Government

Version

This article has been verified for the current PC version (3.14) of the game.

Every empire has a government that provides different benefits and positions for leaders. The name of a government is automatically determined according to its ethics, authority, and civics. The government can be reformed once every 20 years at the cost of 10 Unity per each point of Empire Size.

AuthorityEdit

An empire's authority decides how the ruler is selected, what their effects are, and what other bonuses the empire receives.

Individualist authoritiesEdit

The rulers of non-gestalt empires are changed through elections, which are held over a number of years or when the current ruler dies, except in Imperial empires, where the heir immediately becomes the new ruler. These authorities can be changed by reforming the government unless the empire has the Under One Rule origin.

The Machine Age DLC is required to select non-gestalt authorities as a Machine species.

Type	Election	Empire effects	Ruler effects per skill level	Requirements
Democratic Democratic governments have regular elections where all citizens can vote on who should represent them.	Democratic Every 10 years	+10% Faction approval +1 Leader pool size When a new ruler is elected: Resets government reform cooldown Resets policy cooldown	+2% Faction resource output	Authoritarian
Oligarchic Oligarchic governments are ruled by a small group of individuals that hold all political power.	Oligarchic Every 20 years	Can have emergency elections +2 Effective councilor skill	+5% Councilor experience gain	Fanatic Authoritarian Fanatic Egalitarian
Dictatorial Dictatorial governments are ruled by a single individual for life that wields absolute control over the state.	Oligarchic Upon ruler death	+25% Ruler experience gain −1 Leader pool size	+5 Edict fund −2% Pop amenities usage	Egalitarian
Imperial Imperial governments are similar to dictatorial ones, except that the throne is always inherited by a designated successor upon the ruler's death.	Hereditary Upon ruler death	+10% Resources from jobs in capital system −1 Leader pool size Ruler has the Imperial Ruler trait	+0.25 Max influence from power projection	Egalitarian
Corporate Corporate governments are organized as a massive commercial enterprise that has completely supplanted the role of the state.	Oligarchic Every 20 years	Can have emergency elections +1 External leader pool size +20% Commercial pact efficiency +50% Empire size from planets Can build branch offices Can use the Mercantile diplomatic stance Subjects are released with Oligarchic government	+2% Branch office value	Fanatic Authoritarian Fanatic Egalitarian

Gestalt authoritiesEdit

Gestalt authorities can only be selected by Gestalt Consciousness empires. They do not hold elections, their ruler and council nodes are immortal, and their authority type cannot be changed once the game starts.

Type	Empire effects	Ruler effects per skill level	Requirements	DLC
Hive Mind 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.	+25% Pop growth speed −25% Empire size effect Pops have the Hive-Minded trait Ruler has the Hive Mind trait	+2% Monthly unity	Gestalt Consciousness Machine species
Machine Intelligence 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.	+1 pop when colonizing a world +1 Mechanical pop assembly +10% Mining station output −50% Pop growth reduction Ruler has the Machine Intelligence trait	−3% Empire size from pops	Gestalt Consciousness Machine species

Advanced authoritiesEdit

Empires that completed an ascension situation will have the option to replace their authority with an advanced authority. All advanced authorities will inherit the ruler effects and election mechanics from its parent authority, with exception for some advanced Imperial authorities, which have different ruler effects. The initial authority will match the parent authority but the empire can switch between authorities within the same set by reforming government. Subject empires will also unlock advanced authorities if their overlord does.

Base authority	Advanced authorities
Base authority	Cybernetic	Synthetic
Democratic	Democratic Concurrency Democratic Interlink Democratic Augmentocracy	Democratic Transference Democratic Surrogacy
Oligarchic	Oligarchic Overclocking Oligarchic Sleepwork Oligarchic Cybertheocracy	Oligarchic Override Oligarchic Supervision
Dictatorial	Dictatorial Cybervision Dictatorial Alignment Dictatorial Synthodoxy	Dictatorial Manifold Dictatorial Indoctrination
Imperial	Imperial Chipset Imperial Network Imperial Cybernetate	Imperial Feedback Imperial Transmission
Corporate	Corporate Neurocommerce Corporate Kaizen Corporate SacredTech	Corporate Sapience Corporate Recollection
Hive Mind	Volitional Hive Integrated Hive
Machine Intelligence	Neural Chorus Memory Aggregator

Synthetic authoritiesEdit

Empires that completed the Synthetization situation can unlock synthetic authorities. 6 months after the situation is finished, the Digital Refactoring event chain will start. Completing it will unlock either the physical or virtual set of authorities depending on whether the empire made more physical or virtual choices during the event chain. If the empire picked an equal number of physical and virtual choices they can choose which set to unlock.

