system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
[Star Wars] Living as a common citizen, was it better to live under the republic or the empire?

Lets say I was the average mid-rim space transporter. Would I be better off living in the republic era or empire era?
gpt
Let's assume for the moment that you're Human.

Under the Republic, each member star system basically operated under their own rules. There was an overarching structure for trade and mining rights, but, essentially, everyone was left to do their own thing. As a transporter, you'd have to deal with a few reams of paperwork for every trade, but only for the star system you're traveling to and from. Log your standard trade routes with the Astrogation Guild, and you're mostly good to go.

Under the Empire, everyone follows the Empire's rules (or else). Autonomy is stripped from the individual star systems in the name of unity. Somehow, though, your paperwork has tripled, and your expenses go up due to "inspectors" who not-too-subtly demand payoffs to make sure they don't find any "irregularities." Your margins are a lot thinner, your routes get changed around by the Imperial Astrogation Department due to "military exercises," and if something doesn't change, soon, you're going to go out of business.

If you're not Human, well ...

Under the Empire, your business starts to dry up. At first, it's just a few clients muttering something about the "current political climate," but a friend of a friend tells you that they fulfill that same demand from another supplier who's more expensive but the same race as the client. You notice that your shipments get "inspected" at least twice as often as other transports, and any attempts to slide some credits the inspector's way is met with threats of imprisonment for bribing an Imperial official. If you're super lucky, you might have a particular good or service that's valued by a Moff, and they'll allow you special treatment, but unless you're shipping kyber crystals (or spice), that's pretty unlikely. Before you know it, you've stopped working through official channels and have started to learn how to break blockades. Another year, and the legitimate business you've built is basically a smuggling operation to people who literally cannot live without your product. Another year or two of that, and you've joined the Rebellion. Or the Crimson Dawn. Or you're dead. One of the three.