Political ideologies in Castadilla

Formal political ideologies in Castadilla are aligned based upon the left-right political spectrum, an axis used to classify political positions in relation to their emphasis on either social equality or social hierarchy. Most Castadillaans identify as at least one of four main ideologies: socialism, liberalism, conservatism, and nationalism; it is very common for one to identify as being any combination of two of the four main ideologies, with political polarisation being largely miniscule for the most part thanks to the four ideological groups more or less cooperating with each other during the era of the provisional government after the end of the Velvet Revolution.

Castadilla, alongside Pelaxia, have often been called the "cradle of socialism", and the main subsections within modern Castadillaan socialism include Velvetine Socialism, Cabacero Socialism, and even various flavours of socialist-aligned social democracy; the former two having emerged from the Velvetine faction of the Velvet Revolution while the latter developed throughout the latter half of the 19th Century and had gained prominence as the left-wing faction of the anti-Pascualist opposition groups which were formed in the late 1940s. Castadillaan liberalism traces its lineage back to the late 18th Century as the result of the initial egalitarian ethos of early Delepasian nationalism (not to be confused with Delepasian exceptionalism) as well as constitutionalism and even republicanism; in recent years, Castadillaan liberalism has been closely aligned with neoliberalism. Conservatism in Castadilla mostly emerged as a response to the rise of liberal ideologies in the early 19th Century and has historically enjoyed close relations with the Catholic Church, and in the present is most often associated with christian democracy. Modern-day Castadillaan nationalism is most commonly associated with various flavours of Delepasian exceptionalism, though more moderate and less exclusionary forms of nationalism do exist across the political spectrum with the most prominent being Castadillaanism.

The earliest instances of political ideologies in what is now Castadilla began with the emergence of Delepasian nationalism in the late 18th Century which challenged the long-standing notion that the colonists of the Viceroyalty of Los Rumas were Pelaxians. The rise of the nascent Delepasian identity would lead to the emergence of constitutionalism and even republicanism as calls for Delepasian self-government began to emerge. The latter years of Pelaxian colonial rule and the brief time that the Delepasian Kingdom had existed would see Delepasian nationalism split into new ideologies, including royalism, national constitutionalism, and national republicanism. In the years following the collapse of the short-lived Delepasian Kingdom, foralism and confederalism became the predominant ideologies of the new confederation. The rise of the Estado Social in the mid-1920s would see the rise of Pascualism as well as the institutionalisation of Delepasian exceptionalism; modern forms of liberalism, conservatism, and socialism would develop in response to Pascualist rule with all three ideological groups committing themselves to promoting a more democratic form of government. The finalisation of the development of the modern political ideologies in Castadilla would end in the late 1990s after the end of the Velvet Revolution, with Velvetine Socialism and national conservatism being some of the most prominent ideological developments.

With the fusion of ideologies being predominant throughout Castadilla's political history and with Christianity being a predominant religious identity across all the political spectrum, the easiest way to determine political leanings is through one's chosen theological movement; those who adhere to a more fundamentalist or even traditionalist form of Christian theology are generally more likely to be national conservative or a Delepasian exceptionalist, those who adhere to a less dogmatically political form of Christian theology tend to be identify with the political centre, and those who subscribe to liberationist forms of theology tend towards the political left.

History

Early Delepasianism

The earliest instances of formal political ideologies in what is now Castadilla first emerged in the late 18th Century after the end of the Carto-Pelaxian Commonwealth in 1792. With the loss of modern-day Cartadania during the partitions and thus the end of the perceived privilege that the Cartadanians had held, the colonists in the Viceroyalty of Los Rumas began to assert themselves politically with the rise of Delepasian nationalism. Early Delepasian nationalists, such as the famed poet and author Juan Guerrero who coined the term "Delepasian" in 1797, were largely influenced by the Kilikas Enlightenment and thus professed early liberal ideas such as constitutionalism and even republicanism; many early nationalists wanted a "crowned republic" where a liberal government is established on the basis of popular sovereignty with a meritocratic political elite who would be in charge of leadership while the monarch served as a purely cultural and symbolic figurehead with no political power. This stood in direct opposition to long-standing notion that the colonists in the Viceroyalty identified as being Pelaxians, a notion that was supported by opponents of Delepasianism who were still loyal to the monarchy and the old aristocracy.