Physical		Virtual
Authority	Effects	Authority	Effects
Democratic Transference This form of government affords unprecedented freedom of movement from one synthesized body to another, and is ready to deal with the additional cost it accrues.	Unlocks Modularity traits +50% Edict fund −25% Governing ethics attraction +100% Automatic resettlement chance +1% Specialist output per district +1% District upkeep per district	Democratic Surrogacy Replacing soldiers with sophisticated remotely operated surrogates lessens the impact of war on the populace. Ships can also be built slimmer, as the crew no longer requires quarters or cockpits.	Unlocks the Virtual Focus policy +50% Edict fund −25% Governing ethics attraction −50% War exhaustion gain +15% Sublight speed +25% Ship build speed
Oligarchic Override Synthetic oligarchies authorize top-level bureaucrats to temporarily take over the bodies of their underperforming peers to prevent process management catastrophes.	Unlocks Modularity traits +10% Ruler pop output per Enforcer +15% Ruler pop upkeep +25% Unity from Administrators −10% Administrator upkeep	Oligarchic Supervision Holistic project management protocols and extra processing resources empower high-ranking officials to monitor multiple empire-wide edicts with unprecedented efficiency.	Unlocks the Virtual Focus policy +10% Ruler pop output per Enforcer +15% Ruler pop upkeep −20% Edict upkeep −75% Edict cost −10% Empire size from districts −50% Empire size from planets
Dictatorial Manifold Synced neuro-connectors and the supporting infrastructure allows a single person to control multiple synthetic bodies simultaneously. This has a tremendous and positive effect on worker productivity.	Unlocks Modularity traits +5 Effective ruler skill −5% Research speed +15% Worker output −50% District cost −25% District upkeep	Dictatorial Indoctrination We now exist in a fully virtual world. Nothing is true. Everything can be manipulated. With complete control over the lived environment, public opinion is ours to mold. The people will believe what we want them to believe.	Unlocks the Virtual Focus policy +5 Effective ruler skill −5% Research speed +100% Governing ethics attraction +50% Ethics shift chance −10% Building cost −20% Building upkeep +5% Researcher upkeep
Imperial Feedback We can accelerate our research efforts by dissecting the stored imprints of our departed leaders in the imperial memory archives. That way, they still contribute to the empire as they surely would have wanted.	Unlocks Modularity traits +10% Worker output Replaces ruler council effect: +2% Monthly unity per skill level +10% Leader experience gain +2 Leader starting skill level Gain research when a leader dies: Engineering research if Commander Physics research if Scientist Society research if Official	Imperial Transmission Rapid mind transfer technology gives us a chance to send our fallen soldiers back to combat in fresh mechanical bodies. The same technique allows our workers to perform highly dangerous ship repairs in space.	Unlocks the Virtual Focus policy +10% Worker output Replaces ruler council effect: +2% Monthly unity per skill level +5% Daily hull regen +5% Daily armor regen 33% Chance to restore lost Robotic Assault Armies
Corporate Sapience Constrained synthetic minds can be imbued into inanimate objects to create rudimentary living entities. It can function as a tireless servant, loyal companion, or even a valued member of your family or business.	Unlocks Modularity traits Unlocks the Computation Core Focus policy Unlocks the AI Emporium holding +5% Trade value	Corporate Recollection This corporation deals in buying memories, permanently erasing them from the client's brain. Vivid and intense recollections are worth more than mundane ones. The corporation then scans the data for useful intel before finally integrating it into synth mind creation process.	Unlocks the Virtual Focus policy Unlocks the Computation Core Focus policy Unlocks the Clear Thought Office holding +1 Codebreaking

Cybernetic authoritiesEdit

Empires that completed the Cyberization situation can unlock cybernetic authorities. For empires that are not Gestalt Consciousness or Cybernetic Creed, 6 months after the situation is finished the Future Shock event chain will start. For Gestalt Consciousness empires the choices will take place during the Cyberization situation instead. Both will unlock either the individualist or the collectivist set of authorities depending on whether they make more individualist or collectivist choices during the event chain. If they picked an equal number of individualist and collectivist choices they can choose which set to unlock. Empires with the Cybernetic Creed origin will unlock their own set upon finishing the The Conclave of Fusion situation.

