Progressive Party

Chairman
 Executive Leader
 Founded
 Demonym
 Governmental
 Foreign Affairs
 Influences
 Administrative Seats

The Triumvirate Progressive Party, founded June 25, 2012, is the first political party ever established in the Triumvirate. It was founded by Major Executive and Head of Commerce and Industry Stavrok and enlisted a large portion of Triumvirate members.

## History

Founded on June 25, 2012 as the first political party, the Progressive Party was first established to support the PEACE Act, a monumental piece of legislation proposed by Stavrok (the party's chairman and founder). It spawned debate about the creation of uniform rules for political parties and lead to the establishment of other political parties, laying a serious precedent. Though the party's first leader was Stavrok, who sought populist and economically liberal reforms, the party faltered with Stavrok's loss for reelection to Elliot Neil for 2013-I. However, one trimester after, Progressive Nathan Maine emerged as a new leader for progressivism and for the party, advocating for more government spending and for a stronger Progressive Party that would engage in all levels of government. Under Maine, some changes were made to the party such as removal of the classical liberal view in the platform of reducing Major Executive power and, largely successful in many aspects already (such as establishing a tax), pushing further for things such as increases in the low tax rates. On October 11, 2013, the Humanitarian Party (lead by Lanclot Rice, Minor Executive under Nathan Maine at the time) merged with the Progressive Party and Rice became a leader in the Progressive Party. Though the Progressive Party failed to get much power in the Administration over the course of 2013, by the end of Maine's Majorate and as a result of the Establishment Party's failings in the Halloween Shutdown, the Progressives swept to massive victory in the Administration for 2014.

With Maine's departure at the end of 2014-I, Rice became the chair of the Progressive Party, working to maintain Progressive power in the Administrative Branch with the Progressive Speaker of the Administration, Luke Cannon. The Progressive's backed Ryan Bleitze as Maine's successor for 2014-II which, along with more populist reforms being added to the platform, caused the party to crack and the Cosmopolitan Party was founded. With Bleitze's resignation in July of 2014 and Establishment Edward Stenbach becoming Major Executive, the Progressives suffered a blow but, as they maintained control of the Administration through Stenbach's Majorate, they were secure in their political power. When Stenbach did not run for reelection for 2015-II, the Progressive's backed Cosmopolitan Charles Sessions who was elected unopposed as Major Executive.

During the final hours of 2015-II, the Socialist Party merged with the Progressive Party, the second time such an occasion has happened including the merging with the Humanitarians almost two years prior. The party initiated more reforms to their board system as a result, and added four new members to the party, further increasing its size.

In May of 2017, the Triumvirate underwent an ideological shift, with the Superior Deal taking front stage for the duration of Major Executive Rice's term in office. The party implemented many changes to the core beliefs, and modernized the goals of the party.

## Party Platform

**Last Amended: 9.1.15**

The Progressive Party stands for equality and justice for all the citizens of the Triumvirate, not just for the elites. We come from a range of political traditions, uniting liberals, socialists, humanitarians, and all other advocates for a fairer society. We believe that all of the policies below will make our country a better place.

