Progressivism in Carucere

Progressivism in Carucere (Papotement: Pwogresis) is a liberal political movement based upon the principles of multiculturalism, pluralism, and egalitarianism. Progressivism in the country is primarily represented by the center-left Carucerean National Congress, but many politicians have described themselves as progressives. It is considered to be a distinct political tradition that evolved from Euclean-style liberalism and was heavily influenced by Jean Preval. The "progressive" label is often used to distinguish them from the classical liberalism espoused by the Democratic Party.

While Preval was progressivism's most prominent adherent, the political movement's origins can be traced to the colonial era. Carucere was introduced to liberal ideals during the late 19th century from education provided by the Holistique movement. However as a largely racially and religiously segregated and politically closed colony, attempts at liberal reform were nonexistent until the 20th century. The Great War and the country's incorporation into the Arucian Federation and then the United Provinces, sparked Carucere's political awakening and nationalism. The country's status as a de facto banana republic under the Arucian Federation and United Provinces led to civil unrest and cooperation between the ethnic groups of Carucere.

Following ethnic tensions in the 1950s and 1960s, Jean Preval asserted the power of the President and sought to establish a pluralistic and inclusive state. His governing style drew from Euclean liberalism, the direct and local democracy exercised by Carucerean villages, the economic policies of the Chloéois Catholic Labour Party, and the principles of multiculturalism and religious tolerance. In writing and in speeches, Preval described his philosophy and policies as "progressive" and "liberal" which would be supported by the Carucerean National Congress, which he served as de facto leader. Historians have argued that the progressive label was used to present his policies as reformist and non-communist. After his death, his successors continued the progressive tradition within the Congress.

Today the Carucerean National Congress continues to be the predominant proponent of Carucerean progressivism. There are various political positions within Carucerean pogressives, but they tend share common beliefs on the economy and foreign affairs; such as reducing the control of transnational agribusinesses over the agricultural sector, continuing land reform, and promote cooperation with the wider Arucian and reduce dependence on Sainte-Chloé.

Contemporary progressivism

Modern progressivism in Carucere is centered around unique form of cultural progressivism. Progressives believe in establishing a "national" political and social framework to allow for the creation of a democratic and pluralistic society. To achieve this, progressives advocate for legislation promoting ethnic harmony such as criminalizing hate crimes and ethnic violence as well as the creation of democratic and inclusive institutions that would fairly represent all Carucereans regardless of race or religion. These include affirmative action for non-white students applying to national universities, maintaining the country's old democratic institutions, and the national Ethnic Relations Commission which monitors ethnic issues and tensions within the country and investigates its causes. By creating a society accepting of ethnic and religious diversity, progressives believe it establishes a system that allows Carucereans better address common issues that effects the country. Former President Claude Dogo, described the modern progressive movement in a 2003 speech;

Progressivism holds the idea that a society that has overcome all ethnic and religious division is not only possible, but necessary. Rather than turning inward, we must look outward for national solutions and display an uncompromising multi-ethnic attitude. Only as a united and self-nurturing front we could achieve our potential as a people and ensure our sovereignty. Yet we should never as members of the progressive cause lose sight of the fact while we are a single people, we are also a diverse people. Without the recognition and acceptance of our differences, it would only encourage communal self-interest and infighting that would only lead to our decay.

There is a considerable amount of debate and controversy among Carucerean progressives about the role of a common Carucerean identity. Former President Preval originally supported a form of cultural nationalism centered around common Caurcerean cultural institutions, namely Papotement. This Creolization as a means of national identity was met with resistance by segments of the population and was eventually abandoned. Some progressives such as former Presidents James Serville and Claude Dogo supported a form of civic nationalism with an identity centered around Carucerean citizenship and the ideals of liberty and equality that its citizens pledge to uphold. However other progressives have criticized these attempts as "Neo-Functionalist" in nature, comparing it to the Gaullicanization policies of the Functionalist era, and argued that the intent on creating a standardized identity contradicts the multicultural component of progressivism.

Since the 1990s, Carucerean progressivism has been tied to the national labour movement and the country's largest labor federation, the National Federation of Carucerean Trade Unions. As a result, economic progressivism has played a growing role in modern progressivism, especially policies advocating for minimum wage laws, antitrust laws, legislation protecting workers' rights and the rights of trade unions.

History

Colonial period

Robert Sayasone DuBois, a Carucerean intellectual and reformist.

Liberal ideals remained marginal in Carucere throughout the colonial era and did not gain much political influence. However the rise of the Holistique movement in the later of the 19th century introduced mass education to Carucere for the first time, which in turn gave rise to local educated Carucereans. The most prominent figure of the era was Robert Sayasone DuBois, the son of a gowsa mother and a White father, he given a Holistique education in Carucere and Sainte-Chloé starting in the late 1860s. Although a Holistique education heavily favored the works of Xenagoras and Thomas Aquinas, it also presented competing and new viewpoints, including the ideals of the Enlightenment. These included the works of Alexandre Seyres and current Euclean philosophers and included concepts such as the social contract, religious tolerance, deism, moral thought, and philosophical systems.

DuBois was heavily influenced by these ideals and emerged as a prominent writer and a reformist in Carucere during the 1880s. He criticized the colonial government for its anti-democratic nature and advocated for political reforms including the creation of an elected colonial legislature and more local control over the appointment of colonial governor. Although a small council was created in the aftermath of the Capois Rebellion, it functioned as an advisory body of the prominent businessmen and planters of the colony, rather than an elected legislature. His proposals were largely ignored by the colonial authorities, but liberal and reformist sentiment continued among mixed race Creoles.

In 1887, DuBois encountered village communes established by former indentured gowsas in central Magua, and observed their form of self-governance and democracy. In a treatise titled A Study of Democracy in Gowsa Villages published in 1890, DuBois reported on a system that he called "gowsa village communalism" which they brought from their native Dezevau. While he dismissed communalism as a backward economic system, he favorably compared the consenus-based direct democracy practiced by the villages to the government of the ancient Pirean city-state of Lasithi. The treatise proved to be influential among Creole liberals, who argued that gowsas were more "enlightened" than the Euclean elite in some form and they could draw upon their governance as a modern-day version of ancient Pirean democracy. Thus "gowsa democracy" became a popular idea within Carucerean liberal circles.

Post War progressivism

Following the Great War, Carucere was incorporated into the Arucian Federation. A Community of Nations Trusteeship, it was founded to oversee the de-functionalisation and democratisation of the colonial territories. In Carucere, the Trusteeship Council restored the colonial legislature that was disbanded during the Functionalist era and gradually devolved the authority to govern themselves over the course of several years; however the Council reserved the authority to intervene if it so chose. A parliamentary system emerged, although although the franchise was restricted mainly to the white Gaullicans and fair-skinned Creole elite who owned a certain amount of land.