Wittonian Socialism

Wittonian Socialism is a political ideology in Urcea. Derived from various sources - primarily the policies of Michael Witte during his tenure as Procurator, but also borrowing concepts from distributism, right-wing socialism, social democracy, communitarianism, social conservatism, and social nationalism. Many scholars have described it as a modern development of Organicism.

Origin
Though the term originated merely as a description of the policies of Michael Witte and the National Democratic Party in the late 2000s, the enduring popularity of the Procurator and success of some of his programs - especially the universal multi-payer King's Health Aid program - lead to the creation of Wittonian Socialism as a distinct ideological position. Wittonian Socialism was a minority ideological position within the National Social Union in the late 2000s during Witte's continued Chancellorship, though the nature of legislative leadership meant his own political positions could not be thoroughly prosecuted. His successor, Chancellor James Cossus Reed, was not a professed Wittonian Socialist, he nonetheless embraced the minority faction especially with regard to foreign policy, leading to both The Deluge and the 2035 Urcean political realignment. With the formal creation of the Union for National Solidarity, the new party formally adopted Wittonian Socialism as its guiding philosophy.

Many of the policies of Witte and the ideology named for him find its roots in the origin of the National Democratic Party in the Red Interregnum. Some analysts and self-professed Wittonians have claimed that the movement originates with the policies of the Gréagóir FitzRex Crown Regency, originating as an antithesis of "privilegiata bourgeois laissez-faire" indicating reliance on a social conscience as opposed to pure individualism and that the aims of such a socialism were "peaceful, class-harmonizing, nationalist, and traditional". Accordingly, the ideology is said to have derived from, but is not directly related to, Crown Liberalism, as this "monarchic socialism" - as it exists within the context of the Government of Urcea and promoted social paternalism.

Description
Wittonian Socialism employs a welfare state model with a proactive labor market policy, based around a "golden triangle" with a three-sided mix of flexibility in the labor market combined with social security and an active labor market policy with rights and obligations for the unemployed. While it opposes anything resembling a formalized social hierarchy such as the old class system, it nonetheless recognizes the responsibility of individuals within a society. Wittonian Socialism, then, mixes traditional senses of duty and the paternal obligation of the government with an understanding of the necessities of providing for the needy and empowering the worker within a structured market economy. Wittonian Socialism also empraces a nationalistic position, emphasizing the ties between the society, the workers who empower it, and the national landscape which they occupy. The two elements of nationalism and duty lead to the sense of international duty for self-defense and the protection of Christians, a sense that lead to relatively active foreign policies by both Procruator Witte and his successors within his party in the run up to The Deluge. Wittonian Socialism also attempts to employ a pragmatic and non-ideological approach to politics and accepts the need for flexible policies as its practitioners, such as the Procurator himself, have often sought compromise with their ideological opponents for the sake of social stability.

Wittonian Socialism also adheres to a model of social paternalism derived from the Urcean philosophy of Procuratorialism. Consequently, it portrays the Apostolic King of Urcea - and his government - as having a fatherly duty entrusted by God to protect his people from the effects of ruinous economic forces and social calamity.