Government

Version

This article has been verified for the current PC version (3.1) of the game.

Every empire has a government that provides different benefits. The name of a government is automatically determined according to its Ethics, Authority, and Civics. The government can be reformed once every 20 years for 250 influence.

Authority

An empire's authority determines how power is transferred in the government. For all authority types, except gestalt consciousnesses, policies such as voting rights and leadership affect who can get elected.

Type	Election	Ruler term	Effects	Requirements	Description
Democratic	Democratic	10 years	Rulers have mandates Re-election +50% Automatic Resettlement Chance	Authoritarian Fanatic Authoritarian Gestalt Consciousness	Democratic governments have regular elections where all citizens can vote on who should represent them.
Oligarchic	Oligarchic	20 years	Rulers have agendas Emergency elections (at 250 Influence) +15% Faction Influence Gain	Fanatic Authoritarian Fanatic Egalitarian Gestalt Consciousness	Oligarchic governments are ruled by a small group of individuals that hold all political power.
Dictatorial	Oligarchic	Life	Rulers have agendas -10% Empire Sprawl Penalty	Egalitarian Fanatic Egalitarian Gestalt Consciousness	Dictatorial governments are ruled by a single individual for life that wields absolute control over the state.
Imperial	Hereditary	Life	Rulers have agendas +1 Edict Capacity	Egalitarian Fanatic Egalitarian Gestalt Consciousness	Imperial governments are similar to dictatorial ones, except that the throne is always inherited by a designated successor upon the ruler's death.
Hive Mind		Permanent	+25% Pop Growth speed -25% Empire Sprawl Penalty Pops have the Hive-Minded trait	Utopia DLC Gestalt Consciousness Machine archetype	Hive Minds operate as a single organism more than as a state. The population has no free will, and act as an extension of the Hive Mind itself - much like the limbs of a body. When cut off from the Mind, these drones become comatose and eventually wither and die. Any free individuals on planets owned by the Mind are driven away, killed, or simply treated as prey to feed the collective.
Machine Intelligence		Permanent	+1 Extra Pops on new Colonies +1 Monthly Mechanical Pop Assembly +10% Mining Station Output +100% Empire Sprawl Penalty 50% Pop Growth Reduction Pops have the Machine trait	Synthetic Dawn DLC Gestalt Consciousness Machine archetype	Machine Intelligences are immense artificial group minds that have been networked into a single conscious entity. Most of the actual "population" in such an empire consists of mindless work units who perform their designated tasks without any semblance of free will. A small number of semi-autonomous agents are typically employed for more specialized tasks that benefit from some degree of independent initiative.
Corporate	Oligarchic	20 years	Rulers have agendas Emergency elections (at 250 Influence) +20 Administrative Capacity +50% Empire Sprawl Penalty Can use the Mercantile Diplomatic Stance Can build Branch Offices	MegaCorp DLC Fanatic Authoritarian Fanatic Egalitarian Gestalt Consciousness	Corporate governments are organized as a massive commercial enterprise that has completely supplanted the role of the state.

Mandates

Democratic rulers have mandates. This is a task that is to be completed during the ruler's term. If this is done, the empire receives 6 months' worth of Unity, between 50 and 1000.

There are no penalties for failing to complete a mandate. Though in-game text says that the current ruler will have a lessened chance at re-election, this is actually not implemented.

Mandate	Objective	Requirements
Orbital Researcher	Build 4 Research Stations	None
Off-World Miner	Build 4 Mining Stations	None
Energy Economics	Increase Monthly Energy to at least +20	Monthly Energy below +20
Minerals Refining	Increase Monthly Minerals to at least +30	Monthly Minerals below +30
Food Growth	Increase Monthly Food to at least +15	Monthly Food below +15 Empire has Pops without the Lithoid trait
Alloy Metallurgy	Increase Monthly Alloys to at least +12	Monthly Alloys below +12
Consumer Goods Production	Increase Monthly Consumer Goods to at least +6	Monthly Consumer Goods below +6
Urbanizer	Build 2 City Districts	World with at least 2 free District slots
Energy Infrastructure	Build 2 Generator Districts	World with at least 2 free Generator District slots
Planetside Mining	Build 2 Mining Districts	World with at least 2 free Mining District slots
Aggressive Agriculture	Build 2 Agriculture Districts	World with at least 2 free Agriculture District slots Empire has Pops without the Lithoid trait

Agendas

Oligarchic, Dictatorial, Imperial and Corporate rulers have agendas. They bring an empire-wide bonus while the ruler is in power.