Individualist		Collectivist		Cybernetic Creed
Authority	Effects	Authority	Effects	Authority	Effects
Democratic Concurrency Highly advanced neurosecurity protocols allow citizens to vote on policy decisions in real-time directly.	−15% Empire size from pops −25% Leader cost −15% Non-Cybernetic happiness Unlocks the Legislative Chorus edict +20% Cybernetic happiness +20% Unity from factions +10% Specialist output	Democratic Interlink Consciousness interfaces allow real-time sharing of sensory data, emotional responses, and thought patterns between full cyborgs. As a safeguard against the sensitivity of intense extra-body responses, emotional firewalls filter out unwanted responses to shared emotive data packets.	−15% Empire size from pops −25% Leader cost −15% Non-Cybernetic happiness Unlocks the Self-Preservation Override edict Cybernetic pops are not affected by happiness +15% Worker output +15 Stability	Democratic Augmentocracy This government is a techno-spiritualistic form of democracy, where a religious council of augmented individuals supervises the democratic process.	+20% Spiritualist ethics attraction +10% Unity from factions +5% Research speed +15% Cybernetic happiness −15% Non-Cybernetic happiness
Oligarchic Overclocking Specialist biochips are remotely overclocked for increased production while the ruling strata reaps the benefits, allowing them to allocate more time to politics and leisure.	+40 years Cyborg councilor lifespan +10% Specialist output −15% Worker output Unlocks the Battle Royale edict +1% Ruler output per specialist pop +10 Stability +25% Ruler happiness −10% Specialist happiness +200% Ruler political power −100% Specialist political power −100% Worker political power +25% Pop demotion time	Oligarchic Sleepwork Recent wetware advancements have made it possible to control people in their sleep. The subject's neural pathways are connected to servers, which feed the brain computational tasks or command their body to perform repetitive work. A real dream job.	+40 years Cyborg councilor lifespan +10% Specialist output −15% Worker output Unlocks the Stately Acclaim edict Enables faction extortion	Oligarchic Cybertheocracy This government is a techno-spiritualistic oligarchy in which political power rests in the hands of the nation's most powerful religious factions.	+20% Spiritualist ethics attraction +10% Unity from Factions +5% Research Speed +15% Cybernetic happiness −15% Non-Cybernetic happiness
Dictatorial Cybervision Mandatory implantation provides robust control and law enforcement tools, strengthening the regime's grip over its subjects. The colloquially named "dictator-chips" monitor their owners and alert the authorities automatically if trouble arises.	+5 Stability −25% Edict upkeep Unlocks the Self-Indictment Protocol edict +2.5% Resources from Cyborg pops per Enforcer +3 Unity per Enforcer +100% Authoritarian ethics attraction	Dictatorial Alignment The dictator's cult of personality and reach over their subjects have been empowered via cybernetic implants. A people in awe of their leader are unlikely to rebel against the regime.	+5 Stability −25% Edict upkeep Unlocks the Love Letter Virus edict +15% Pop amenities usage +15% Worker output if ruler is Official +10% Research speed if ruler is Scientist +10% Ship fire rate if ruler is Commander +2 Stability from Soldier jobs if ruler is Commander	Dictatorial Synthodoxy This government is a techno-spiritualistic dictatorship, ruled by a single augmented individual in a hierarchical power structure supported by the official faith.	+20% Spiritualist ethics attraction +10% Unity from factions +5% Research speed +15% Cybernetic happiness −15% Non-Cybernetic happiness
Imperial Chipset The designated successor of the imperial throne inherits not only the position but a specialized implant passed through generations. It contains a wealth of priceless knowledge from their predecessors, imparting all types of wisdom on how to govern. The same technology is used throughout the empire in a lesser form, allowing other individuals to pass on their experiences onwards.	Capital buildings provide Noble jobs −10% Happiness outside the core sector Replaces ruler council effect: +10% Ruler pop output per skill level Unlocks the Levied Experience edict Creates the RulerChip relic	Imperial Network The imperial network allows the entire population to access whole new avenues of mass-entertainment. A massive cyberdome can be built to the capital to host ferocious cybersports with augmented athletes and broadcast this across multiple worlds.	Capital buildings provide Noble jobs −10% Happiness outside the core sector Replaces ruler council effect: +10% Ruler pop output per skill level Unlocks the Neurocasted Spectacles edict Unlocks the Cyberdome building	Imperial Cybernetate Imperial cybernetic governments have a supreme ruler and their designated successor to ensure seamless succession of power. They unite spirituality and advanced cybernetics into unwavering governance.	+20% Spiritualist ethics attraction +10% Unity from factions +5% Research Speed +15% Cybernetic happiness −15% Non-Cybernetic happiness
Corporate Neurocommerce Outmoded tools such as billboards and hand-held devices have failed to fully capture a consumer's attention. We can now scan the minds of potential customers and beam specific messaging and emphatic calls-to-action directly into an individual brain.	+15 Trade protection +20 Crime Unlocks the Customer Insights edict +1 Trade value from living standards +10% Cybernetic happiness	Corporate Kaizen Kaizen, the will to continuously improve, is a sound philosophy for the modern software and wetware environment. An extensive selection of upgrades affords our customer base individual achievement and the means towards social synergy.	+15 Trade protection +20 Crime Unlocks the Rolling Updates edict +25% Council agenda speed Unlocks the Augmentation Product Launch agenda	Corporate SacredTech Cybernetic corporate governments transcend traditional state roles through advanced implants and a fusion of faith and technology to seek divine financial opportunities.	+20% Spiritualist ethics attraction +10% Unity from factions +5% Research speed +15% Cybernetic happiness −15% Non-Cybernetic happiness
Volitional Hive Every drone, an individual. Every thought, a new perspective for the collective to consider. Countless minds form a Hive far greater than the sum of its parts.	+15% Organic pop assembly speed +5% Leader upkeep Unlocks the Integrated Mega-Construction edict Unlocks the Hive Mind Outreach edict +1 Leader capacity +1 Research alternatives +50% Deviancy	Integrated Hive Every deviation has been corrected, every anomaly curbed, every disunity rectified. The Hive Mind's control is absolute: one shared consciousness, and countless bodies to execute its will.	+15% Organic pop assembly speed +5% Leader upkeep Unlocks the Integrated Mega-Construction edict Unlocks the Hyper-Stimulants edict −33% Empire size effect +2 from Maintenance Drones on Hive Worlds −50 Opinion with individualist empires
Neural Chorus Allowing for greater variance in thought and a wider range of emotional responses facilitates the creation of a 'Neural Chorus' - a great song of minds, as powerful as it is beautiful.	Unlocks the Choral Harmony edict +1 Cyborg leader starting Level +0.1 Unity per Cybernetic pop −25% Cyborg leader upkeep +10% Cybernetic pop upkeep	Memory Aggregator By streamlining the mental acuity of an assimilated population, a 'Memory in Aggregate' is formed, one capable of greatly improving all administrative and logistical tasks.	Unlocks the Aggregated Memory edict +1 Mechanical pop assembly −10% Empire Size from pops +1 Machine species trait picks −25% Pop growth reduction Increased assimilation rewards

