A
CAPITOL IDEA:
An Insider's Take on the Politics Here
and Far, Far Away
by Jody Reeves
1/30/97
Washington, DC: The nation's capital, a one-industry city. Here, being "Inside the Beltway" means that those of us trapped here are in one way or another involved in politics. Fine. But there are other things in life -- like Star Wars! (Though in this town, when I say I've just finished reading the latest Star Wars book, someone inevitably says they just read about it in the last Tom Clancy novel! {Sigh.} I like Clancy's work, but "Star Wars" is much more to me than a catch phrase for the Strategic Defense Initiative!)
From my perspective as a government employee, I've often daydreamed about what the political system of the New Republic must be like. Now that the latest novels have taken us to the New Republic's seat of power on Coruscant and shown glimpses of the political machinations therein, I can compare Washington and Coruscant. Both capitals have experienced radical turnovers in government, both were affected by wars and invasions, and yet, both always manage to bounce back to become the focal point of the central government.
In the Star Wars galaxy, you find the Old Republic (weak executive, strong legislature), the Empire (strong executive, puppet legislature) and the New Republic (balance of powers). In our galaxy, the American system of government has had similar configurations when the focus of power belonged to the Hill or the White House, or was balanced between the two. There have been times when Congress has steam rolled over the executive, just as there has been the establishment of an "imperial presidency." Both Washington and Coruscant have also produced charismatic politicians who claimed to have the answers to the problems that plague society.
It could hardly be surprising, either in Washington or Coruscant, when a senator stands up and claims that he has the answers to the nation or galaxy's woes. Needless to say, Washington has had and will have its share of demagogues. It is not so different on Coruscant, either. Palpatine began as the front for a group of Senators who needed a personable spokesman, one who inspired trust and goodwill, but who could also be manipulated by the junta in the background (rather like Ronald Reagan.)
However, whether through the use of the dark side or not, Palpatine was able to get himself elected as President of the Senate. This move had its opponents, Bail Organa and Mon Mothma among them, but bribery and the promise of favors wins many friends in politics. With a cadre of supporters behind him, Palpatine was able to declare marshal law and founded the New Order, installing himself as Emperor. Basically, a beer-hall putsch on a galactic scale. But what apparently worked in Palpatine's best interest, other than using the Force to get his way, was that he instituted order, got the economy going again, and replaced what people might have seen as a corrupt law enforcement system (the Jedi) with a dependable, though brutal, policing force (stormtroopers).
At the risk of sounding partisan, while I watch the floor proceedings I cannot help but see other Palpatines crying out about how to solve what ails us by clamping down on society. The current lean to the right in Washington might be a mirror reflection of the atmosphere that prevailed as the Empire was consolidated. The most effective means of gathering power is to isolate your political opponents by portraying them as the enemies of the people. Palpatine and his faction likely began by painting the Old Republic as useless and the Jedi as corrupt symbols of a dying system. This was done so effectively that the people of the galaxy thought the New Order would represent simple stability without realizing the price the Empire would cost in freedom.
As the new films are released, I will be anxious to see just how Palpatine managed to manipulate the system to advance as far as he did. I've seen plenty of this in Washington, and it will be interesting to see if it translates in a similar fashion on the Coruscant of the Empire. Like everyone else, I am looking forward to the trilogy of Episodes I through III, not only for the additional background characterizations, but to also see the political demise of the Old Republic and the manuverings that brought Palpatine to the position of Emperor. As a political/Star Wars junkie, I know that once those films are out, I'll become a political commentator and analyze the whole thing while sitting in the theater.
[Ed. note: Hopefully she'll do this silently, as talking aloud in a theater playing a Star Wars movie could be seriously injurious to one's health.]
( Jody
Reeves currently works as a Systems Administrator for Senator Dianne Feinstein, has
done work in foreign affairs and health care legislation and has written for a political
industry journal. She also spends time checking out Harrison Ford when he's called onto
the Hill to testify... including getting her greedy's on the following picture and
autograph, which she has agreed to share if no one else will touch them!)