Post by Lorpius Prime on Dec 20, 2010 23:52:20 GMT -5
The Integrated Systems rose to prominence nearly 700 years ago during the fall of the second Empire of Man. Previously, the IS (pronounced "iz") had been a minor vassal of the Empire. However, as the Empire's strength was drained by the long war with the Sazuran race, the IS was able to increase its status and influence. When the Sazurans captured Athens station, the Empire negotiated the handover of Sparta to the IS in exchange for the Systems' full commitment to war with the Sazurans. Fresh and highly disciplined IS fleets quickly recaptured Athens, and then spearheaded the allied assault on Sazura itself, forcing a quick end to the war.
After war, however, the IS refused to hand back the hyperdrive stations or newly acquired territory to the Empire. With the Imperial military still too weak and demoralized to challenge the might of their former vassals, the Last Emperor abdicated in disgrace, and most of his nation was quickly absorbed by the Integrated Systems.
Galactic politics under IS domination are much more orderly, with less emphasis on symbolism and show in comparison to Imperial rule. While still dominated by humans, the IS is more tolerant of aliens, allowing them to serve in public office and enlist for military service like any human citizen.
Still, there is significant public resentment of IS rule, especially among non-humans. The IS state is highly centralized, with planetary or equivalent governments reporting directly to the Integrity Council on Centrum (formerly the Imperial capital world High Terra). All local bureaucracies and public organizations are required to adhere to rigid guidelines based on the national philosophy, regardless of purpose or local culture. While the stated purpose of such rules is to make IS society universally accessible to all citizens and maintain original source of the culture's strength, many non-humans believe it is simply a subtler way of ensuring continued Human pre-eminence within civil society. Even many human worlds, especially those on the fringes of IS territory, chafe under strict rule, and IS fleets are on continual deployment suppressing revolts and secession movements.
The Integrity Council (or simply "Integrity") is the highest political authority of the Integrated Systems. It currently has 6 members, but over the history of the IS, this number has ranged from as little as 3 to as many as 13. By unofficial tradition, its decisions are made unanimously. Though there is no constitutional requirement to this effect, the individual members of Integrity tend to wield such enormous power that a split decision could very well indicate the start of a civil war. Integrity appoints the leaders of major state agencies, system governors, ambassadors, and other high officials. Though the details of public policy are generally left to lower tiers of government, Integrity sets the overall agenda and foreign policy of the IS.
There are several major factions vying for power within the IS and Integrity Council representing a variety of ideological or family agendas. Usually the best indicator of a faction's strength is whether it has a representative to Integrity. The current major factions are:
The Barony of Axis: Axis is the previous capital world of the IS, when the second Empire of Man still ruled from High Terra. In the later stages of the Sazuran War, the head of the Maxwell Family, who ruled the IS at the time, was granted the title of Baron. When the ruling Maxwells left Axis to establish their new rule at Centrum, the original systems of the IS were left in the care of a lesser branch of the family. Though they are still considered somewhat less influential than the Centrum Maxwells, the Barony does include some of the most developed and wealthy systems within the IS. The Barons of Axis and their subjects tend to be among the most rabid supporters of orthodox IS principles. Within Integrity, they tend to work most closely with their Maxwell cousins and the Humanist faction.
The Maxwell Family: Founders of the Integrated Systems, both the original and expanded incarnations, the Maxwells are very much the "first family" of the IS despite its lack of an officially-sanctioned nobility. The head Maxwell usually serves as spokesperson for Integrity, and thus as the public face of the IS to its people and neighbors. The Maxwells are heavily invested in the economy of Centrum and the Barony of Axis, but otherwise their authority is more distributed than other regional factions, and depends largely on public recognition. Their policies may be thought of as conservative, but not as strict as their cousins in the Barony.
The Humanists: The Humanists would like nothing better than to transform the Integrated Systems into a third Empire of Man. Militant xenophobes, their members like to maintain the dress and ceremony of the old Empire (or what they imagine as the dress and ceremony of an Empire that fell more than 600 years ago). Their anti-alien rhetoric and policies have resulted in more sanctions against Humanist organizations than any other mainstream faction within the IS, and their representation within Integrity has been sporadic over the centuries. Despite the occasional backlash, however, the Humanists survive as a faction largely due to the dominance of humans in the economies of the inner IS systems, and resentment of aliens among the less-developed economies of the fringe.