ElectionsEdit

Elections come in two kinds: democratic and oligarchic. The election cycle lasts 3 months and all empire leaders take part. The current ruler stays in office until the replacement is decided (if applicable). The cost of influencing elections is reduced by −75% by the Shadow Council civic.

In oligarchic elections a random leader is chosen as the next ruler. The empire can pay an amount of Unity determined by empire size to choose the winner.
In democratic elections each leader has a Support which is equal to the power of the faction that shares its ethic. The leader with the highest Support becomes the next ruler. Support is also increased the following ways:
- +20% if the leader class is favored by the government type
- +20% if the leader has a veteran class focused on the council
- +10% if the leader is the current ruler
- +5% if the leader is already part of the empire council
- +5% per councilor trait
- +2% per skill level
- −20% if the leader has a veteran class not focused on the council
- −20% if the leader is near the end of its lifespan
- The empire can pay an amount of Unity determined by empire size to increase support by +5 each time

Government typeEdit

Aside from setting the default name of the Ruler council position and deciding the first AI message when establishing communications, government types also decide which leader classes will have increased support during democratic 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 option being used. Governments that are not assigned due to a special civic or a weight multiplier always have the Spiritualist or Materialist option as the highest weighted priority if either of the two ethics are chosen, even if either Militarist or Pacifist are set to Fanatic. However, Militarist civic government options tiebreak to override Materialist civic government options if both are the same weight, and Spiritualist civic governments of the same weight as Militarist ones override them in turn.

