Centrists Assemble!

[afleitch]

Former NLC's, former DA's and everyone new and interested.

Should both the JCP and the RPP vote to dissolve, it is clear that a good way forward for Atlasia would be a series of parties, co-operating but being independent. There is room in Atlasia as the old NLC mantra affirmed for a party "that focuses on social liberalism and economic moderation, embracing a fusion of classical liberal, social-liberal and moderate libertarian ideals, something no one political party Atlasia-wide does."

I would be grateful for anyone who expresses an interest in creating a centre/centre-right bloc to contribute to this idea.

[Teddy (IDS Legislator)]

The National Centrist Party just merged with the Liberals, and you are welcome to join as well!

[Oakvale]

The National Centrist Party just merged with the Liberals, and you are welcome to join as well!

^ This. You'd be a great addition to the new party if you were to join, afleitch.

[tmthforu94]

Yeah, but what's the purpose of dissolution if we're all going to merge and funnel into two parties right away? If that's the plan, I may change by vote.

[afleitch]

Yeah, but what's the purpose of dissolution if we're all going to merge and funnel into two parties right away? If that's the plan, I may change by vote.

Exactly.

[Oakvale]

Yeah, but what's the purpose of dissolution if we're all going to merge and funnel into two parties right away? If that's the plan, I may change by vote.

There'll be at least four parties, as I see it at the moment - the Social Democrats, the Liberals, the Libertarians and then the mainstream Conservatives. Whatever the actual names are.

[Peeperkorn]

There'll be at least four parties, as I see it at the moment - the Social Democrats, the Liberals, the Libertarians and then the mainstream Conservatives. Whatever the actual names are.

This.

[Lambsbread]

The party I formed (the IFP) is likely going to be a more Libertarian/Neoliberal/Center Right party, so if anyone wants to join....

[Napoleon]

Yeah, but what's the purpose of dissolution if we're all going to merge and funnel into two parties right away? If that's the plan, I may change by vote.

Exactly.

Im not sure where the idea that everyone will be back in only two parties comes from, but having two parties covering the exact same political territory emphasizes personal differences over political differences, for reasons that should be obvious. That, of course, hurts the game.

[ZuWo]

The way the Liberal Party appears to be constructed makes it likely that it is going to become a big-tent party, which draws from a sizable chunk of the JCP, partly from the RPP and from independents. This is not condemnable per se, of course, because everyone is free to assemble in the party of his choice. Indeed, I easily see the Liberal Party ending up with 30+ members in a very short period of time, which will in turn encourage other smaller parties to merge and become big-tent parties as well in order to have a better shot at elections.

It seems that the development towards a two- or three-party system in the long term is unavoidable, and I predict we will find ourselves in a similar situation as today in less than a year.

[Peeperkorn]

It seems that the development towards a two- or three-party system in the long term is unavoidable, and I predict we will find ourselves in a similar situation as today in less than a year.

Perhaps, but that's the way that a political party system works. It can´t be avoided in the long term.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duverger's_law

And no, I don't see a reason to be afraid of The Liberal Party. As the Irish drunk said, we can see at this moment two forces with the same size (libertarians and social democRats) and an eventual conservative party.

[bgwah]

Atlasia was a multi-party system for most of its history. The two-party system is a recent development following the collapse of the UDL and Populares.

[ilikeverin]

Atlasia was a multi-party system for most of its history. The two-party system is a recent development following the collapse of the UDL and Populares.

Yeah.  I think some of us old-timers have been repeating this quite a bit, but no one listens to us   The two-party system was a complete and unfortunate anomaly, and I hope the era of two parties will soon be over.

[Peeperkorn]

Atlasia was a multi-party system for most of its history. The two-party system is a recent development following the collapse of the UDL and Populares.

The problem are not the parties, but the way that representatives are chosen. If you want a permanent multiparty system, just rewrite the Constitution and change the way that elections are done (for example, vote parties and not people).

[ZuWo]

I echo Tmth's and afleitch's sentiments; the dissolution of the old parties is not even fully completed, and there are already new mergers going on, resulting in the formation of new and large big-tent rather than smaller but ideologically more clearly defined parties. This is why I believe we're heading to a future that will closely resemble the current situation. Mergers in one politial group will sooner or later lead to mergers in the other political groups due to reasons of competitiveness.

[Peeperkorn]

I echo Tmth's and afleitch's sentiments; the dissolution of the old parties is not even fully completed, and there are already new mergers going on, resulting in the formation of new and large big-tent rather than smaller but ideologically more clearly defined parties. This is why I believe we're heading to a future that will closely resemble the current situation. Mergers in one politial group will sooner or later lead to mergers in the other political groups due to reasons of competitiveness.

