Loving the game, but finding the current iteration of the ideological traits irritating. Flipping your choices between benevolent, pragmatic and malevolent at a whim and without any noticeable consequence or penalty just seems cheesy in the extreme. Picking the options from all three traits that give you free ships ...mmm. smell that cheese!
Picking an ideological trait should be part of the game set up, in the same way you pick other traits for your faction. Then during the game you get rewarded for staying true to your trait - your people approve of the ethical choice(s) you've made as leader, so you get a small approval bonus (or something similar).
If you make a decision that goes against your selected trait, firstly it should cost you more points, like 12.5 vs 10 for your 'true' trait, and secondly, it should make your people unhappy that you've gone against what your race stands for, and your approval should take a hit (or something similar)
So, if you want to make an ideological choice that goes against what you supposedly believe in, you still can, but there is a penalty for doing so. And nothing to stop you playing the Drengin as good guys or the Altarians as evil SOB's - just an incentive against playing them as a 'bit of everything"