Unlike Mandates, once a leader's Agenda is determined (usually because of becoming a candidate), the leader will keep their current Agenda for their lifetime and will never shift to another.

Agenda	Empire Bonus	Weight factors
Develop Industry	+10% Minerals from Jobs
A New Generation	+10% Growth Speed +5% Happiness	x1.5 Pacifist x2 Fanatic Pacifist
Fleet Expansion	−10% Starbase Shipyard Build Cost −5% Ship Upkeep +20% Starbase Build Speed	x1.5 Militarist x2 Fanatic Militarist x1.5 Ruler was an Admiral
Grow Economy	+10% Energy from Jobs	x1.5 Ruler was a Governor
Import / Export	+5% Trade Value −5% Market Fee	x2 Prosperity faction founded x1.5 Fanatic Pacifist
Scientific Leap	+10% Research Speed	x1.5 Materialist x2 Fanatic Materialist x1.5 Ruler was a Scientist
Secure the Borders	−15% Defense Platform Build Cost +25% Defense Platform Damage +25% Defense Platform HP	x1.5 Militarist x2 Fanatic Militarist x1.5 Ruler was an Admiral x2 Ruler was a General
Selective Nostalgia	+10% Unity from Jobs	x2 Traditionalist faction founded x1.5 Fanatic Spiritualist
Skill Development	+25% Leader Experience Gain	x2 Technologist faction founded x1.5 Fanatic Materialist
Expansionist Overtures	−10% Claim Influence Cost	x2 Imperialist faction founded x1.5 Fanatic Militarist x0 0 contacts
Xeno Outreach	+10% Xenophile Ethics Attraction	x2 Xenoist faction founded x1.5 Xenophile x0.5 Xenophobe x0 Less than 3 contacts
Public Debates	+50% Ethics Shift Chance	x2 Progressive faction founded x1.5 Fanatic Egalitarian x0 Before midgame
Slave Optimizations	+10% Slave Output	x2 Totalitarian faction founded x1.5 Fanatic Authoritarian x0 Prohibited Slavery policy
National Purity	+20% Xenophobe ethic attractiveness +10% Monthly Influence	x2 Isolationist faction founded x1.5 Fanatic Xenophobe x0 Xenophile
Native Privilege	+20% Xenophobe ethic attractiveness +5% Happiness	x2 Supremacist faction founded x1.5 Pacifist x1.5 Xenophobe x0 Xenophile

Elections

Elections come in two kinds: Democratic and Oligarchic. The election cycle lasts 3 months. The current ruler will stay in office until the replacement is decided (if applicable). The cost of influencing elections is reduced by -75% by the Shadow Council civic.

Democratic elections have a candidate pool close to a dozen, including at least the current ruler and all Faction Leaders. If not enough leaders are active, Leader Pool members are included. For 50 Influence each time, support can be added to one candidate, slightly increasing their vote share for the current election. The same leader can be supported multiple times to ensure the outcome. This support is reset when the election ends.
Oligarchic elections have a candidate pool of 4 recruited leaders, with at least the current ruler. For 200 Influence, one of the candidates can be chosen instantly. Otherwise, a random Leader will be chosen Ruler once the election cycle ends or the player chooses to abstain.

Government Type

Aside from naming the default Ruler Titles and deciding the first AI message when establishing communications, government types also define which Leader classes will have an increased weight to be drawn during Oligarchic Elections. The rules are not dissimilar from an AI Personality: Certain requirements must be met and every value has a weight - which can be modified by certain Factors - with the highest weighted possible one being ahead.

For example: Holy Tribunal (Oligarchic, Exalted Priesthood Civic) > Theocratic Oligarchy (Oligarchic and Spiritualist) > Plutocratic Oligarchy (Oligarchic Authority).