Delepasianism, particularly the radical "pure republican" faction, first entered into mainstream Pelaxian politics during the years of the First Pelaxian Republic. Although a form of nationalism, Delepasianism was closely-aligned to the beliefs of the staunch Pelaxian republican and Enlightenment thinker Luciano Valera who happened to be one of the three leaders of the First Republic; for many early Delepasianists, Valera's views were in support for Delepasian representation in the Pelaxian government, and many prominent officials during the First Republic, such as famed proto-socialist thinker Ernesto Chavez, were Delepasian. Delepasianism was the first major ideology in what is now Castadilla, and it served as the foundation for modern forms of socialism, liberalism, conservatism, and even nationalism in Castadilla.

Late colonial era and Delepasian Kingdom

The end of the First Pelaxian Republic and the restoration of the Girojon monarchy in 1814 saw the rise in counter-Enlightenment thought in opposition to the liberal ideals that were championed for the past decade. This new ideological thought, while it took in certain ideas from early Delepasianism such as nationalism and constitutionalism, was very supportive of the Girojon monarchy, the old aristocracy, and the Catholic Church, seeing all three institutions as being a core aspect of the social hierarchy in Pelaxia. These new conservatives, known as "Modern Royalists" or simply as "Royalists", still saw potential in some of the ideas that have emerged from the Enlightenment, but they still called for these ideas to be tempered and moderated to ensure a stable and orderly society. They did, however, believe that Delepasians were entitled to their own government, a new kingdom that would serve as one half of a real union between them and Pelaxia known as the Pelaxio-Delepasian Union. The Royalists saw this proposal for a "dual monarchy" to be the only way to ensure Delepasian loyalty to the Pelaxian crown while also giving them full authority to handle their own internal affairs without running afoul of future policies made in Albalitor.

Delepasianism itself would be split into two new liberal camps. Moderate liberals, who have emphasised constitutionalism over republicanism, would be known as "National Constitutionalists". National Constitutionalists still advocated for popular sovereignty and meritocracy, but under a "liberal monarchy" wherein the monarch's power shall be limited by a constitution and that power will instead be in the hands of the meritocratic elite, who would handle the day-to-day governance. Unlike the Royalists, who still wished to remain as close to the Pelaxian crown as possible, the National Constitutionalists called for an independent Delepasian state that would either be under a personal union with Pelaxia or under the rule of a cadet branch of the Girojons; the former option would necessitate the retention of the office of the Viceroy as representative of the Pelaxian monarchy while the latter would see the office of the Viceroy be renamed to Prefect to the Crown. The status of aristocracy in the new Delepasian state would be debated upon, but most National Constitutionalist factions were largely hostile to the idea of establishing a new aristocracy.

The more radical camps of Delepasianism, those who have emphasised republicanism over constitutionalism, would be become the "National Republicans". Like the National Constitutionalists, the National Republicans advocated for a liberal, independent Delepasian state governed by the principles of popular sovereignty and meritocracy. Unlike the National Constitutionalists, however, the National Republicans called for a republican form of government modelled after the triumvirate republic that ruled the First Pelaxian Republic; they did, however, made some modifications to their ideal form of government through inserting additional checks and balances which would have ensured orderly governance without the instability that had plagued the First Republic. The National Republicans were themselves split into multiple factions ranging from moderate liberals who were not unlike the National Constitutionalists to more radical liberals and even proto-socialists; most of these proto-socialists, inspired by the philosophy of Ernesto Chavez, were the forefathers of utopian socialism, an umbrella term used to derisively refer to pre-Marxist forms of socialism.

These three ideological currents were predominant throughout the latter years of the colonial era and especially during the brief Delepasian Kingdom which came into existence after the Pelaxian monarchy was abolished permanently in 1852. The intense rivalry between the three groups would prove to be the kingdom's downfall, however, with the kingdom collapsing three months after its formation.