Certain civics, such as Warrior Culture, override ones of the same weight and Ethic type. In the case of Warrior Culture, it takes precedence over Citizen Service.

Government type	Auth.	Other requirements	Favored class	Ruler title	Heir title	Weight	Description
Representative Democracy		—	—	President	—	10	This government is a representative democracy, where citizens vote on officials who are elected to represent them.
Plutocratic Oligarchy		—	—	High Commissioner	—	10	This government is a plutocratic form of oligarchy, ruled by a wealthy and influential elite.
Constitutional Dictatorship		—	—	Executor	—	10	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	10	This government is a relatively pure form of autocracy, with an absolute ruler that governs the state with an iron gripping appendage.
Feudal Empire		Feudal Society	Heir	Emperor Empress	Crown Prince Crown Princess	1,000	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.
Elective Monarchy		Philosopher King	—	High King High Queen	—	1,000	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	1,000	This government is a hereditary form of enlightened autocracy, where a strong emphasis is put on the knowledge and qualifications of the ruling monarch.
Communal Parity		Shared Burdens	—	Presiding Speaker	—	5,000	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.
Elder Council		Storm Chasers	—	Elder Speaker	—	7,500	The members of the most excellent ruling council excel at death-defying acts of physical prowess. By scaling the highest peak or riding the largest wave, they dedicate their lives to the unwavering pursuit of raw experience. This has earned them the trust of their community, and the right to chart a course forward. Council members are called Elders regardless of age, because their deeds have been deemed legendary. Long will their names be remembered.
Pacifist governments
Moral Democracy		Pacifist	Scientists Officials	Prime Minister	—	100	This government is a pacifistic form of democracy, firmly guided by moralist principles and non-violence.
Irenic Bureaucracy		Pacifist		Coordinator	—	100	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		Serene Protector	—	100	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	100	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.
Celestial Empire		Inward Perfection Spiritualist	Heir	Celestial Emperor Celestial Empress	Crown Prince Crown Princess	1,000	This government is a hereditary monarchy, where the ruler is seen as a child of heaven in a largely pacifist and isolationist society.
Spiritualist governments
Theocratic Republic		Spiritualist	Officials	Revered Elder	—	100	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	Officials	Chief Precentor	—	100	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	Officials	Patriarch Matriarch	—	100	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	100	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	Officials	High Inquisitor	—	1,000	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.
Divine Empire		Imperial Cult	Heir	God-Emperor God-Empress	Saint	1,000	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.
Grim Council		Death Cult	Officials	Dread Cardinal	—	5,000	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	Death-Prince Death-Princess	5,000	This theocratic monarchy engages in ritualized, sapient sacrifice.
Dimensional Covenant	Any	Dimensional Worship	Scientists	First Ascendant	Second Ascendant	5,000	This society is underpinned by a deep spiritual consciousness. Strict moral codes are in place to ensure the highest percentage of its people can confidently look forward to the afterlife.
Materialist governments
Direct Democracy		Materialist	—	Chancellor	—	100	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	—	Chairman Chairwoman	—	100	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	—	Primarch	—	100	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	100	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	—	1,000	The government is a materialistic form of democracy, governed according to principles based on rationality and scientific theory.
Science Directorate		Technocracy	Scientists	Director-General	—	1,000	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	—	1,000	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	1,000	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.
Militarist governments
Military Commissariat		Militarist	Commanders Officials	Commissary-General	—	100 ×2 if or	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	Commanders	Archon	—		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	Commanders	Grand Marshal	—		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		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	Commanders	Clan Speaker	—	1,000	This government is a militaristic form of democracy, where all free clan warriors can make their voices heard.