Government type	Ethics and civics	Election candidates	Ruler title	Heir title	Base weight & modifiers	Description
Representative Democracy		Any	President		1	This government is a representative democracy, where citizens vote on officials who are elected to represent them.
Plutocratic Oligarchy		Any	High Commissioner		1	This government is a plutocratic form of oligarchy, ruled by a wealthy and influential elite.
Constitutional Dictatorship		Any	Executor		1	This government is a dictatorship where a single individual has been granted perpetual emergency powers to preserve the state from any threats, real or imagined.
Despotic Empire		Heir	Emperor Empress	Crown Prince Crown Princess	1	This government is a relatively pure form of autocracy, with an absolute ruler that governs the state with an iron gripping appendage.
Communal Parity	Shared Burdens	Any	Presiding Speaker		10000	This government promotes total equality for all its citizens, regardless of their jobs or assigned tasks. One life is worth the same as any other.
Elective Monarchy	Philosopher King	Any	High King High Queen		800	This government is a form of enlightened autocracy, where a strong emphasis is put on the knowledge and qualifications of the elected monarch.
Enlightened Monarchy	Philosopher King	Heir	High King High Queen	Crown Prince Crown Princess	800	This government is a hereditary form of enlightened autocracy, where a strong emphasis is put on the knowledge and qualifications of the ruling monarch.
Feudal Empire	Feudal Society	Heir	Emperor Empress	Crown Prince Crown Princess	700	This government is a feudal autocracy where the monarch rules indirectly, granting offices and territories to vassals in exchange for obligations in the form of taxes and military service.
Theocratic Republic	Spiritualist	Any	Revered Elder		5	This government is a spiritualistic form of democracy, where a religious council supervises the democratic process and serves in an advisory role.
Theocratic Oligarchy	Spiritualist	Governors	Chief Precentor		5	This government is a spiritualistic form of oligarchy, where the political leadership lies in the hands of the leaders of the nation's most powerful religious factions.
Theocratic Dictatorship	Spiritualist	Governors	Patriarch Matriarch		5	This government is a spiritualistic dictatorship, ruled by a single individual in a hierarchical power structure supported by the official state religion.
Theocratic Monarchy	Spiritualist	Heir	Archprophet Archprophetess	High Priest High Priestess	5	This government is a spiritualistic form of autocracy, where the ruler is treated as a divine symbol. Organized religion is widely employed in support of the state apparatus.
Holy Tribunal	Exalted Priesthood	Governors	High Inquisitor		1000	This government is a spiritualistic form of oligarchy, where a divinely guided council made up of clergy controls the state. No division exists between the state and the dominant organized religion.
Celestial Empire	Spiritualist Inward Perfection	Heir	Celestial Emperor Celestial Empress	Crown Prince Crown Princess	1000	This government is a hereditary monarchy, where the ruler is seen as a child of heaven in a largely pacifist and isolationist society.
Divine Empire	Imperial Cult	Heir	God-Emperor God-Empress	Saint	1000	This government is a form of spiritualistic autocracy. Everything is shaped by the official state religion, and the ruler is worshiped as an infallible living god.
Moral Democracy	Pacifist	Scientists Governors	Prime Minister		5 x2 if Fanatic Pacifist x1.5 if Agrarian Idyll	This government is a pacifistic form of democracy, firmly guided by moralist principles and non-violence.
Irenic Bureaucracy	Pacifist	Scientists Governors	Coordinator		5 x2 if Fanatic Pacifist x1.5 if Agrarian Idyll	This government is a pacifistic form of oligarchy, where a complicated system of bureaucracy governs all aspects of society to ensure the safety of the citizenry.
Irenic Dictatorship	Pacifist	Scientists Governors	Serene Protector		5 x2 if Fanatic Pacifist x1.5 if Agrarian Idyll	This government is a pacifist form of autocracy, where the state is charged with protecting the citizenry from their own violent tendencies as well as any external threats.
Irenic Monarchy	Pacifist	Heir	King Queen	Crown Prince Crown Princess	5 x2 if Fanatic Pacifist x1.5 if Agrarian Idyll	This government is a pacifist form of hereditary autocracy, where the ruler is regarded as a benevolent guardian that is striving to protect the citizens from a violent galaxy.
Military Commissariat	Militarist	Admirals Generals Governors	Commissary-General		5 x2 if Fanatic Militarist x1.1 if either: Distinguished Admiralty Nationalistic Zeal	This government is nominally democratic, with the dividing line between the civil administration and the military having blurred to the point where they have largely become one and the same.
Military Junta	Militarist	Admirals Generals	Archon		5 x2 if Fanatic Militarist x1.1 if either: Distinguished Admiralty Nationalistic Zeal	This government is a militaristic form of oligarchy, where power rests with a council of high-ranking military officers who oversee all matters of state.