Foralist era

During the early decades of the Delepasian Confederation, two main ideological currents would emerge which are roughly correspondent to the ideological leanings of the previous Kingdom. Royalists and right-leaning National Constitutionalists were a part of the "Foralist" faction. Foralists advocated for a decentralised state with wherein each region is granted autonomy based on a compilation of laws that are tailored around that particular region's cultural identity; foralism has its basis in the medieval age and was largely seen as an alternative to more modern forms of decentralisation. Basically, the regions are conceded a large amount of autonomy by the confederal government based upon traditional cultural customs found in the area. Because foralism was the ruling ideology throughout the Confederation during its first years, this meant that most regions have embraced mondernised versions of the laws that were found during the years of Caphiric hegemony, albeit with some changes such as changing the annual tributes to the hegemon into monthly taxes to the confederal government as well as shifting ultimate authority from the hegemon (or confederal government) to the regions.

Left-leaning National Constitutionalists and National Republicans were a part of the "Confederalist" faction. Confederalism in the Delepasian context sought to replace the foralist system with a confederation, essentially swapping out the largely asymmetrical forals in favour of more egalitarian constitutions which do permit regional variations in law so long as it does not come into violation of the confederal constitution which they had wished to draft. The Confederalists were the hallmark of the latter decades of the 19th Century as Delepasia under their rule began to phase out the medieval-inspired laws in favour of modern Occidental laws and were instrumental in forever separating the Delepasian political sphere from the Catholic Church; society, however, would not be secularised so easily as Foralists began to accept the new Confederalist system relatively quickly compared to their Royalist forefathers when confronted with early liberalism.

Rise of Delepasian exceptionalism

The beginning of the 20th Century saw the emergence of a new development within Delepasian nationalism. This new form of nationalism refers to the Delepasian people as ordained hegemons of Vallos based on the principle of divine right and that they may achieve this role through key values which make the Delepasians great. These were the beginnings of Delepasian exceptionalism, a current of Delepasian nationalism which would influence both Delepasian and Castadillaan politics for many years. Ultranationalism, Traditionalist Catholicism, and Integralism were the main principles of the nascent ideological current. Although Delepasian exceptionalism was originally developed from the frontierist spirit that the early Delepasian settlers in what is now Navidadia had embraced, the overall romanticism which had emerged proved to be highly attractive to many Delepasian nationalists and was seen as a prelude to a sort of renaissance period for Delepasians even though Navidadia was never a member of the Delepasian Confederation.

It was also during the emergence of Delepasian exceptionalism that the Confederation would face an immense economic crisis which had came after the end of the First Great War. For many, the collapse of the Delepasian economy was largely blamed on liberalism and socialism, the two ideologies being accused of spending far too much money on "vanity projects" instead of contingency plans even though the economic crisis was largely the result of factors that were outside of anyone's control. Nonetheless, Delepasian exceptionalism began to receive mainstream acceptance amongst average Delepasians who looked for anything that could solve their economic woes. To them, their saviour would come in the form of noted economics professor and traditionalist intellectual Fernando Pascual who was appointed Minister of Finance by the Rosarian government so that he could solve Rosaria's unstable and collapsing economy; he was not only able to balance the Rosarian budget he was also able to produce a budgetary surplus for the republic. This seemingly miraculous economic recovery was more than enough to convince the entirety of the Confederation membership to appoint Pascual as President of the Forals in 1922, making him the first known Delepasian exceptionalist to hold a leadership role in the Delepasian Confederation.

Estado Social

Main article: Estado Social (Castadilla)

See also: National Renewal Party

The exact ideology of the Estado Social and of the National Renewal Party during the regime's early years consisted of elements of Delepasian exceptionalism as well as corporatism and organicism. Although he professed a far-right ideology, Fernando Pascual saw the regime not as an alternative revolutionary vanguard to socialism, but rather as a reactionary preservative for conservative, Catholic traditionalism. This is not to say that Pascual was never inspired by the currents of fascism and falangism which were respectively found in Caphiria and Delepasia, but he still nonetheless condemned fascism and falangism for its "idolatrous exaltation of youth, the revolutionary cult of force through vanguardism, the blasphemous principle of the superiority of the state's political power in all aspects of a person's life, [and] the slavish and sacrilegious propensity for organising the masses behind a single leader" and stated that the Catholic corporatism of the Estado Social "exalts a national sense of collectivism under the guidance of principles that were wisely established by the Church; it preserves traditional values and the natural order of society while cautiously allowing for certain changes so long as it benefits the nation as a whole".