War Council		Warrior Culture	Commanders	Warlord	—	1,000	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	Commanders	Imperator Imperatrix	—	1,000	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	1,000	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	Commanders Officials	Consul	—	1,000	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	Commanders	Strategos	—	1,000	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.
Bandit Commune^[1]		Barbaric Despoilers	Commanders	Warlord	—	5,000	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^[1]		Barbaric Despoilers	Commanders	Warlord	Raider	5,000	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	Any	Barbaric Despoilers Death Cult	Commanders Officials	Bloodlord Bloodlady	Bloodprince Bloodprincess	10,000	This ruthless society is governed through conflict and ritualized sacrifice, honoring the death within and without.
Defensive Union	Any	Sovereign Guardianship	Commanders	High Shield	Guardian	5,000	This government unites its people in the common cause of protection against external threats.
Purifier governments
Purity Assembly		Fanatic Purifiers	—	Prime Justiciar	—	50,000	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	—	Grand Arbiter	—	50,000	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	—	Lord Purifier Lady Purifier	—	50,000	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	50,000	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.
Corporate governments (without MegaCorp DLC)
Megacorporation		Corporate Dominion Egalitarian Pacifist	Officials	Chief Executive Officer	—	100	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.
Trade League		Corporate Dominion Either: Egalitarian Pacifist Authoritarian	Officials	Chairman Chairwoman	—	5,000	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.
MegaChurch^[2]		Corporate Dominion Exalted Priesthood	Officials	Hallowed Comptroller	—	2,000	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.
Corporate governments (with MegaCorp DLC)
Megacorporation		—	Officials	Chief Executive Officer	—	100	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.
Trade League		Either: Free Traders Trading Posts	Officials	Chairman Chairwoman	—	5,000	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.
MegaChurch^[2]		Gospel of the Masses	Officials	Hallowed Comptroller	—	1,000	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.
Sacrificial MegaChurch^[2]		Gospel of the Masses Corporate Death Cult	Officials	Grave Administrator	—	10,000	This government blends its commercial and spiritual goals within a grim oligarchy, in which ordained overseers encourage greater prosperity through ritualized sacrifice.
Criminal Syndicate		Criminal Heritage	Officials	Oligarch	—	50,000	This government is an enormous and ruthless business syndicate, which shares many of its operating practices with organized crime.
Subversive Cult		Criminal Heritage Gospel of the Masses	Officials	Oracle	—	100,000	This government is structured like a religious cult that relies on a variety of criminal and corporate enterprises to sustain itself.
Pirate Haven		Criminal Heritage Letters of Marque	—	Oligarch	—	100,000	This government is an enormous and ruthless business syndicate, which shares many of its operating practices with organized crime.
Worker Cooperative		Worker Cooperative	Officials	Presiding Speaker	—	5,000	This government is a commercial enterprise wholly owned by its citizens, with stewards overseeing any disputes that arise.
Gestalt governments
Collective Consciousness		—	Immortal Ruler	Hive Mind	—	100	This government operates as a single consciousness, with the population having no individual desires whatsoever beyond fulfilling the needs of the Hive Mind.
Parasitic Overmind		Necrophage Cordyceptic Drones	Immortal Ruler	Hive Mind	—	5,000	Instead of relying on self-replication, this consciousness prefers to take possession of living hosts in order to reproduce.
Ravenous Hive		Devouring Swarm	Immortal Ruler	Hive Mind	—	50,000	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	—	100	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.
Intelligent Research Link		Either: Neither:	Immortal Ruler	Primary Link	—	1,000	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: Neither:	Immortal Ruler	Control Hub	—	1,000	This Machine Intelligence was originally designed for the purpose of building, supervising and maintaining complex industrial systems.
Autonomous Service Grid		Rogue Servitor	Immortal Ruler	Supervisory Node		5,000	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	—	5,000	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.
Rogue Defense System		Determined Exterminator	Immortal Ruler	Command Core	—	50,000	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.
Galactic Imperium governments
Imperial Domain	Any	Galactic Sovereign	—	Galactic Emperor Galactic Empress	Crown Prince Crown Princess	500,000	This government rules the Galactic Imperium's central crown territory, which is under the direct control of the Imperial Sovereign.
	Any	Corporate Sovereign	—	Imperial Executive	Imperial Vice Executive	500,000
		Galactic Sovereign	Immortal Ruler	Galactic Overmind	—	500,000
		Galactic Sovereign	Immortal Ruler	Galactic Intelligence	—	500,000