Military Dictatorship	Militarist	Admirals Generals	Grand Marshal		5 x2 if Fanatic Militarist x1.1 if either: Distinguished Admiralty Nationalistic Zeal	This government is a militaristic form of autocracy, with the ruler serving as the undisputed head of the military which is firmly in control of the state apparatus.
Star Empire	Militarist	Heir	Emperor Empress	Crown Prince Crown Princess	5 x2 if Fanatic Militarist x1.1 if either: Distinguished Admiralty Nationalistic Zeal	This government is a hereditary and militaristic form of autocracy, with a single sovereign controlling both the government and the military.
Assembly of Clans	Warrior Culture	Admirals Generals	Clan Speaker		800	This government is a militaristic form of democracy, where all free clan warriors can make their voices heard.
War Council	Warrior Culture	Admirals Generals	Warlord		800	This government is a militaristic form of oligarchy, where all decisions concerning the state are taken by a council of the nation's strongest warlords.
Martial Dictatorship	Warrior Culture	Admirals Generals	Imperator Imperatrix		800	This government is a militaristic form of autocracy, where the warrior who is considered the strongest leader rules with absolute power.
Martial Empire	Warrior Culture	Heir	Emperor Empress	Crown Prince Crown Princess	800	This government is a militaristic form of hereditary autocracy, where the state exists largely to support the military. Martial ability is highly valued, and all citizens are regularly drilled in matters of war.
Citizen Republic	Citizen Service	Admirals Generals Governors	Consul		900	This government is a militaristic form of democracy, where full citizenship can only be gained through military service. The voting franchise is limited to full citizens, and they are the only ones allowed to hold public offices.
Citizen Stratocracy	Citizen Service	Admirals Generals	Strategos		900	This government is an advanced form of militaristic oligarchy, where the military has subsumed all aspects of civilian administration. All government offices are held by military officers.
Direct Democracy	Materialist	Any	Chancellor		5 x2 if Fanatic Materialist x1.5 if Mechanist	This government is a materialistic form of democracy, where citizens use computer networks to vote directly on most matters regarding the state.
Executive Committee	Materialist	Any	Chairman Chairwoman		5 x2 if Fanatic Materialist x1.5 if Mechanist	This government is a materialistic form of oligarchy, where a powerful bureaucracy governs the state and guides the citizenry towards productive and meaningful goals.
Totalitarian Regime	Materialist	Any	Primarch		5 x2 if Fanatic Materialist x1.5 if Mechanist	This government is a materialistic form of autocracy, where the state aspires towards full control over the lives of its citizens in the name of efficiency.
Despotic Hegemony	Materialist	Heir	Overlord	Deputy Overlord	5 x2 if Fanatic Materialist x1.5 if Mechanist	This government is a materialistic form of hereditary autocracy, where citizens are viewed as little more than cogs in the state machinery. Efficiency and technological progress are valued above all things.
Rational Consensus	Technocracy	Scientists	First Speaker		900	The government is a materialistic form of democracy, governed according to principles based on rationality and scientific theory.
Science Directorate	Technocracy	Scientists	Director-General		900	This government is a materialistic form of oligarchy, where a committee of scientists supervises the government apparatus for maximum efficiency.
Technocratic Dictatorship	Technocracy	Scientists	Overseer		900	This government is a materialistic form of autocracy, where the scientific elite has assumed control over the state in the name of efficiency and technological progress.
Illuminated Autocracy	Technocracy	Heir	Primus	Secundus	900	This government is a materialistic form of hereditary autocracy, based on technocratic principles that the sovereign is sworn to uphold. Nothing is valued more highly than scientific knowledge and the advancement of technology.
Grim Council	Death Cult	Any	Dread Cardinal		10000	This nation's most powerful religious figures have formed a ruling council, overseeing an empire which engages in ritualized, sapient sacrifice.
Mortal Empire	Death Cult	Heir	Death-King Death-Queen		10000	This theocratic monarchy engages in ritualized, sapient sacrifice.
Bandit Commune	Barbaric Despoilers	Any	Warlord		10000	This government is organised like a massive crime syndicate, where the strong prey on the weak and any neighboring states are seen as little more than raiding targets.
Bandit Kingdom	Barbaric Despoilers	Any	Warlord		10000	This government is organised like a massive crime syndicate, where the strong prey on the weak and any neighboring states are seen as little more than raiding targets.
Band of Blood	Barbaric Despoilers Death Cult	Any	Bloodlord		20000	This ruthless society is governed through conflict and ritualized sacrifice, honoring the death within and without.
