Shaftonist-Republican Alliance

The Shaftonist-Republican Alliance is a big-tent caucus in the Kiravian Stanora broadly united by a shared belief in a market-driven mixed economy, economic growth and development, Shaftonist philosophy and political theory, and pragmatism. Formed by a merger of three opposition caucuses during Kirosocialism, the SRA and its allies defeated the Kirosocialists in 21185 and undertook a program of political and economic reform that allowed for explosive economic growth and the resurgence of Kiravia as an international power. The Shaftonist-Republicans have remained the governing caucus uninterrupted since 21185, and have led the pro-administration camp in support of the past four Prime Executives: Kólsylvar, Rénkédar, Mérovin, and Candrin.

Antecedents
The Shaftonist-Republican Alliance traces its heritage to the Renaissance Party, which emerged during the political tumult of the Colour Wars and the Mercantile Collapse. Basing its platform on Shaftonist political theory, the Renaissance Party believed that the path to national renewal for Kiravia... They fought to break the rule of both coastal-metropolitan mercantile oligarchs and the traditional landowning aristocracy, which they accused of having subverted the kéarita ("commonwealth, republic") established during the Republican Revolution and imposing a royan ("dominion"). At the same time, they were just as vehemently opposed to the schemes of the Bartists and the proto-Kirosocialists who sought to fix the nation's problems through top-down social and economic engineering, and against the Westernizers, who embraced Occidental culture.

Contemporary (21206-present)
Beginning in 21205, a number of factors combined to undermine the SRA's long-dominant position in Kiravian politics. Structurally speaking, the trend of substantial economic growth engendered by SRA policies sustained since the 21180s began to level off, weakening the caucus's rhetorical angle as the party of growth and leading many Kiravians to question their hitherto enthusiastic embrace of market liberalism. Internally, partially as a response to the rise of the Caucus of Justice's reformist wing and the CSU's centrist Christian democratic wing, the caucus' member parties became increasingly identified (and identified themselves) with economic liberalism at the expense of its historically values-grounded Shaftonist identity. As these competing factions began to offer middle-class voters suitably familiar ordoliberal fiscal policies, many state parties and politicians with prominent national profiles shifted toward a more strongly stance.

While SRA control of state legislatures and its share of Federal Stanora seats had been in gradual decline for about a decade, two events cemented the caucus' deposition as the nationwide ruling party. The first was the Constitutional Protection Agency leaks scandal of mid-21205 which revealed an extensive record of electoral, campaign finance, and other legal violations by SRA, CSU, and DDF officials, including members of the Stanora, state politicians, and state party staff. This scandal precipitated the resignation of 19 SRA Delegates, including Chancellor Sārden Ēvūrverd, and forced the caucus to enter into a coalition with the Caucus of Justice and Coscivian National Congress. The Ixnay Economic Crash of 21206 ahead of that year's federal elections proved a crippling blow to the caucus by igniting popular opposition to its internationalist and more recently pronounced neoliberal leanings, allowing other caucuss to attack its historic closeness to the financial industry and multinational business, and heightening interest in through the Authentic Living Movement.

These factors propelled CSU, CoJ, CNC, and even Levantian Union Party candidates upward in the polls at the SRA's expense, resulting in a CSU-CR-Agrarian "Lime coalition" minority government and ending the SRA's decades-long position as the largest and leading faction in the Stanora. While in opposition, the SRA has opposed the minority coalition's legislative agenda, while continuing (along with elements of the CoJ and CNC) to lead the pro-administration camp in support of Prime Executive Andrus Candrin.

Platform
The SRA is a caucus. Many Shaftonist-Republican politicians, activists, and journalists have advanced the idea that the caucus represents an authentic ideology that draws on a variety of traditions, including Shaftonist political thought, the Fiannrian liberal tradition of the Kilikas Enlightenment, Neo-Urcean democracy,, and (in foreign policy) the school of thought dominant among international relations scholars in Kiravia and Burgundie. In practice, however, and especially since 21200, the SRA has positioned itself as a non-ideological force of the political mainstream, and is generally perceived as such by the public. This broad-church approach has allowed the caucus to incorporate a wide range of different state parties, such as small-government pro-business parties, parties representing various ethnosocial group interests, and conservative and centrist "parties of power" holding long-term electoral dominance in their states.