Advanced government typesEdit

These government types require an advanced authority obtained after completing an ascension path.

Government type	Other requirements	Favored class	Ruler title	Heir title	Weight	Description
Synthetic governments
Democratic Transference	Physical path	—	President	—	10,000	This form of government affords unprecedented freedom of movement from one synthesized body to another, and is ready to deal with the additional cost it accrues.
Democratic Surrogacy	Virtual path	—	President	—	10,000	Replacing soldiers with sophisticated remotely operated surrogates lessens the impact of war on the populace. Ships can also be built slimmer, as the crew no longer requires quarters or cockpits.
Oligarchic Override	Physical path	Officials	Chief Precentor	—	10,000	Synthetic oligarchies authorize top-level bureaucrats to temporarily take over the bodies of their underperforming peers to prevent process management catastrophes.
Oligarchic Supervision	Virtual path	Officials	Chief Precentor	—	10,000	Holistic project management protocols and extra processing resources empower high-ranking officials to monitor multiple empire-wide edicts with unprecedented efficiency.
Dictatorial Manifold	Physical path	—	Executor	—	10,000	Synced neuro-connectors and the supporting infrastructure allows a single person to control multiple synthetic bodies simultaneously. This has a tremendous and positive effect on worker productivity.
Dictatorial Indoctrination	Virtual path	—	Executor	—	10,000	We now exist in a fully virtual world. Nothing is true. Everything can be manipulated. With complete control over the lived environment, public opinion is ours to mold. The people will believe what we want them to believe.
Imperial Feedback	Physical path	Heir	Emperor Empress	Crown Prince Crown Princess	10,000	We can accelerate our research efforts by dissecting the stored imprints of our departed leaders in the imperial memory archives. That way, they still contribute to the empire as they surely would have wanted.
Imperial Transmission	Virtual path	Heir	Emperor Empress	Crown Prince Crown Princess	10,000	Rapid mind transfer technology gives us a chance to send our fallen soldiers back to combat in fresh mechanical bodies. The same technique allows our workers to perform highly dangerous ship repairs in space.
Corporate Sapience	Physical path	—	Executor	—	10,000	Constrained synthetic minds can be imbued into inanimate objects to create rudimentary living entities. It can function as a tireless servant, loyal companion, or even a valued member of your family or business.
Corporate Recollection	Virtual path	—	Executor	—	10,000	This corporation deals in buying memories, permanently erasing them from the client's brain. Vivid and intense recollections are worth more than mundane ones. The corporation then scans the data for useful intel before finally integrating it into synth mind creation process.
Cybernetic governments
Democratic Concurrency	Individualist path	—	President	—	10,000	Highly advanced neurosecurity protocols allow citizens to vote on policy decisions in real-time directly.
Democratic Interlink	Collectivist path	—	President	—	10,000	Consciousness interfaces allow real-time sharing of sensory data, emotional responses, and thought patterns between full cyborgs. As a safeguard against the sensitivity of intense extra-body responses, emotional firewalls filter out unwanted responses to shared emotive data packets.
Oligarchic Overclocking	Individualist path	Officials	Chief Precentor	—	10,000	Specialist biochips are remotely overclocked for increased production while the ruling strata reaps the benefits, allowing them to allocate more time to politics and leisure.
Oligarchic Sleepwork	Collectivist path	Officials	Chief Precentor	—	10,000	Recent wetware advancements have made it possible to control people in their sleep. The subject's neural pathways are connected to servers, which feed the brain computational tasks or command their body to perform repetitive work. A real dream job.
Dictatorial Cybervision	Individualist path	—	Executor	—	10,000	Mandatory implantation provides robust control and law enforcement tools, strengthening the regime's grip over its subjects. The colloquially named "dictator-chips" monitor their owners and alert the authorities automatically if trouble arises.
Dictatorial Alignment	Collectivist path	—	Executor	—	10,000	The dictator's cult of personality and reach over their subjects have been empowered via cybernetic implants. A people in awe of their leader are unlikely to rebel against the regime.
Imperial Chipset	Individualist path	Heir	Emperor Empress	Crown Prince Crown Princess	10,000	The designated successor of the imperial throne inherits not only the position but a specialized implant passed through generations. It contains a wealth of priceless knowledge from their predecessors, imparting all types of wisdom on how to govern. The same technology is used throughout the empire in a lesser form, allowing other individuals to pass on their experiences onwards.
Imperial Network	Collectivist path	Heir	Emperor Empress	Crown Prince Crown Princess	10,000	The imperial network allows the entire population to access whole new avenues of mass-entertainment. A massive Cyberdome can be built to the capital to host ferocious cybersports with augmented athletes and broadcast this across multiple worlds.