With the advent of the slight political liberalisation that began in the late 1940s, factions within the National Renewal Party began to emerge as a new generation of intellectuals were largely accepting of the regime and instead focused on what could be changed about it. Technocrats who were educated abroad would form one of the largest non-Pascualist factions within the party, espousing the belief that the regime could achieve durability should it open up the economy and liberalise the system. It was from this reformist faction, which was inspired by the Volonian transition to democracy, that Pascual's successor Nicolas Torres came from. His tenure as Delepasian prime minister after Pascual's stroke-induced incapacitation in 1980 saw much of the reforms that the reformist, technocratic faction has supported, much to the chagrin and opposition from hardliner Pascualists within the family-owned conglomerates and the armed forces (including commander-in-chief Francisco de Costa) with the latter group having Torres assassinated in 1983 and replacing him with hardliner de Costa stooge Alberto Bahamonde.

Asides from the ideological groups within the National Renewal Party, there were also ideological groups that made up the political opposition; many of these groups would become the ancestors of many of the modern-day political parties in Castadilla. The overall influence of the Catholic Church during the Estado Social years had also introduced a religious bent for many of the political groups since the end of the Second Great War; major political groups would often base their ideological alignment off of theological standpoints within the Church. Indeed, pro-Pascualist groups have often made use of traditionalist Catholic theological standpoints while opposition groups would either embrace more moderate and less dogmatic theological standpoints or even liberation theology. The embracing of Catholic theology was also instrumental in ensuring that the major opposition groups would not be so easily repressed by the state and thus allowed for the groups to keep running in the regime's sham elections up until the Velvet Revolution in 1984.

Velvet Revolution

The Velvet Revolution was one of the most defining political moments in Castadillaan history. Not only did it put an end to Pascualist rule it also saw the emergence of most of Castadilla's modern ideological alignments as they exist to this day. The revolution initially started as an armed revolt against the fabricated results of the 1984 chief executive election which saw popular candidate Hector del Cruces flee to Auxana to evade arrest, but once the Estado Social was finally overthrown within a day and its leadership exiled to the Cape the Revolution turned into a period of power struggles and civil wars. During this period, there emerged various ideologies that sought to temper the revolution and to bring back certain elements of the Estado Social; the most prominent of these ideologies were Quinterism, named after Raul Quintero who in 1985 overthrew the del Cruces government and ran Delepasia until 1987. Quinterism called for a "conservative democracy" under the guidance of the armed forces and was highly opposed to the anti-stratocratic liberalism of del Cruces. Quinterism is not to be confused for the ideology of the Colorados even though both are very similarly-aligned save for their stances of decentralisation.

Revolutionary ideologies ever since Quintero's rule were vehemently opposed to giving the armed forces any influence within the political sphere, citing the assassination of Nicolas Torres in 1983 and the brief period of Quinterist rule. The end of the Quintero government saw the return to revolutionary rule under Ricardo Valentino whose success was primarily aided by left-wing revolutionary factions, also known as the "Velvetines". These left-wing factions were energised by the revolution, and saw it as their chance to finally implement a socialist state in Delepasia. The fears of a possible left-wing takeover of the Revolution led to Valentino shying away from appointing known members of the left-wing factions. This perceived snub did not go well with left-wing revolutionaries and soon Delepasia was plunged into a second civil war period which saw the finalisation of both Velvetine Socialism and Cebacero Socialism as ideologies. The two forms of socialism, despite having quite a few differences in how to implement socialism, were essentially locked in a perpetual alliance.

