Social Democratic Party of Wizlandia

Social Democratic Party
Abbreviation	SDP
Leader	Louise Bailey (Lieutenant Executive)
Deputy Leader	Stephen Douglas (SDP Senate Leader)
Founded	2012
Newspaper	The Progressive Tribune
Think tank	Centre for Progressive Policy
Youth wing	Young Democrats
Ideology	Social Democracy Cultural Progressivism
Political position	Centre-Left
European affiliation	Party of European Socialists (Observing Member)
International affiliation	Progressive Alliance Socialist International
Colors	Crimson
Slogan	"A fairer way forward."
House of Commons	211 / 800
Senate	35 / 120
State Legislatures	1,301 / 4,826
Political parties

The Social Democratic Party, abbreviated SDP, is one of the three major contemporary political parties of Wizlandia, along with its main political rivals the Liberal Party and the National Party. It is currently in a coalition government with the Liberal Party.

The Social Democratic Party ideology is Social Democracy and Cultural Progressivism. On economic issues the Social Democratic Party favours a heavily regulated market economy with an expansive progressive tax system, and have supported policies such as raising income taxes, implementing corporate taxes, creating a minimum-wage, establishing small tariffs on foreign manufacturing, a green energy federal jobs program to combat climate change, increasing state-funded welfare, and expanding public healthcare benefits, with some also supporting moving from the Universal Catastrophic Coverage system to a free at the point of use Single-Payer system. On cultural issues, the Social Democratic Party leans towards cultural progressivism, favouring a rehabilitation-oriented crime policy, freedom of association, is supportive of gay marriage, and is against drug criminalisation, but opposes the legalisation of prostitution, and supports affirmative action and an active state social policy to achieve social justice. The majority of Social Democrats support nuclear disarmament and a multilateral approach to achieve foreign policy goals, and are in favour of continued membership in supranational organisations such as the World Assembly.

Political Positions

Constitution

The Social Democratic Party opposed the passage of the Constitution of Wizlandia in 2013, citing various provisions as "anti-democratic" and attempting to institutionalise liberal policy. While the party initially called for the Constitution to be repealed in its entirety, the success of Wizlandia under the Constitution made this a losing position amongst voters, and they now adopt a reformist position. The party supports amendments that would decrease the three-fifths supermajority required to pass most bills to a simple majority, weaken the right to free speech, limit campaign spending, and eliminate all provisions restricting the size of the federal government and the taxes it can levy.

Economics

The Social Democratic Party support a heavily regulated mixed-economy, and favour fair trade, a medium to large welfare state, and increasing spending on public healthcare, which would be funded by an increase in the income, capital gains and value-added taxes, in addition to creating a 30% corporate tax. In addition, Social Democrats support various market interventions in order to help the working class, including establishing a W10 minimum wage, legalising the use of Union Security Agreements, and more stringent labour market regulations. Some more left-wing factions of the Social Democratic Party also support economic protectionism, a 2% wealth tax, 60% marginal income tax rate for multimillionaires, mandatory unionisation in large firms and a cap on CEO pay, although the larger and more liberal New Democrat faction oppose such policies.

Environment

The Social Democratic Party support the current Carbon Tax, but argue that the government ought to provide a federal green jobs program, which they argue would accelerate Wizlandia's transition to a green economy and decrease unemployment. Social Democrats support all forms of alternative energy, including nuclear power.

Healthcare

The Social Democratic Party support greater public healthcare spending, including decreasing the level of cost-sharing under the current catastrophic coverage system. Some more left-wing factions of the party also advocate passing the Single Payer Act, which would create a free at the point of use single-payer healthcare system.

Education

The Social Democratic Party oppose the current federal voucher system, which they argue takes funding away from the public school system, and support establishing a federal teacher's union and increasing the bargaining power of local teacher's unions in order to better advocate for teacher's benefits. Critics on the right charge the party with being beholden to local teacher's unions and prioritising the welfare of teachers over the education of students, though Social Democrats argue this is a false narrative and that more powerful teacher's unions would improve educational outcomes.

Immigration

The Social Democratic Party are divided on the current open-border policy, with more liberal factions supporting the current policy, and more conservative and moderate factions raising concern that immigrants depress the salary of low-skill workers, and advocate a quota of 3 million immigrants per year. Social Democrats oppose any limits on the number political refugees Wizlandia accepts.

Social Positions

The Social Democrats are culturally progressive, and support maintaining the status quo of legal gay marriage, legal polygamy, and legal soft drugs such as marijuana, and not making hard drug use a criminal offence. However, Social Democrats oppose the legalisation of prostitution, citing concerns that legalising prostitution would allow the profit-motive to exploit women. Social Democrats support a rehabilitation-oriented criminal policy, greater social spending on crime-heavy communities, and no restrictions on abortion at both the federal and state level. The Social Democratic Party are divided on the issue of free speech and internet freedom, with the more liberal factions supporting the status quo, and the more left-wing factions desiring to criminalise hate speech and hold social media companies liable for such speech.

Foreign Policy

The Social Democratic Party are centrist on the dove-hawk spectrum. The party is supportive of NATO and of sanctions against foreign officials that engage in human-rights abuses, but they tend to oppose military action such as the American intervention in Syria, and the party has refused to recognise either Juan Guaidó or Nicolás Maduro as the President of Venenzuela. Historically, the Social Democratic Party supported protectionist policies, although over time the party has accepted the economic consensus on free trade and have become more supportive of free trade agreements, though they insist that such agreements must include environmental and labour protections. The Social Democratic Party support unilateral nuclear disarmament, and have publicly declared that they would never press the nuclear button if in office. This position has led to heavy criticism by the Liberal Party, the National Party, and the Civic Alliance, who have described such statements as very irresponsible.