Fast forward through the prequels, and Emperor Palpatine created a Galactic Empire that rewarded planets and those loyal to it, and quickly and violently silenced anyone who opposed.
This is important to remember because it plays heavily into how the exact same thing basically happened 30 years after the Empire’s “destruction.”
Obviously many suffered from the Empire’s rule, but there were also those that benefitted from it.
And with many planets scared to actually rise against the Empire and openly voice discontent, there’s an argument to be made that there was more order than the Republic had trying to negotiate between planets through a largely de-militarized effort.