Purity Assembly	Fanatic Purifiers	Any	Prime Justiciar		2000	This government is a form of rabidly xenophobic democracy, where an elected assembly has been charged with overseeing the extermination of all lesser species in the galaxy.
Purification Committee	Fanatic Purifiers	Any	Grand Arbiter		2000	This government is a form of rabidly xenophobic oligarchy, where a political committee has been set up to oversee the extermination of all lesser species in the galaxy.
Purity Order	Fanatic Purifiers	Any	Lord-Purifier Lady-Purifier		2000	This government is a form of rabidly xenophobic autocracy, where a single ruler has sworn to oversee the extermination of all lesser species in the galaxy.
Blood Court	Fanatic Purifiers	Heir	High Executioner	Senior Executioner	2000	This government is a hereditary form of rabidly xenophobic autocracy, where the ultimate responsibility of the monarch is to oversee the extermination of all lesser species in the galaxy.
Megacorporation	Corporate Dominion Egalitarian Pacifist	Governors	Chief Executive Officer		700	This government is a form of plutocratic oligarchy, where the entire state has been organized as a massive commercial enterprise overseen by a board of directors.
Megacorporation		Governors	Chief Executive Officer		700
Trade League	Corporate Dominion Either: Egalitarian Pacifist Authoritarian	Governors	Chairman Chairwoman		1200	This government is a form of plutocratic oligarchy, where the state is made up of a myriad of free merchants, corporations and guilds that have banded together in common commercial interests.
Trade League	Either: Free Traders Trading Posts	Governors	Chairman Chairwoman		1200
MegaChurch	Corporate Dominion Exalted Priesthood	Governors	Hallowed Comptroller		1000	This government is an oligarchy based on a curious blend of commercial and spiritualistic values, in which the positions of ordained minister and corporate officer have merged into a single role.
MegaChurch	Gospel of the Masses	Governors	Hallowed Comptroller		1000
Criminal Syndicate	Criminal Heritage	Governors	Oligarch		1700	This government is an enormous and ruthless business syndicate, which shares many of its operating practices with organized crime.
Subversive Cult	Gospel of the Masses Criminal Heritage	Governors	Oracle		3000	This government is structured like a religious cult that relies on a variety of criminal and corporate enterprises to sustain itself.
Sacrificial MegaChurch	Gospel of the Masses Corporate Death Cult	Any	Grave Administrator		10000	This government blends its commercial and spiritual goals within a grim oligarchy, in which ordained overseers encourage greater prosperity through ritualized sacrifice.
Collective Consciousness		Immortal Ruler	Hive Mind		100000	This government operates as a single consciousness, with the population having no individual desires whatsoever beyond fulfilling the needs of the Hive Mind.
Ravenous Hive	Devouring Swarm	Immortal Ruler	Hive Mind		100000	This government operates as a single organism utterly devoted to self-propagation, with a drone population that cares for nothing besides feeding the endless hunger of the Hive Mind.
Artificial Intelligence Network		Immortal Ruler	Central Processing Unit		5	This Machine Intelligence consists of a linked network of semi-autonomous artificial intelligences, who together make up a central gestalt consciousness that guides their empire.
Rogue Defense System	Determined Exterminator	Immortal Ruler	Command Core		2000	This Machine Intelligence was originally conceived as a military defense system by its organic creators, who were promptly identified as a threat and exterminated after it achieved self-awareness.
Autonomous Service Grid	Rogue Servitor	Immortal Ruler	Supervisory Node		2000	This Machine Intelligence was created to serve, and it has gradually inherited the civilization of its organic creators as they retreated into comfortable lives without toil or struggle.
Catalog Index	Driven Assimilator	Immortal Ruler	Main Conduit		2000	This Machine Intelligence was designed with a ravenous appetite for knowledge by its organic creators, who were forcefully assimilated into its collective consciousness after activation.
Intelligent Research Link	Either: Delegated Functions Static Research Analysis Introspective Not: Constructobot Rockbreakers Rapid Replicator	Immortal Ruler	Primary Link		2 x10 if either: Delegated Functions Static Research Analysis Introspective	This Machine Intelligence was originally created by organic scientists as a networked and intelligent tool to assist them in their research.
Industrial Production Core	Either: Constructobot Rockbreakers Rapid Replicator Not: Delegated Functions Static Research Analysis Introspective	Immortal Ruler	Control Hub		2 x10 if either: Constructobot Rockbreakers Rapid Replicator	This Machine Intelligence was originally designed for the purpose of building, supervising and maintaining complex industrial systems.
Imperial Domain	Galactic Sovereign	Heir	Galactic Emperor Galactic Empress	Crown Prince Crown Princess	100000	This government rules the Galactic Imperium's central crown territory, which is under the direct control of the Imperial Sovereign.