The end of armed conflict in the Velvet Revolution would ultimately come in 1994, five years after the end of the second civil war period. The victorious socialist factions were able to influence the provisional government, thus ensuring that the new government would move away from liberalism and instead constitutionally guarantee certain public policies which they had deemed to be fundamental human rights including, but not limited to, single-payer healthcare, income security, and progressive taxation which were promptly approved by the Velvetine-aligned Constituent Assembly. The current Constitution of Castadilla as published in 1996 not only saw the monarch go from a purely ceremonial figure to one of the most powerful person in the country, it also declared the new state's intent to eventually transition to socialism once the material conditions have been met by the vanguard party, which the Constitution designated the role to the nascent People's Democratic Party which currently rules Castadilla to this day.

21st century

Since the end of the first post-revolutionary constitutional government in Castadilla, Velvetine Socialism fast became the dominant force in Castadillaan socialism. Velvetine Socialism would also develop a new, multicultural form of nationalism known as Castadillaanism; a form of civic nationalism, Castadillaanism was promoted as a new, post-Pascualist national identity that was divorced from Delepasian exceptionalism, traditional Catholicism, and most especially the racial laws of the Estado Social. LGBT rights would also emerge as a social issue; the end of the previous Pascualist regime would see advocacy for LGBT rights skyrocket amongst most moderate-to-left-leaning figures in politics while groups that are closely-aligned with Delepasian exceptionalism or national consevatism, the latter emerging in the late 1990s as part of the niche right-wing populist movement, became increasingly opposed to LGBT rights.

Political polarisation has largely been prevented from taking hold throughout much of the Castadillaan political spectrum, mostly thanks to the cordiality between most political parties, asides from members of the Delepasian Alternative, the Democratic Reform Party, and Yes We Can! who often receive ridicule from more mainstream political figures for acting more like Asterians than Castadillaans. Instead, there has been an increase in political cooperation for the past two decades which has led to Castadilla having one of the most stable political systems in Vallos.

Main ideological groups

Formal ideologies in Castadilla have typically been described in terms of their position within the left-right axis. Because of the overall fluidity that the four main ideological groups in Castadilla have in recent times, there are often instances that fit within an ideological group that may not be agreeable with other instances within the same group. Nonetheless, the four ideological groups have a mainline ideology that determines the average placement on the political axis. Thus, socialism is typically placed on the left side of the spectrum, with liberalism occupying the centre-left portion of the spectrum while conservatism is predominant in the centre-right and nationalism is usually further to the right than conservatism. With makes a given ideology belong to a specific group is not based upon economic and social issues, as certain issues may very well have support from all four ideological groups, but rather by a given ideology's theological standpoint. Castadilla is under a de facto dominant-party system, but de jure it is a multi-party system where parties are able to openly compete in elections without fear of reprisal. The ideological groups have historically shifted over the years, with the core of the nationalist group having shifted the most from the largely liberal and egalitarian Delepasianism to the highly traditionalistic and ethnonationalist Delepasian exceptionalism.

Socialism

Main articles: Socialism in Castadilla and Velvetine Socialism

Socialism in Castadilla traces its origins during the years of the First Pelaxian Republic in the early 19th Century, having initially developed as a radical form of liberalism which believed that society would inevitably evolve to become an egalitarian utopia. This belief formed the basis of various forms of pre-Marxist socialism that are currently known as utopian socialism. It is through this ideology that Castadilla, alongside Pelaxia, has often been referred to as the "cradle of socialism". These flavours of utopian socialism would largely fall out of favour later on in the 19th Century when the teachings of Carlos Marx, which had criticised the utopian dream world promised by utopian socialists as being an unrealistic fantasy, became highly influential within the socialist movement as belief in the necessity for revolution became a primary aspect in socialist thought. Adherents to Marx were then split into two camps: those who believed that revolution could be achieved through the ballot box were dubbed "social democrats" (in modern terms, classical social democracy is more akin to democratic socialism), and those who believed that an armed proletarian revolt was needed to achieve revolution were dubbed "revolutionary socialists". Both camps were cited as meing major influences for modern-day socialism in Castadilla.