Economic Policy
The primary policy goal uniting Shaftonist-Republicans is fostering economic growth and development using market liberal and ordoliberal policies. Shaftonist-Republicans support a generally free market and believe in the ability of the capitalist economic order to increase standards of living and provide long-term prosperity, but believe that government management of the economy through targeted and nuanced policies is also important to ensure that the market performs as close to its theoretical potential as possible, especially in the context of development. The early Shaftonist-Republican platform was designed to repair the damage done to the Kiravian economy by decades of Kirosocialist rule characterised by state participation in the market (through nationalisation, state enterprises, and state interests in private firms), heavy regulation, protectionism, and high taxation to support extensive (and according to Shaftonist-Republicans, excessive) government services, spending, and subsidies.

Contemporary political analysts typically identify three main "wings" within the SRA with different approaches to economic policy:


 * Conservative SRs take a more approach toward economic policy that continues the caucus' initial policies under the Kólsylvar and Rénkédar administrations to manage the transition away from Kirosocialism. The Conservatives embrace the use of, , subsidies, among other means, to sustain high growth rates, strengthen international competitiveness, and maximise exports. The Conservatives take a technocratic and corporatist approach to regulatory planning, and have close ties with the Kiravian Economic Executive bureaucracy and . Members of the caucus' , , , and  tendencies are most likely to be classified as Conservative SRs.


 * Liberal SRs adhere more closely to, believing that the Clarendonomics policies of the post-Kirosocialist transition period are no longer appropriate in a "mature" market economy. They support , trade liberalisation, cutting regulations and the regulatory bureaucracy, stronger , and creating a more seamless internal market by harmonising tax and regulatory policies among the federal subjects. Liberal SRs have strong ties with the financial industry and a constellation of policy think-tanks. Liberal SRs are most often associated with , , and ideology.


 * Reform SRs join the Liberals in their opposition to technocratic economic planning by the federal government, but seek to balance and synthesise economic liberalisation with other priorities such as, , addressing regional disparities in economic development, and cultural integrity. Reformists champion and devolution of domestic economic policy to lower levels of government, policies favourable to small and medium enterprises, public-private partnerships and . Primarily mainstream Shaftonist democrats, Reform SRs may also be identified with , , , and.

-Development and subsidies to high-tech industry, investment- -Contemporary ordoliberalism-

Foreign Policy
Shaftonist-Republicans were responsible for ending the isolationism favoured by the Kirosocialist régime and opening diplomatic and commercial relations with the world at large. The most consistent themes in Shaftonist-Republican foreign policy are economically-focused, with key goals such as attracting foreign investment, seeking foreign markets for Kiravian goods and services, and obtaining favourable trade access to commodities of high strategic value (e.g. ). In order to gain the favour of wealthy Western commercial powers, earlier Prime Executives of a Political Shaftonist persuasion, such as Rénkédar and Mérovin, conformed to prevailing Western-based norms by joining (or re-joining) and increasing engagement with many, adopting liberal-internationalist language and rhetoric in its communications, and supporting  and. However, attitudes within the caucus began to shift after the post-Kirosocialist economic transition had been completed in the coastal states, in response to a resurgence of anti-Western sentiment across Kiravian society and political backlash against the SRA in less-developed regions. With the election of Prime Executive Svanirren, a veteran of the Kiravian diplomatic corps which had remained a bastion of dissenting strategic views, the caucus supported Svanirren's agenda of strategic ādbrāvartakor ("reassertion") in foreign affairs, which involved a more muscular military and diplomatic stance and a somewhat more counter-hegemonic disposition in geopolitics. The caucus has subsequently backed the thalassocratic, expansionist, and interventionist foreign policy direction pursued by Prime Executive Candrin.

The SRA has historically maintained a cautious, though not expressly hostile, attitude towards regional or continental integration projects, generally supporting arrangements that allow Kiravia to access the economic benefits of such initiatives while firmly rejecting political integration. While there has been a minority Levantophile movement within the caucus open to some form of closer association between Kiravia and the Levantian Union, it has become somewhat muted and diminished with the advent of the Deluge and the re-orientation of Kiravian attention toward the Crona-Atrassic region. The platform of the Levantian Union Party, unaffiliated with the SRA in any way, combines traditional SRA policy positions with a strong pro-LU agenda. There also exists a significant pro-Caphirian current in the SRA which has ties to outside groups such as the Society for Capitalist Preservation.

A number of different foreign policy schools of thought coëxist and overlap in the SRA and its associated organisations, including, , "Coscivian internationalism", liberal internationalism, conservative internationalism, and [Third Positionism or whatever].

