A collections of religious, political, and societal issues that plague the Empire along with the population’s general opinion.

Politically, Abwehrans are a fractious lot in comparison to most of the known galaxy. If anything, because of their history with a cruel dictatorship, politics is a very sensitive matter for any Abwehran. Even the politicians themselves can become really verbose and even violent over major issues, which have actually led to a few brawls on the Parliament Floor.

As a family unit, the Imperial Family is rather strange. When most families have nearly four and a half children over the course of their lives, the Imperial Family has always stuck to either a single child or a couple. While many citizens have forgotten the reasoning for this, politicians certainly have not. Not wanting political struggles from the Great Conflict Era to occur in the After Freedom Era, the Imperial Family has traditionally stuck to as few children as possible in order to keep succession simple.

While popular with the masses (especially the Empress Cult), many feel Bertina is a bit too compromising. This might be good as a diplomatic Empress, but there are many citizens that feel a stronger hand might be needed in these troubled times.

An individual who both looks and acts like his unofficial title, the “Royal Enforcer”, Eckert is a rather blunt individual for a Commander in Chief. There is a like/hate sort of feeling when it comes to the Emperor. Either you like the guy for being an honest, down-to-earth individual or you hate his guts for not knowing when to bite his tongue.

One of the first Heiresses to have been under the public eye since birth, Johanna's parents seemed to be grooming their daughter to withstand public scrutiny. Instead, what they got was a nation falling in love with their future Empress. While many just see her as the nation's most adorable “little cousin”, a few have noticed her steady maturity into a young woman as well as a more fiery temper in comparison to her mother.

The opinions citizens have on the variety of political parties in the Imperial Parliament.

"Xenophobes with Power is not something we should accept."

An extremist, xenophobic party created in the wake of immigration and dual citizenship amendments, the Abwehrans Only Party has gathered quite a cult following in political circles. Their racist slogans combined with a rather wealthy merchant as a supporter has led to many advertisements that have riled opinions all over Abwehr. They even caused quite a few riots before they were taken off the airwaves.

"A good cause led by crazies."

An environmentalist group based upon reducing Abwehr's industrial infrastructure (or at least sending it to the colonies) in order to protect not only the Home World's surface environment, but its underworld environment as well. While many of its ideas are considered to be silly to the average Abwehran, they do raise quite a few legitimate concerns as well.

"They would have the most common sense of the bunch, if it weren't for the 'Holy Writ'."

Like them or hate them, the average Imperial citizen at least respects the Abwehran Constitutional Party for sticking with its platform. Often called “Fanatics of the Holy Paper” by their opponents and naysayers, many politicians from the Constitutional Party are rather moderate individuals. The fact that many of their voters understand this is what gives them the power to be considered one of the major four parties.

"We want safety, but we also want Freedom."

While growing in popularity currently, it was formerly believed to be a bunch of fascists in disguise. Some citizens still believe this and vehemently oppose the Conservative Party. However, those who have started supporting the Party support a more isolationist stance on interstellar politics.

"Oh look, Corporate Lackey's looking for recognition."

Many citizens of the Abwehran Star Empire just find this party to be a joke, but some actually see an issue with the possibility of foreign corporations coming into Abwehr and ruin native corporations using there more impressive technology.

"Neo-Feudalists with a <insert word that wiki doesn't like> for royalty."

While no one can fault someone for supporting the Imperial Family, some citizens want to take it a step further and just abolish the Parliament entirely. Most citizens just think this is crazy.

"Don't fix what isn't broken."

Constitutional Monarchy isn't enough for some people. Some just want to take it a step further and abolish the Imperial Family in favor of an elected Executive. Most citizens find this to be too extremeist and think the current system works well enough.

"Seems legit, though how would we do it?"

Many citizens don't mind allying with friendly nations, considering the benefits of it outweigh the costs. The many sticking point is how to go about doing it. Some citizens, those in the Party themselves, wish for a Federation Government of the three nations. Many citizens don't see a point to going that far and would be happy with just an alliance.

