ProgSoc Faction (University of Anaximander)

The ProgSoc Faction is a political faction in the Anaximander University Parliament. It is part of the interstellar ProgSoc movement. The faction was founded in 3175 as a third faction beside the moderately progressive Mualimi Faction and the Conservative Faction.

As part of the ProgSoc movement the faction advocates a progressive version of socialism that is based on radical democracy, social libertarianism, pacifism and a nationalisation of key industries. At the same time, ProgSoc argues for maintaining a highly fragmented and competitive free market in areas that are unlikely to be subject to oligopolisation.

In regards to University politics, the ProgSoc Faction has maintaned a strong emphasis on the continued free access to knowledge and education, a discontinuation of cooperations with many Asgardian megacorps, especially those involved in the arms industry, strengthened ties to many small businesses and independent private research institutes such as Richardson, as well as many socially liberal measures. Under president Eileen Xiaobo, the faction has taken a loan from the Anaximandan government to invest in infrastructure on Anax One, especially the aging underdeck commuter system, raise subsidies for culture and the arts and grant students free public transport on the satellite to discourage the use of private spacecraft.

While these measures proved popular especially among students but also the populace in general, members of the Conservative and Mualimi Factions have criticised them as "fiscally irresponsible".

Criticisms from outside of Anax One have been less reluctant, calling the faction "extremist" and "fascist" and accusing Xiaobo of planning to create "her own little empire". The Supernova has called the new subsidies for the arts and public transport to be "weirdly at odds with their self-proclaimed ideals of the liberty of the individual. Xiaobo is trying to square the circle when she attempts to bring together government takeovers with personal responsibility. It is a recipe that has never worked historically and always resulted in either citizens abusing government handouts or authoritarian structures as a result of that. Without Xiaobo's leadership, their influence will likely dwindle fast."

Meanwhile, the Faction's and especially Xiaobo's approval rating on the satellite remain high. The Faction currently holds 39 out of the 96 seats in the University Parliament, cooperating with the left wing of the Mualimi Faction on many issues. Polls for the upcoming presidential election in August see Xiaobo currently at roughly 46%, as opposed to her opponents' 34% and 20% from the Mualimi and Conservative factions respectively.