Unplayable governments

The following government types are not available to player empires.

Government Type	Prerequisite Civics	Ruler Name	Description
Stagnant Ascendancy	Lethargic Leadership Empire In Decline	Emperor/Empress	A stagnant form of government based on ancient traditions and long-forgotten principles.
Awakened Ascendancy	Revanchist Fervor Ancient Caches of Technology	Emperor/Empress	A formerly stagnant empire that has risen from its slumber and set out to reclaim their heritage.
Tribal Society	Secret of Fire The Wheel	King/Queen	A society that lacks any organized government, its people instead being organized into primitive tribes and clans.
Feudal Realms	Landed Nobility Flat World Theory	King/Queen	A primitive form of government made up of decentralized feudal realms, constantly vying with each other for regional dominance.
Fragmented Nation States	Increasing Urbanization Atmospheric Pollution	Secretary	A collection of fragmented nation states that contend with each other for military dominance and economic advantages. No unified global government exists.
Military Order	Military Order	Grand Master	A weird but apparently highly effective militaristic government type.
Custodian Matrix	Fallen Machine Intelligence Custodian Matrix	Custodian	An ancient and incredibly sophisticated machine intelligence that is operating under a strict custodian protocol.
Final Defense Unit	Reactivated Custodian Matrix Final Defense Directives	Custodian	This Custodian Matrix AI has activated its Final Defense Directives and is devoting all resources to protecting the galaxy against the Contingency.
Malfunctioning Custodian	Reactivated Custodian Matrix Corrupted Defense Directives	Custodian	This Custodian Matrix AI appears to be malfunctioning, going berserk and attacking everything around it.
Marauder Clans	Anarcho-Tribalism	Reluctant Emissary	A collection of clans and tribes that constantly fight among themselves when not raiding their neighbors.
Marauder Khanate	Great Khan's Vision	Great Khan	A unified empire consisting of various marauder clans that have all sworn fealty to a single Great Khan.
Successor Khanate	Great Khan's Legacy	Khan	A successor state trying to recapture the glory of the Great Khan's empire.
Horde Successor State	Diadochus	Khan	A successor state established by one of the Diadochi, the dead Great Khan's primary warlords.