Within modern Castadillaan socialism, there exists multiple variations and schools of thought. Velvetine Socialism, the ruling ideology of Castadilla since the late 1990s, advocates for the encouragement of popular support for the vanguard party and the usage of strong government intervention in the economy to ensure that no worker will be exploited, believing that material conditions must be met before transition towards socialism may begin. Cabacero Socialism (often known as "steelheads") advocates for a much more immediate transition towards socialism, believing that simply waiting for favourable material conditions would only give reactionary forces time to prepare for their eventual takeover of power. The form of socialism promoted by Yes We Can!, on the other hand, calls for a decentralised socialist state along the lines of Ardmore. Castadillaan socialists will generally support the transition to socialism and eventually communism sometime in the future, stating that the principles of Carlos Marx provide for a vital blueprint that all aspiring socialist regimes must follow. Being left-wing populists, Castadillaan socialists will advocate for the democratisation of the economy as well as social justice and multiculturalism.

Castadillaan socialists, however, are varied in their approach in foreign policy, though the one common tenet that all variants of socialism hold is the promotion of democracy. Velvetine Socialism generally supports diplomatic realism and advocates for a cautious approach towards foreign relations; socialism, in the eyes of the Velvetines, should be strengthened within rather than spread without. Cabacero Socialism supports the idea of a permanent revolution in that Castadilla should support and instigate socialist revolutions around the world so as to challenge and even disrupt the current world order; compromise with opposing ideologies and classes is highly opposed by Cabacero Socialism. The more populistic Yes We Can!, on the other hand, supports pacifism and isolation from foreign affairs except when interacting with fellow socialist states.

Liberalism

Main article: Liberalism in Castadilla

Liberalism in Castadilla traces its origins to the late 18th Century at a time when many prominent intellectuals in the Viceroyalty had embraced the ideals espoused by the Kilikas Enlightenment. Constitutionalism was one of the major initial aspects of early Castadillaan liberalism, advocating for the rule of law on an egalitarian basis; under the new liberal order, the old aristocracy would be phased out in favour of a meritocratic elite class who would work within the bounds of a secular, liberal democracy. As a part of early liberalism's pursuit of meritocracy, the old mercantilist form of colonial economy would be phased out in favour of a laissez-faire free market, or capitalist economy. The ultimate goal for early Castadillaan liberalism was to create a society where the natural rights to life, liberty, and property would be preserved.

It would not be until the late 19th Century when the second form of liberalism would emerge in Castadillaan politics. This new form of liberalism still placed an emphasis on individual freedoms like its classical counterpart, but it felt that a certain measure of government involvement was not in contradiction of these individual freedoms, but rather it facilitated people's means to take full advantage of their individual freedoms that they may not have been able to due to them being impoverished. Indeed, the philosophy of utilitarianism is considered a core belief within Castadillaan radicalism. It is through utilitarianism that radicalism supports a capitalist economy with elements of government intervention, though not to the extent that socialist ideologies advocate for, and key social policies that are often either congruent to, or at the very least a moderated version of, the social policies pursued by socialist ideologies such as a decent minimum wage, moderate forms of wealth redistribution such as through progressive taxation, and the establishment of a state-run works agency designed for the construction of large-scale projects. Much like modern socialists, radicalists are also in favour of multiculturalism and social justice.

Unlike the socialist group, however, the liberal group in Castadilla supports a liberal internationalist foreign policy, believing that Castadilla should get more involved in foreign affairs in the name of promoting liberal democracy under the idea that sincere liberal democracies are much less likely to seek aggression and instead opt for more diplomatic solutions. This idea has often been criticised as being incredibly optimistic and ignores instances in which otherwise sincere liberal democracies still seek aggression. Thus, there is a growing faction of liberals known as "social realists" who opt to pursue an activist and pro-Levantine foreign policy partly inspired by the foreign policy of the Urcean National Pact's Commonwealth Values Bloc but with the primary focus being on neighbouring nations in Vallos.

Conservatism

Main article: Conservatism in Castadilla

Nationalism

Main articles: Delepasian exceptionalism and Nationalism in Castadilla

Other ideologies

21st State Movement

Main article: 21st State Movement

Satirical ideologies

Main article: Commarcho-capitalism

See also

• Catholic Church in Castadilla
• Politics of Castadilla