The empire is actually the good guys!!! Think about it, peace and prosperity through law and order. Industrial and economic development. Just building the "death star" (that's a rebel slang term btw) is an engineering marvel. They fed people, clothed people, were working on agriculture on barren planets to provide food. Genuinely good people.
Now lets look at the "rebels". petty thievery, drinking, womanizers, scoundrels, steeling blue prints, killing ewoks!!!! Terrible people.