Social Platform
In a Kiravian context, the SRA as a whole is seen as moderate on social and cultural issues, though many individual members and member-parties position themselves as strong or strong. Traditionally, the SRA overall has been less inclined towards legislating personal morality than the Caritist Social Union, and less inclined towards legislating culture and identity than the Coscivian National Congress. Nonetheless, it has positioned itself as a defender of the social order, and is perceived as upholding a civic morality grounded in Shaftonist-Abrahamic values and a middle-class mentality. It is socially conservative by Western standards, and rejects the very concept of on Shaftonist philosophical grounds. Because most aspects of and  are the purview of state governments rather than the federal government, the federal caucus itself has few official positions on social issues. As there is a strong trans-partisan conservative consensus in Kiravia on issues such as reproductive bioethics, sexual orientation, and gender identity that are more contentious in Western countries, the SRA platform does not expressly address these issues.

Since the separation of the Union of Democrats & Independents, which removed many of the more latitudinarian elements from the SRA, the caucus has settled into a more thoroughly conservative ethos.

Since its founding as the Renaissance Party, the SRA has consistently supported dhiambrikorisēn ("nondistinctionism"), the idea that the various Coscivian ethnosocial groups (tuva) and analogous minority communities should not have any corporate status before the law, and that the government should generally not identify or classify persons according to their tuva, ethnicity, caste, clan, tribe, lineage, or sect.

On, the Renaissance Party was instrumental in ending Kirosocialist suppression of regional and ethnic Coscivian vernacular languages and Gaelic. The SRA has traced a middle path between monolingualism and multilingualism, supporting the continued use of Kiravic Coscivian as a nationwide lingua franca for inter-ethnic communication, business, and federal administration, while also expanding language access and welcoming the use of non-Kiravic vernaculars. However, within the caucus there are some who seek greater formalised status for the major vernacular languages at the federal level.

Support Base
The SRA draws support from a wide cross-section of Kiravian society, and from the fall of Kirosocialism until the 21206 Kiravian federal election was considered by many to be Kiravia's. Its most consistent and enthusiastic base of support is the metropolitan white-collar workforce and business class living in the highly developed coastal states and Æonara. Key factors underpinning its long-term electoral dominance have been maintaining high levels of support from the middle class more generally, and preventing the emergence of viable competitor parties in Æonara and the Overseas Regions.

In recent years, other caucuses have eroded the SRA's dominance by building inroads with its metropolitan middle-class base. An extensive study commissioned by the SR Federal Conference analysing the evolving geographic dimensions of voting patterns in metropolitan areas found that since 21195 CSU-affiliated parties have become much more competitive in inner-ring suburbs and satellite cities that had previously been reliably Shaftonist-Republican. It also found that while parties in the reformist wing of the Caucus of Justice had begun to perform well (particularly in state and local elections) in many exurban areas - the strongest and most consistent areas of SRA support - this success appears to be transitional, with support for SRA parties increasing as land development progresses. At the state and local level, SRA affiliates have benefitted greatly from the suburbanisation process that accompanied the "maturation" of the Kiravian capitalist economy, losing influence in urban cores but cementing dominance over the expanding  of suburbs, exurbs, boomburbs, edge cities, and satellite cities, as well as becoming more competitive in many struggling micropolitan areas being revitalised by out-migration from major cities.

Although generally seen as a metropolitan-oriented party, the SRA does have a significant rural constituency in northern coastal states, the overseas colonies, and parts of the Eastern Highlands. Candidates pledged to the SRA typically draw more rural votes in federal elections than candidates from state-level SRA affiliate parties do in state and local elections.

SRA voters tend to have higher incomes, higher rates of educational attainment, higher property values, and longer lifespans than the national average. Adjusted for the different characteristics of various faith traditions, SRA supporters have an average rate of religious participation close to the national median (though it is worth noting that the Kiravian median is quite high), and their distribution among religious denominations is reasonably reflective of the electorate as a whole. Insular Apostolic Christians lean toward the SRA more than the other major Christian denominations. There is a demonstrated relationship between the Iduan religion and voter preference for the SRA, with SRA candidates holding a ~25 point lead with citizens identifying Iduanism as their sole or primary religion. Christian ethno-social communities of Iduan heritage cast a greater share of their votes for SRA candidates than other Christian communities of the same denomination and IDLD rating.