I don't see Liberals as a big-tent party.

Left (SD) - Center (L) - Right - Libertarians (IFP)

[ZuWo]

I echo Tmth's and afleitch's sentiments; the dissolution of the old parties is not even fully completed, and there are already new mergers going on, resulting in the formation of new and large big-tent rather than smaller but ideologically more clearly defined parties. This is why I believe we're heading to a future that will closely resemble the current situation. Mergers in one politial group will sooner or later lead to mergers in the other political groups due to reasons of competitiveness.

I don't see Liberals as a big-tent party.

Let me see ... you have leftists, centrists, libertarians, and even a rightist. Seems pretty big-tent.

[Oakvale]

I echo Tmth's and afleitch's sentiments; the dissolution of the old parties is not even fully completed, and there are already new mergers going on, resulting in the formation of new and large big-tent rather than smaller but ideologically more clearly defined parties. This is why I believe we're heading to a future that will closely resemble the current situation. Mergers in one politial group will sooner or later lead to mergers in the other political groups due to reasons of competitiveness.

I don't see Liberals as a big-tent party.

Let me see ... you have leftists, centrists, libertarians, and even a rightist. Seems pretty big-tent.

I don't think we've got any bona fide leftists, and one libertarian does not a big tent make, IMO...

[Teddy (IDS Legislator)]

I see five parties forming, though I would not be opposed to replacing two large parties with one superlarge party

[ZuWo]

I echo Tmth's and afleitch's sentiments; the dissolution of the old parties is not even fully completed, and there are already new mergers going on, resulting in the formation of new and large big-tent rather than smaller but ideologically more clearly defined parties. This is why I believe we're heading to a future that will closely resemble the current situation. Mergers in one politial group will sooner or later lead to mergers in the other political groups due to reasons of competitiveness.

I don't see Liberals as a big-tent party.

Let me see ... you have leftists, centrists, libertarians, and even a rightist. Seems pretty big-tent.

I don't think we've got any bona fide leftists, and one libertarian does not a big tent make, IMO...

Scott, Napoleon, you - even though you may come across as relatively moderate, I guess you are still considered leftists by many. Dallasfan, Jbrase; two libertarians, IMO.

But what I said is not directed at the Liberal Party alone, and it's not about blaming anyone for anything. What I observed is that already now, at this early stage of this "new" Atlasian era, people discuss the idea of mergers and loosely defined parties - this makes me believe that not much is going to change.

[Peeperkorn]

Considering ZuWo social score, perhaps he thinks that anyone at the left of Jorg Haider is a radical communist.

[bgwah]

Verin will probably agree: I'd caution the Liberals about becoming too much of a big-tent party without much of a clear ideology. Those parties don't tend to last long. That can sort of work in a two-party system roughly divided between left and right like the JCP-RPP (or the Democrats and Republicans in real life), but in a multi-party system? That kind of thing doesn't have the best track record.

It'd be fun if I could divide the parties to my liking.

I'd have a social democratic party, a center-left liberal party, a center-right party like Afleitch is proposing here, a social conservative party, and maybe a libertarian party as well.

[ZuWo]

Verin will probably agree: I'd caution the Liberals about becoming too much of a big-tent party without much of a clear ideology. Those parties don't tend to last long. That can sort of work in a two-party system roughly divided between left and right like the JCP-RPP (or the Democrats and Republicans in real life), but in a multi-party system? That kind of thing doesn't have the best track record.

It'd be fun if I could divide the parties to my liking.

I'd have a social democratic party, a center-left liberal party, a center-right party like Afleitch is proposing here, a social conservative party, and maybe a libertarian party as well.

I agree with the second bit. I would also love to see such a multi-party system emerge.

Regarding the first half of your post: You may be right. Maybe the formation of a big-tent party in this new environment will not cause other parties to merge as I imagine it could happen, but instead lead to a split within the big-tent party in question. Only time will tell.

[Cincinnatus]

Yeah, but what's the purpose of dissolution if we're all going to merge and funnel into two parties right away? If that's the plan, I may change by vote.

There'll be at least four parties, as I see it at the moment - the Social Democrats, the Liberals, the Libertarians and then the mainstream Conservatives. Whatever the actual names are.

Yes, but the libertarians are joining the Liberal party as well. 

[Oakvale]

Afleitch, my apologies for turning your thread into a discussion on the new partisan environment. That wasn't my intention.