Star Wars: 10 Reasons The Galactic Empire Wasn't As Bad As Everyone Thinks
6. It Is Far Better Than The Old Republic
The Old Republic was anything but an effective government and not even strictly a true democracy. Representatives of systems and planets who made up the Senate were often times unelected, instead being monarchs or dictators in their own rights. These arent people who should be going to a galactic organisation to represent their people, as they will be largely focused on what is best for them retaining their power. Not only that, but the Republic was largely corrupt with senators happy to vote in return for money or services. Examples in The Phantom Menace show how some are willing to manipulate others in order to achieve their own ends. Its biggest failure though was simply how ineffective it was. It struggled to settle even minor disputes like that of the Trade Federation and Naboo. Also, because of its lack of armed forces it was unable to protect its members from attack or to properly enforce sanctions against unruly planets. Meanwhile the Empire was able to impose the law very effectively, meaning that there was much less risk of planets attacking each other or planning invasions. The dissolution of the senate also meant that decisions could be made quickly and efficiently rather than being constantly stalled by corrupt officials.