The Path of the Divine Algorithm: The Diviners are usually perceived as eccentrics or outright lunatics by the general public and most of their influence is derived from their usefulness to other factions. The movement originated in the centuries immediately following consolidation of the IS within former Imperial territory. A wave of academic interest in the success of the IS philosophy trickled into the public sphere and encouraged a belief in effective government through scientific principles. The Diviners attempt to codify and refine the principles behind the IS' success. Though their leadership is mostly composed of laymen, they devote a tremendous amount of money to funding social science research and institutions (and the researchers themselves at the very least pay lip-service to the Diviners' beliefs in return for funding). Whenever Integrity adopts new programs or procedures, it is generally only after exhaustive research by Diviner institutions. Despite public distrust of their often quasi-religious rhetoric, the Diviners' sympathy to aliens makes them popular among many of the IS' non-Human citizens.
The Alliance for Reform: The Reformers are the product of an uneasy alliance between the Socialist faction and a smaller group of reform-minded technocrats. They are probably the most powerful faction without a representative in Integrity, a dilemma which the recent alliance hopes to rectify. The Socialists' identify with the IS' large underclass and seek to expand the social welfare bureaucracy far beyond traditional levels. Although this agenda is popular among many common citizens, it is vehemently opposed by powerful aristocratic interests which have always kept the Socialists out of Integrity. By associating themselves with a milder reform agenda, they hope to gain a realistic chance at representation. In contrast, their technocratic allies hope the weight of popular opinion behind the Socialists will force the sitting members of Integrity to take their suggestions for reform seriously. Similar to the Diviners, the technocrats emphasize scientific analysis and rational policy. They advocate a simplified bureaucracy, in the belief that overregulation is sapping the IS' economic vitality.
The Brouda Families: A loose association of aristocratic families (the Brouda are merely the largest, and usually dominant) who control a number of heavily industrialized systems near Sazuran space. The Brouda are only interested in the IS philosophy to the extent that it keeps them wealthy and empowered, and have little time for ideologies of any strain. As a result, their representatives in Integrity are usually seen as somewhat mercenary, supporting whatever and whoever can give them the most advantage. Although the Brouda themselves are human, their worlds have large non-Human populations, and they generally do not get along with the Humanists. Athens station is within Brouda space, but it is not directly controlled by the family.
The Merchant Pragmatists: Although it usually behaves another regional faction controlled by aristocratic families, the Merchant Pragmatists do attempt to maintain a somewhat more populist image. Rather than heavy industry, most of these families' wealth comes from investment in trading interests, luxuries, and various services. They tend to a favor a more liberal mindset than the Maxwell or Brouda families, and often make deliberate efforts to appeal to non-human citizens. The Merchant Pragmatists have been represented in Integrity for the last century by the head of the Sidowal family.
After war, however, the IS refused to hand back the hyperdrive stations or newly acquired territory to the Empire. With the Imperial military still too weak and demoralized to challenge the might of their former vassals, the Last Emperor abdicated in disgrace, and most of his nation was quickly absorbed by the Integrated Systems.
Galactic politics under IS domination are much more orderly, with less emphasis on symbolism and show in comparison to Imperial rule. While still dominated by humans, the IS is more tolerant of aliens, allowing them to serve in public office and enlist for military service like any human citizen.
Still, there is significant public resentment of IS rule, especially among non-humans. The IS state is highly centralized, with planetary or equivalent governments reporting directly to the Integrity Council on Centrum (formerly the Imperial capital world High Terra). All local bureaucracies and public organizations are required to adhere to rigid guidelines based on the national philosophy, regardless of purpose or local culture. While the stated purpose of such rules is to make IS society universally accessible to all citizens and maintain original source of the culture's strength, many non-humans believe it is simply a subtler way of ensuring continued Human pre-eminence within civil society. Even many human worlds, especially those on the fringes of IS territory, chafe under strict rule, and IS fleets are on continual deployment suppressing revolts and secession movements.
The Integrity Council (or simply "Integrity") is the highest political authority of the Integrated Systems. It currently has 6 members, but over the history of the IS, this number has ranged from as little as 3 to as many as 13. By unofficial tradition, its decisions are made unanimously. Though there is no constitutional requirement to this effect, the individual members of Integrity tend to wield such enormous power that a split decision could very well indicate the start of a civil war. Integrity appoints the leaders of major state agencies, system governors, ambassadors, and other high officials. Though the details of public policy are generally left to lower tiers of government, Integrity sets the overall agenda and foreign policy of the IS.