1. **Financial Beliefs:** The Progressive Party believes that government intervention in the economy is justified based upon the morality of protecting the working citizenry and maintaining the rights of ordinary people over large corporations. Rather than having a laissez-faire attitude in regard to the economy, it is encouraged for the government to mediate some economic disputes where only the government can be trusted to be objective and bring a reasonable balance to the economic opportunities of all people. Rather than implement a citizenship "pay-to-play" charge, we are in favor of a personal income tax, and a reformed corporate tax with a progressive tax system for both.
2. **Deficit Acceptable:**We believe government deficit is acceptable and justified so long as they push for long term growth like recruitment, helping small businesses, and investing in a better infrastructure. If the government must go into debt in order to provide economic relief and security, it is the duty of the government to provide any aid it can.
3. **Anti-Elitism:** We believe that the government should be more transparent in its efforts, and include the citizenry more in their day-to-day activities. The Progressive Party believes in full transparency when it comes to the Administrative Branch, and increased rate of release when it comes to Executive Branch archives. We also believe that the Administrative Branch should have more power to legislate seeing as they are the branch who are elected by the people to be their representatives. It is also held that the Major Executive should be a publicly elected office due to their role as Commander-in-Chief, preventing any corrupt political deals when it comes to who is in charge of our national security.
4. **International Affairs:** We believe that free trade deals need to be centered around the working class of the Universal Triumvirate, and not the big businesses. We also believe in a policy of non-interventionism, where we do not go out of our way to inject ourselves in situations where we were not involved.
5. **Culture and Arts:** Utilizing the money available to the government, we can do great things to foster the arts. Great examples of this include providing for the Triumvirate city project and artistic works like currency creation. The government can do a lot of good and stimulate businesses and the economy by funding artistic and cultural projects which benefit history, morale, and culture Triumvirate-wide.
6. **Recruitment:** We support the use of government provided recruitment programs like the 2013-II ESIIA to bring in more members.
7. **Popular Vote for the Major Executive:** We support a popular vote for the Major Executive position, so that everyone has a say in who becomes commander-in-chief and holds the highest office in the Union.
8. **Minimum Wage:** We support the passage and endorsement of a Minimum Wage through the Triumvirate.
9. **Senator**: We support the increase in the number of Senatorial positions in the Executive Branch from two to three.
10. **Administrative Submission of Laws:** We believe that the Administration, like the Executive Branch, should be able to table their own laws to the Executive Branch by means of Administrative Liaison.
11. **Support to International, important institutions**: The Department of State and Department of Commerce are very important to us because we feel they display us as a community than more internal departments like the Department of Justice and Department of the Treasury.
12. **Security Provisions**: We believe in defending the citizens of the Triumvirate and our government, however we do not believe that restricting the rights of the people to do so is necessary in any situation.
13. **Taxing**: We believe that taxes are a needed aspect of the government in order to keep critical programs running, as well as to provide for the security of those who are less fortunate than others. A progressive tax rate for both corporations and personal income is the only fair solution to the question of taxation.
14. **Payment to Government Workers**: We believe that government workers and officials alike deserve to be paid for their hard work and service to the Triumvirate.
15. **Central Government Authority in Departments**: We support reasonable restrictions on Departments and agencies put in place by the government so that the heads of each do not always have absolute authority and so that the system can be centralized instead of overreached and unable to be controlled.
16. **Role of the Major Executive:** Our party believes in a strong Major Executive with the ability to act in a wide range of topics based on the popular mandate that they were elected on. However, the power of this position should never be used for corrupt reasons, and should always be transparent to provide the people with an elected official that they can hold accountable.

## Party Rules

**1. Nominations:** All those seeking candidacy as Major Executive, Minor Executive, Senator, or a member of the Administration who are a member of the Progressive Party and/or using the Progressive name and/or symbol must be approved by a majority of the board of the Progressive Party. Seeking office without first approval from the board shall qualify for immediate dismissal from the party as determined by the board.

**2. Campaign Finances:** All donations to Progressive candidates, causes, or actions shall go straight to the central Progressive Party account and the board of the party shall use them as they see appropriate.

**3. Party Board Elections:** Every six months, beginning on October 1, 2015 (so that the process shall begin each October 1 and April 1), members of the Progressive party wishing to run to be on the board of the party shall declare their candidacy. After three days have transpired for individuals to declare their candidacy (and they may also give statements as they do so), every member of the Progressive Party shall be able to vote for the party board, and they shall have three days to do so. There shall be three members of the board, and the three candidates with the most votes shall be elected. After the board has been selected and announced, those on the board who wish to run for party chairman shall declare so within one day and they shall give statements accordingly, after which the members of the party shall all have three days to vote for who they wish to be chairman of the party. The candidate for chairman with the most votes shall become chairman and the candidate with the second most votes shall become vice chairman. In the event of a tie, the incumbent chairman shall decide. The new party board, chairman, and vice chairman shall take office at the start of the next month (November 1 or May 1).

If a majority of members of the Progressive Party vote to recall any member of the party board, that member shall be removed from office and a special election held to fill their position as soon as possible.

Votes for party board shall be conducted according the single transferable vote system (also known as instant runoff voting).

**4. Amendments:** Any subsequent amendments to the party rules and platform may be proposed by any member, will be voted on by the membership of the party, and shall require a simple majority of those voting in order to be adopted.

## Current Members

* Lancelot Rice - Chairman
* Kit McCarthy
* Alvis Honeycut
* Bradford Raines