist Party belives in expansionary fiscal spending to promote social programs to assist those living under the poverty line. While the Royalist Party is more likely to spend government revenue on social programs, it does allocate a sizable portion of the GDP to national defense, though talks of downsizing are always in flux within the ranks of the party. Ultimately, fiscal conservatism is an attribute some Royalists bring to the table, but the majority do not.

Minimum Wage

The Royalist Party has strong platform for adequate minimum wage. The party believes that a strong minimum wage helps the economy grow and fosters better living conditions and healthier, more educated citizens as more time can be spent at home, buying goods and services, and not worrying about monetary stresses that can reduce lifespans. Currently, the minimum wage in Aquitayne is $22 Aeros/hour. The government currently subsidizes small businesses with less than 100 employees that cannot financially support paying the minimum wage for all employees. Not only does the government subsidize them, they also offer tax incentives to encourage the businesses to grow to where they are able to pay their own wages, and thus remove themselves from government assistance.

Health Care

Aquitayne is one of the many nations throughout Astyria that have universal health care programs. The Royalist Party is a strong advocate for this program and has worked over the past 20 years to refine and perfect the current system in-place. Most years, the national budget gets sent to the Prime Minister late because the majority party and the Royalist party (or vice versa for the minority party) cannot agree on the proper amount of funding for the country's healthcare program. The Royalists, historically, have raised funding annually since the program was introduced, while the People's Party has often conducted gun-point diplomacy in an effort to reign in the party's spending.

Environment

The environment is a key aspect of the Royalists platform. While it goes nowhere near as far as the Environmentalists, the Royalists do believe that a sustainable development model is necessary to preserve the future of the planet. The Royalist Party has helped 14 land reserves become National Parks in an effort to preserve the pristine Aquitaynian forests, mountains and wildlife that inhabit much of the countryside. The People's Party has pushed for more access to these conservatories, but much of that has been at the behest of private businesses. The Royalist Party is actively seeking to block such legislation.

Education

The Royalist Party believes strongly in funding quality public schools that have excellent access to new and emerging technologies and ideologies. Since 2014 when the Royalist Party took the majority, education spending has risen 15%. Likewise, the Royalist Party strongly supports and defends the Universal Education Act of 1998, which provides free post-secondary schooling for all citizens of the country after graduating with a certain GPA or passing a technical test with above an 80 if an individual couldn't stay in school or didn't make the GPA requirements. The Royalist Party believes that investing in education is the best way to increase the prosperity of the country for future generations.

Renewable Energy and Fossil Fuels

It is very rare to find a climate change denier within the party, though there has been known to be two, and green-energy initiatives are something the party pushes annually. Recently, the Prime Minister worked with His Majesty the King to introduce new incentives for solar and wind energy production throughout the country in an effort to ditch fossil fuels and natural gas as a way to power homes. The new incentives include tax breaks, government subsidies, and local tax incentives. The Party itself, however, believes strongly that moving away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy sources is the only way to move into the future.

Social issues

Equal Opportunity

The Royalist Party strongly believes that every individual should have the same opportunity as anyone else, regardless of sex, age, race, gender, or religion. The Party also believes that it is the governments responsibility to ensure that private businesses are not discriminating against anyone for any reason, and as such the Royalist Party has pushed legislation through the assembly that protects the rights of every Aquitaynian citizen. Some groups, such as the Republicans, believe that these programs give greater incentives to minorities and act to the detriment of the majority class of citizens.

Abortion and Reproductive rights

Abortion is legal in Aquitayne, however, the Royalist Party does not believe that it should be a scapegoat for every time an individual gets pregnant. The Royalist Party works closely with the education ministry to ensure that young people are receiving the best sex education possible, and that they know the risks and contraceptives before they engage in sex. That being said, the Royalist Party does support women who are unable to financially support a child, underage, or facing tremendous medical problems - including death - if the child is born. All clinics have brochures discussing adoption agencies and surrogacy, but the Royalist Party does support a woman's right to choose, within reasonable context.