There are several major factions vying for power within the IS and Integrity Council representing a variety of ideological or family agendas. Usually the best indicator of a faction's strength is whether it has a representative to Integrity. The current major factions are:
The Barony of Axis: Axis is the previous capital world of the IS, when the second Empire of Man still ruled from High Terra. In the later stages of the Sazuran War, the head of the Maxwell Family, who ruled the IS at the time, was granted the title of Baron. When the ruling Maxwells left Axis to establish their new rule at Centrum, the original systems of the IS were left in the care of a lesser branch of the family. Though they are still considered somewhat less influential than the Centrum Maxwells, the Barony does include some of the most developed and wealthy systems within the IS. The Barons of Axis and their subjects tend to be among the most rabid supporters of orthodox IS principles. Within Integrity, they tend to work most closely with their Maxwell cousins and the Humanist faction.
The Maxwell Family: Founders of the Integrated Systems, both the original and expanded incarnations, the Maxwells are very much the "first family" of the IS despite its lack of an officially-sanctioned nobility. The head Maxwell usually serves as spokesperson for Integrity, and thus as the public face of the IS to its people and neighbors. The Maxwells are heavily invested in the economy of Centrum and the Barony of Axis, but otherwise their authority is more distributed than other regional factions, and depends largely on public recognition. Their policies may be thought of as conservative, but not as strict as their cousins in the Barony.
The Humanists: The Humanists would like nothing better than to transform the Integrated Systems into a third Empire of Man. Militant xenophobes, their members like to maintain the dress and ceremony of the old Empire (or what they imagine as the dress and ceremony of an Empire that fell more than 600 years ago). Their anti-alien rhetoric and policies have resulted in more sanctions against Humanist organizations than any other mainstream faction within the IS, and their representation within Integrity has been sporadic over the centuries. Despite the occasional backlash, however, the Humanists survive as a faction largely due to the dominance of humans in the economies of the inner IS systems, and resentment of aliens among the less-developed economies of the fringe.
The Path of the Divine Algorithm: The Diviners are usually perceived as eccentrics or outright lunatics by the general public and most of their influence is derived from their usefulness to other factions. The movement originated in the centuries immediately following consolidation of the IS within former Imperial territory. A wave of academic interest in the success of the IS philosophy trickled into the public sphere and encouraged a belief in effective government through scientific principles. The Diviners attempt to codify and refine the principles behind the IS' success. Though their leadership is mostly composed of laymen, they devote a tremendous amount of money to funding social science research and institutions (and the researchers themselves at the very least pay lip-service to the Diviners' beliefs in return for funding). Whenever Integrity adopts new programs or procedures, it is generally only after exhaustive research by Diviner institutions. Despite public distrust of their often quasi-religious rhetoric, the Diviners' sympathy to aliens makes them popular among many of the IS' non-Human citizens.
The Alliance for Reform: The Reformers are the product of an uneasy alliance between the Socialist faction and a smaller group of reform-minded technocrats. They are probably the most powerful faction without a representative in Integrity, a dilemma which the recent alliance hopes to rectify. The Socialists' identify with the IS' large underclass and seek to expand the social welfare bureaucracy far beyond traditional levels. Although this agenda is popular among many common citizens, it is vehemently opposed by powerful aristocratic interests which have always kept the Socialists out of Integrity. By associating themselves with a milder reform agenda, they hope to gain a realistic chance at representation. In contrast, their technocratic allies hope the weight of popular opinion behind the Socialists will force the sitting members of Integrity to take their suggestions for reform seriously. Similar to the Diviners, the technocrats emphasize scientific analysis and rational policy. They advocate a simplified bureaucracy, in the belief that overregulation is sapping the IS' economic vitality.
The Brouda Families: A loose association of aristocratic families (the Brouda are merely the largest, and usually dominant) who control a number of heavily industrialized systems near Sazuran space. The Brouda are only interested in the IS philosophy to the extent that it keeps them wealthy and empowered, and have little time for ideologies of any strain. As a result, their representatives in Integrity are usually seen as somewhat mercenary, supporting whatever and whoever can give them the most advantage. Although the Brouda themselves are human, their worlds have large non-Human populations, and they generally do not get along with the Humanists. Athens station is within Brouda space, but it is not directly controlled by the family.
The Merchant Pragmatists: Although it usually behaves another regional faction controlled by aristocratic families, the Merchant Pragmatists do attempt to maintain a somewhat more populist image. Rather than heavy industry, most of these families' wealth comes from investment in trading interests, luxuries, and various services. They tend to a favor a more liberal mindset than the Maxwell or Brouda families, and often make deliberate efforts to appeal to non-human citizens. The Merchant Pragmatists have been represented in Integrity for the last century by the head of the Sidowal family.