Liberty Party

The **Liberty Party** (Shingōan: 自由党, *Jiyūtō*), sometimes translated as the **"Liberal Party"** or the **"Freedom Party"**, is the longest serving political party in the Imperial Republic of Shingō and the oldest active party in the world. Ever since its creation, the party has dominated the politics of Shingō, holding power throughout the majority of the country's parliamentary history, including the period during the Empire of Shingō. As a result, it has sometimes been referred to as the "natural governing party" of Shingō.

## Ideology

The Liberty Party is characterized as a broadly socially progressive party with primarily urban supporters. Their primary rival, the Reform Party, on the other hand is characterized as broadly socially conservative with mostly rural supporters concentrated in the north. The Liberty Party's signature policies and legislative decisions include the enshrinement of civil rights via the national constitution and the Rights Security Act, international peacekeeping efforts, subsidies towards key industries, free trade, the Right to Housing Act, the mixed member proportional voting system (MMP), and the single tax movement (also called the Suzuki Land Reforms).

During the government of Reform Party Prime Minister Shōgo Kobayashi, the Liberty Party shifted its focus towards opposing the government on certain contentious social and cultural issues. The party has been highly critical of legislation passed by the Reform Party that increased the presence of the Emperor in social and political affairs, claiming that it only served to politicize the Imperial Family and blur the lines between Parliament and the monarchy.

### Window Guidance

The party has recently promoted an economic policy of window guidance. Window guidance involves the use of benevolent compulsion to regulate the supply of credit as a way to achieve policy targets. It also involves the use of monetary policy instruments like lending quotas as a way to subsidize or regulate the volume of credit in an industry or financial sector.

### Opposition to Colonialism

The Liberty Party has recently spoken out against the Reform Party's expansion of the Global Democracy Initiative, which had controversially come to include pro-colonialist rhetoric. Opposition to such rhetoric has become a uniting factor for the party, and it has significantly strengthened anti-militarist and anti-war views among its members.

The current prevailing attitude of the Liberty Party, as it pertains to colonialism, is the belief that the country should not involve itself in international conflicts or disputes aside from vital peacekeeping efforts. Members of the Liberty Party have also opposed calls from the Center Party to establish trade relations with developing regions, with the party officially stating that they believe that Shingō should "only trade with democratic allied countries."

## Notable Legislation & Accomplishments

* Suzuki 1st Government
	+ Adopted mixed-member proportional representation (378)
	+ Pioneered LSS recognition of Kaungkinmyay (378)
	+ Rights Security Act (377)
	+ Right to Housing Act (377)
	+ Suzuki Land Reforms (376)

* H. Nakajima 4th Government
	+ Pioneered LSS recognition of Ma Telan (365)

* H. Nakajima 2nd Government
	+ Formed Central Tōkai Union (358)

* H. Nakajima 1st Government
	+ Formed Modern Tōkai Faction (351)
	+ Treaty of Atsuki (351)
		- (Ended the Great Reclamation War)

* I. Nakajima War Government
	+ Ended Second Tōkai War (332)

* Akiyama 1st Government
	+ Economic Revitalization Plan (299)
		- (Ended Recession of 298)

* Fujita 1st Government
	+ Resolved Angelican Occupation Crisis (292)

* Morine 2nd Government
	+ Aided revolutionaries in the Tsukimotoan Revolution (265-266)

* S. Mori 2nd Government
	+ Formed 1st Tōkai Faction (248)

* Futami Government
	+ Deployed troops to aid Weian anti-government forces (171-172)
		- (Provisional Government of Wei was toppled and the Weian Republic was established)

* Koide 1st Government
	+ Ended Tsukimotoan Independence War (135)
	+ Created National Constitution (135)
		- (Enshrined fundamental civil rights and freedoms)

## History

The Liberty Caucus served as the predecessor to the Liberty Party and was first formed in 135 G.E. by 24 appointed members of Parliament after the first national election. The Caucus sought to protect and strengthen the newly-established system of government, in which the power of the Imperial Family and Imperial Court was drastically reduced and devolved to regional lords and bureaucrats known as *Hakushaku*. Additionally, the Caucus consistently reaffirmed the powers of Parliament and ensured that it was not undermined by the Imperial Court or other aristocrats.

The Liberty Party was officially formed in 136 G.E. and initially focused heavily on the issue of the national constitution. Liberty Party members of Parliament, under the premiership of first prime minister Sōsuke Koide, introduced several constitutional amendments which protected the rights of local bureaucrats and private citizens.