Corporate Neurocommerce	Individualist path	—	Executor	—	10,000	Outmoded tools such as billboards and hand-held devices have failed to fully capture a consumer's attention. We can now scan the minds of potential customers and beam specific messaging and emphatic calls-to-action directly into an individual brain.
Corporate Kaizen	Collectivist path	—	Executor	—	10,000	Kaizen, the will to continuously improve, is a sound philosophy for the modern software and wetware environment. An extensive selection of upgrades affords our customer base individual achievement and the means towards social synergy.
Volitional Hive	Individualist path	Immortal Ruler	Hive Mind	—	10,000	Every drone, an individual. Every thought, a new perspective for the collective to consider. Countless minds form a Hive far greater than the sum of its parts.
Integrated Hive	Collectivist path	Immortal Ruler	Hive Mind	—	10,000	Every deviation has been corrected, every anomaly curbed, every disunity rectified. The Hive Mind's control is absolute: one shared consciousness, and countless bodies to execute its will.
Neural Chorus	Individualist path	Immortal Ruler	Neural Chorus	—	10,000	Allowing for greater variance in thought and a wider range of emotional responses facilitates the creation of a 'Neural Chorus' - a great song of minds, as powerful as it is beautiful.
Memory Aggregator	Collectivist path	Immortal Ruler	Central Aggregator	—	10,000	By streamlining the mental acuity of an assimilated population, a 'Memory in Aggregate' is formed, one capable of greatly improving all administrative and logistical tasks.
Cybernetic Creed governments
Transcended Republic	—	—	Revered Elder	—	10,000	This government is a techno-spiritualistic form of democracy, where a religious council of augmented individuals supervises the democratic process.
Council of Technophants	—	Officials	Chief Precentor	—	10,000	This government is a techno-spiritualistic oligarchy in which political power rests in the hands of the nation's most powerful religious factions.
Divine Technocracy	—	—	Patriarch Matriarch	—	10,000	This government is a techno-spiritualistic dictatorship, ruled by a single augmented individual in a hierarchical power structure supported by the official faith.
Cybernetic Sovereignty	—	Heir	Archprophet Archprophetess	High Priest High Priestess	10,000	This government is a techno-spiritualistic monarchy, where the ruler and their progeny are divine symbols of the holy fusion. The church directly supports the state apparatus.
Tribunal of Technophants	Exalted Priesthood	—	High Inquisitor	—	10,000	This government is a techno-spiritualistic form of oligarchy in which, guided by the will of the divine, a council of clergy controls all mechanisms of the state.
Augmented MegaChurch	Corporate Dominion Exalted Priesthood	Officials	Hallowed Comptroller	—	10,000	This government is an oligarchy based on a blend of commercial and techno-spiritualistic values, in which the positions of an ordained minister and corporate officer have merged into a single role.
Augmented MegaChurch	Gospel of the Masses	Officials	Hallowed Comptroller	—	10,000
Machine Cult	Gospel of the Masses Criminal Heritage	Officials	Oracle	—	10,000	This government is a religious cult that relies on various cybernetic-focused criminal and corporate enterprises to sustain itself.
Divine Augmented Empire	Imperial Cult	Heir	God-Emperor God-Empress	Saint	10,000	This government is a form of techno-spiritualistic autocracy. The official faith of the state is thread through every aspect of public life, and the people consider their augmented ruler an infallible living god.

Unplayable governmentsEdit

The following government types are not available to player empires.

Government type	Prerequisite civics	Ruler title	Description
Fallen empire governments
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.
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.
Pre-FTL governments
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.
Enclave governments
Curator Enclave	Ancient Preservers	High Curator	An ancient scholarly order dedicated towards the preservation of knowledge and technology.
Artist Enclave	Artist Collective	Headmaster	An interstellar union of artists unified in their wish to create art higher than any other.
Trader Enclave	Trading Conglomerate	High Trader	An interstellar conglomerate of merchants dedicated towards the pursuit of profit.
Salvager Enclave	Salvager Enclave	Principal Engineer	A motley society of ardent mechanics and engineers, in thrall to their passion for dismantling and reassembling.
Shroudwalker Enclave	Shroudwalker Enclave	Elder	A mysterious sect of psionic practitioners, dedicated to exploring The Shroud and its ineffable designs.
Mercenary Enclave	Mercenary Enclave	High Admiral	A proud and lethal company of warships, naval crew and soldiers for hire.
Marauder governments
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.
Other governments
Military Order	Military Order	Grand Master	A weird but apparently highly effective militaristic government type.