"Join the Yamatai Star Empire?  
Isn't that a nation that was just the big bad bully of the galaxy?  
Why would we ever do a thing like that!?"

First Contact with the Yamataian Star Empire is still quite fresh in the minds of Imperial Citizens. While it went better than other nations, the Abwehran people are still wary about their more powerful neighbor. Some see that power as more of a potential than a threat and wish to join the Yamatai Star Empire in order to end hunger and disease.

"For the Everyday Abwehran, except for the ones who can't work."

The Labor Party is one of the major four political parties in Parliament as well as the largest consolidation of crazies in politics. Then again, the largest amount of crazies in society vote for them so it all evens out in the end.

"By the People and For the People, forever."

The Progressive Party has been the party to vote for since the founding of the Abwehran Star Empire. Now a days, it seems to be a routine to vote for them (according to the average citizen). Of course, there are still quite a lot of individuals who know what the Progressive Party stands for and will vote Progressive to fend of those that would take their freedom¹⁾.

"What works for the Freespacers won't work for us."

Freedom is a thing everyone wants, but Anarchy is a word that seems dirty to most of Abwehran society. It is also a word that describes the Free State very well. Because of this, many Abwehran citizens believe this party to be full of crazies. Those that chose to support Space Without Borders are often more artistic (or are already part of some sort of anarchist commune).

While religion doesn't hold as much importance as it once had, it is still an integral part of the Abwehran culture. This lists the popular opinion on many of the major forms of religion or lack thereof.

The average, religious citizen can often be confused by the Agnostics beliefs. Some view it just as a bunch of closest Atheists. Other find their view of the metaphysical being unknowable to be just a cop-out.

A rather popular religious belief among Surfacers, Ancestor Worship is based upon each family unit. Some citizens find it to be a quaint religion, but they don't dare call it crazy or silly. A few ancestor worshippers from military families seem a tad sensitive about such comments.

Those who don't believe in gods or an afterlife aren't hated by the average citizen (except for the few Atheists that feel like flaunting it). In fact, many of the religions tolerate the Atheist view (though the Cleansing Way and Empress Cult find it both heretical and annoying respectively).

A religion that varies between ignored and actively hunted down as threats, the Cleansing Way has made a name for itself by its extremeists.

The terrorists of the bunch in the eyes of many average citizens (especially Nightwalkers), the Pure are actively sought after by law enforcement officials.

While they follow the same dogma as “The Pure”, the average citizen is just satisfied that the Pragmatists aren't running around killing people.

Believe in the Empress being a divine individual is a rather controversial concept in modern Abwehran society. While many intellectual consider this movement to be some return to the days of superstitious theocracy before recorded history, others believe it to be a rather clever political ploy. Other religions tolerate the growing numbers, while the Cleansing Way finds it to be their very anti-thesis. The Imperial Family keeps to its stance that the Empress is not divine, but doesn't interfere in the worship of the Empress Cult.

One of the largest and oldest religions on Abwehr, almost every Abwehran knows of some ideological form of Universalism.

Many non-worshippers feel this sect of Universalism is mostly an appeal to the protective tradition of an Abwehran male, which is probably why many followers of the Kyr'zan sect are male. However, others find such a few to be naive and consider the thought of a child-like creator to be silly.

It seems, to the average non-worshipper, that every Pessimist of Universalism has gathered together to form their own sect. While many Mek'sharn would deny this train of thought (considering there are probably plenty of pessimists in other sects), it is hard to consider it anything but true.

A more ascetic sect of the Universalism religion, Jan'trun worshippers are often protrayed in Abwehran media as part mystic / part Astronomer whom inhabit mountain monasteries. While it may be true for the religious leaders and devout followers, the average Jan'trun worshipper is just as normal as anyone else.