With regard to Coscivian ethno-social divisions, the SRA performs best with groups rated as 'Forward' or 'Stable' by the IDLD, indicating better educational and economic outcomes. Ethno-social groups considered loyal to the SRA at the polls include Ĥeiran Coscivians generally, Taństan Coscivians (especially outside of their historic homeland in the Northeast]], Red Kir, Kalistan Kir, Sanþans, Hisrovans, Thantrans, Kerēgulans, the Kandaran/Likútan/Idekan/Fulmarine cohort, Nuśiryans and Krakyerkir, Kúvatans, Visikirans, Issantaks, Meridran Kir, and Umcarans. The SRA and its predecessors have traditionally attracted strong support from the Gaelic population, in large part because of their poor relationship to the Kirosocialist government. This has become less uniform in recent decades, mainly due to the urban, working-class, and recent-immigrant segments of that population shifting toward the centre-left CSU or left-wing Camchéachta, though SRA preferences remain very high among the Gaelic middle class, Kiravian Gaels and old-stock Fanerian- and Fiannrian-Kiravians, anti-communist Carnish emigrés, and Gaelic highlanders. White-collar naturalised citizens also historically swung hard for the SRA, but it remains to be seen whether this will continue after the secession of the UDI Caucus.

A study found that members of SRA-affiliated parties have the highest levels of access to and use of information technology of any caucus, save the now-defunct Direct Democratic Front.

Caucus Members (with sitting Delegates)
In provinces where multiple SRA-affiliated parties are active at the provincial level, the parties commonly put up a joint slate of candidates for elections to the Stanora. Such lists are indicated in bold.

Conference Members
Andrēdan Arkvera Avenirskara Daridia Etivéra Hanoram
 * Bull Pine Party
 * Some Party
 * Renaissance Party (RFC)
 * Liberty & Union Party - Daridian Popular Union
 * Republicans '85 (SRI, NCC)
 * Renaissance Party (SRI, RFC)
 * Shaftonist Democratic Party (SRI, MIC)
 * Free Republican Party (GRG)
 * Etivéran Labour Party (TBD)
 * Reform Party

Ilfenóra Kiygrava Kannur
 * Independent Republican Union
 * Ecological Republican Party
 * Renaissance Party of Ilfenóra
 * Justice & Development Party (SRI)
 * Renewal Party (RFC)
 * Excelsior Party
 * Endeavour Party
 * Enterprise Party (NCC)
 * Moderate Civic Party for Evira (MIC)
 * Reform Party
 * United Conservative Party
 * Progressive Conservative Party

Sydona Umcara Verakośa
 * Unitary Federalist Party (SRI, NCC)
 * Umcaran Renaissance Party (RFC)
 * Federalist Party (SRI, RFC)

Structure and Associated Organisations
Like the other federal political groups, the SRA is composed of two distinct organisations: a caucus and a conference.

The SRA Caucus is. Under the Anti-Party Law, the caucus cannot campaign or support campaigns, and funding for its activities comes exclusively from the federal budget. For legal and business purposes it takes the form of an unincorporated registered association.

The Shaftonist-Republican Federal Conference is an autonymous partnership registered in North Æonara.

Caucus Governance
At the beginning of each legislative term, all Delegates sitting in the SRA group elect a Chairman to serve as its leader and primary spokesman.

Associated Organisations
[Why] [Federalist Lodges] [Think Tanks - Official plus de facto]
 * Stesixorus R.V.D. Istrovin Foundation - Independent foundation endowed by Valēka shipwright Stesixorus Istrovin to build and maintain a headquarters for "the caucus or faction of our federal Legislature best representing the ideals of Shaftonist democracy." The foundation provides office space for the caucus's loaned staff, policy advisors, and the SRIC at its building in downtown Kartika. It finances itself through its initial endowment, private donations, and renting out parts of the building for conferences and events (usually with some relation to politics).

Unlike the CSU, NDA, LFK, and CNC, the SRA does not have an associated trade union centre and engages little with organised labour at the national level. Informally, there has been sporadic collaboration with the Pan-Kiravian Congress of Craft Unions on specific issues, and 24.6% of surveyed PKCCU members voted for SRA candidates in the 21203 Stanora elections, compared to 6.3% for unionised workers overall. During the Sunderance, the exiled PKCCU in the Remnant kept regular dialogue with the ruling Renaissance Party. During the final years of Kirosocialism on the Mainland, an illegal opposition organisation called the Independent Labour Congress formed and later affiliated itself with the National Renewal Movement. The ILC proved influential as a political organising vehicle during Reunification but less so as a trade union centre, with most of its constituent unions breaking away as IUPAC during the liberalisation period. After the breakup of the NRM and the SRA-CNC fission the ILC associated itself with the CNC.