DEMOCRACY IN THE AGE OF CHAOS
This report, authored by the Galactic Policy Research Centre on Balmorra, and authored by Kirie Ito, is the first of its kind in recent history. It is intended to provide a (mostly) comprehensive and substantive overview of democracy across the major political factions of the Galaxy. This report does not wax philosophical about the nature of democracy, it is designed to provide the groundwork for further policy work and recommendations for democratization across the Galaxy.
2. Categorising Democracy
Major factions were analysed according to 5 areas of substantive democracy, including the electoral process, the functioning of government, political participation, political culture and civil liberties. Responses to questions in each section were ranked from 1 to a possible 10, where 0 is the least democratic, and 10 the most. Each faction was ranked based on 60 questions in the 5 broad categories.
For the final score, an average was made of each section score, again from 0 to 10. The breakdown of the scoring system is outlined below:
| Regime Type | Score | Colour |
| Full Democracy | 8 - 10 | ■■ |
| Flawed Democracy | 6 - 8 | ■■ |
| Hybrid Regime | 4 - 6 | ■■ |
| Authoritarian | 0 - 4 | ■■ |
3. The Democracy Index 867
A total of 8 major factions were included in the 867 ABY report, and data was gathered via survey in more open regimes, and where survey was not possible the GPRC research team relied on interviews with experts to respond to questions. One faction, the Bryn'adul, was considered too dangerous for survey teams and there was a deficit of expert knowledge on the regime. Because of this, the Bryn'adul have not been included in this study. Similarly, index scores for the Brotherhood of the Maw may reflect inaccuracies due to the faction's secretive nature.
The index scores for each faction are shown below:
| Rank | Name | Regime Type | Electoral process and pluralism | Functioning of government | Political participation | Political culture | Civil liberties | Overall Score |
1 | CIS - Confederacy | Full Democracy | 7.92 | 9.64 | 7.50 | 10.00 | 7.65 | 8.54 |
2 | SJO - Silver Jedi Order | Flawed Democracy | 7.92 | 7.86 | 5.83 | 6.88 | 8.82 | 7.46 |
3 | GA - Galactic Alliance | Flawed Democracy | 6.25 | 8.57 | 7.00 | 5.63 | 8.33 | 7.16 |
4 | AC - Ashlan Crusade | Hybrid Regime | 7.50 | 8.57 | 5.00 | 4.38 | 4.41 | 5.97 |
5 | EE - Eternal Empire | Hybrid Regime | 3.75 | 5.36 | 3.00 | 4.38 | 4.12 | 4.12 |
6 | NIO - New Imperial Order | Authoritarian | 0.40 | 3.21 | 3.13 | 1.88 | 3.53 | 2.43 |
7 | BM - Brotherhood of the Maw | Authoritarian | 0.00 | 2.14 | 1.67 | 0.00 | 0.59 | 1.58 |
8 | BRY - Bryn'adul | No Data Available | - | - | - | - | - | N/A |
4. Breakdown by Faction
The Confederacy of Independent Systems - Full Democracy
Enshrined within the constitution of the CIS are several things: a commitment to citizens' freedom and individual rights, a well-crafted and balanced political system, and a fiery commitment to self-determination. Not only is the Confederacy a well-crafted democratic state on paper, in practice it is also highly stable and functional, and acts according to the foundational values of democracy and freedom on which it is built. The only point at which the CIS suffers is with the issue that it covers large territory, a multitude of systems, and many varied cultures. Because of this, there are at times large variations in political culture, participation, the running of elections, and civil liberties.
The Silver Jedi Concord - Flawed Democracy
At a glance, the Silver Jedi Concord seems a perfect example of deliberative democracy done well. While it suffers from the same issue as the CIS, where agreement on democratic rule and political participation is difficult over such huge territory, the SJC has more severe weaknesses to its democracy. One such weakness is the primacy of the Silver Jedi Order in the composition of the state. The Silver Jedi enjoy a permanent unelected position in the legislative body, and the Jedi Order wields inordinate authority over the decision-making of the Concord, especially when it comes to matters of military and defense. This problem, combined with a lesser political will to uphold democracy than the CIS and a state struggling against the existential threat of the Bryn'adul leaves the Concord vulnerable to a backslide into authoritarianism.
The Galactic Alliance - Flawed Democracy
Despite inheriting from millennia of democratic political culture, the Galactic Alliance indulges in the worst impulses of the SJC and the CIS. Political participation is varied and unequal across the Alliance's many worlds, and while civil liberties tend to be strong and widely respected, there have been notable exceptions in recent history. Corruption is pervasive, especially in the financing and running of political campaigns, endangering the integrity of the electoral process. Finally, the New Jedi Order, despite their incredibly small size, wield huge amounts of power within the Alliance, including membership in the state legislature and ministerial councils. Worse still, the New Jedi appear hold special status in the judicial system and a relative immunity from the law, as exemplified by the allegations of war crimes levied on the Jedi during the Stygian Campaign.
Ashlan Crusade - Hybrid Regime
Eternal Empire - Hybrid Regime
Perhaps if the Eternal Empire was not such a fractured state, it would be a stronger democracy. As it stands, the Empire has responded to instability and a lack of cohesion amongst its subjects with a heavy hand, employing repressive methods to suppress a rebellion within its borders, and continually undermining its democratic foundations with extrajudicial uses of force by secret police and the state at large. Other issues with the state's politics include the membership of aristocracy and the military within the legislature, and an unequal system of tiered citizenship without universal suffrage. As of 867 it appears the last of the EE's democratic institutions are being worn away, and without major changes it is due to join the last entries in this list as it slips into authoritarianism.
New Imperial Order - Authoritarian
What is the most dangerous about the New Imperial Order is the degree to which it embraces its own authoritarianism. The regime values strength above all else, and that strength is found in brutal suppression, rampant militarism, and the demand for fierce loyalty to the state amongst its citizens and between its various sub-factions of warlords. In the Order, the world of the military cannot be divorced from the political, and decisions are made on the basis of a zero-sum equation, where one benefits as the rest suffer. The New Imperials lack a history of democracy, of freedom, having broken off from an equally cruel regime under the Sith-Imperials. Perhaps the only beacon of hope for New Imperial democracy is the political will and engagement of the people, which is fierce and alive, albeit in the direction of authoritarianism.
The Brotherhood of the Maw
Easily the least understood of the major Galactic factions bar the Bryn'adul, what is known about the Maw, gathered from the tragedy at Csilla and subsequent raids, does not paint them in a positive light. The Maw political system is characterised by a cultish devotion to political and religious leaders, with stability achieved almost entirely by the threat of violence by those in charge, as well as indoctrination. The Maw are an entirely undemocratic and unequal society, relying on slaves for productivity and eschewing common notions of government and statecraft.
5. Final Words
As it stands, the state of Galactic democracy is dire, with only a single fully democratic regime out of 7 major factions assessed. That said, there is great potential for democratization, should those factions languishing under undemocratic and flawed systems find the political will. Only time will tell if the next report shows the growth of newer, better democracy, or if the slide into unstable and authoritarian states will continue
Note on the Author:
Kirie Ito is the current chair of the GPRC and a Fellow of the Balmorra Exploratory Association, as well a member of the New Jedi Order on Coruscant.