Immigration

The Royalist Party has been working hard over the last decade to provide illegal immigrants to Aquitayne a safe, easy, and simple path to citizenship. The Royalist Party believes that not all individuals are capable of legally obtaining citizenship rights before leaving a geographic area, and as such there should be options at home to help them feel secure. There are programs in place for individuals seeking asylum and refuge from foreign governments or terrorist groups, and likewise there are welfare programs to assist people living in the country illegally.

LGBT Rights

Aquitayne is arguably the most LGBTQ-friendly nation in Astyria, having passed a referendum in 2010 declaring same-sex marriage legal throughout the nation. The Royalist Party believes strongly in preserving that right for all gay and trans-gendered individuals, as well as ensuring their workplace opportunities remain open. While discrimination against LGBTQ people in the nation is not high, it is still present, and as such the Royalist Party stands firm in securing the rights of every citizen, regardless of identification.

Legal Issues

Incarceration

The Royalist Party does not believe in mass incarceration. Rather, the party has worked towards a system of reforming criminals so that they don't commit crimes in the future. Many of the prisons in the nation are renown across the region for seeming lax and vacation-esque, even giving prisoners metal utensils and plates to eat with. The current national standard, one that the Royalist Party aims to protect, aims at treating each lawbreaker like an individual; there are staff on-hand to talk about why the prisoner did what they did, and what they can do in the future to avoid making the same mistake.

Right to Privacy

The Royalist Party believes strongly in the right of privacy of every citizen. Popular sovereignty was a concept that was put into action by the Royalist Party over 200 years ago, and it is one that the party continues to protect in the digital age. The party has supported civil rights organizations in suing government agencies that overstepped their authority in spying on Aquitaynian citizens. The party has attempted to push legislation through the assembly in the past to prevent the government from spying on citizens, but such efforts have so far been blocked by the People's Party and the opposition coalition.

Foreign Policy Issues

Insula Fera

The Royalist Party was the majority party when the assembly voted to interfere in Insula Fera. That decision has not gone without its doubts, but the party still believes that a responsible and efficient withdrawal from the country after a new legitimate government has been established is possible. The Royalist Party is eager to see the conflict concluded and the sons and daughters of the country home safely, but they make no mistake in realizing that the work on the archipelago is far from over. The Royalists stand hand in hand with the people of the nation in wanting the conflicts resolution, but also fully understand that their duty there is incomplete, and that until it is accomplished, a presence must remain.

EATA and ATO

The Royalist Party stands firmly with the Crown's declaration of the Reich Credenda, believing that neutrality is the best policy when it comes to the two blocs. The Royalist Party understands that the nature of the situation is complex and fluid, but they make no mistake in also realizing that should Aquitayne break its policy of neutrality towards the powers, the entire dynamic of the region would shift dramatically, leading to unknown consequences. The Royalist Party is actively pursuing legislation that would prevent the assembly from passing laws that would favor one intergovernmental organization over the other, without barring the rights to trade and other international agreements.

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is a unique entity in Astyria, and the Royalist Party supports its reality fully. Not only does the unification of Aquitayne and Symphonia allow for easier travel, cheaper goods and services, and a stronger national defense, it also units two peoples that have always looked out for one another. The Royalist Party only looks to strengthen ties with Symphonia and allow for free travel between the two countries, as well as finding a diplomatic solution to the population crisis looming on the island-state.

Aswick

The former Aquitaynian colony has been a longtime friend, even after their secession after the Second Great Astyrian War. Currently, the nation is embroiled in a civil war, which the Royalist Party has actively suggested supporting. While such action is largely seen by the minority opposition as warmongering and immature - given the nature of Insula Fera and how the Eastern Astyrian Trade Alliance may react - the party still actively wishes to support the legitimate government of Aswick in their endeavors. Reportedly, some contingent of troops have been deployed to the region, but nothing has been confirmed. The Royalist Party is also currently proposing legislation to send monetary and non-lethal aid to the nation to support the war effort as well.