Civilization IV: Civics

The fixed governments in previous versions of Civilization are now replaced by a much more flexible Civics system, somewhat similar to the social engineering system in Alpha Centauri. The new system allows you to customize your government with various civics options that are classified into five categories: Government, Legal, Labor, Economy, and Religion. There are five options in each category. Players are free to choose any combination of civics.

Unless your leader is Spiritual, each time you change a civic, there will be a short period of anarchy. After each change, you cannot change civic again for a few turns.

NOTE: Information in this section is correct as of Beyond the Sword, version 3.13.

Government Civics:

Icon Civic Name Upkeep Cost Required Tech Effects
Despotism Despotism Low None None
Hereditary Rule Hereditary Rule Low Monarchy +1 per military unit stationed in the city;
Representation Representation Medium Constitution +3 science per specialist;

+3 in 4 to 6 largest cities, depending on map size;
Police State Police State High Fascism +25% military unit production;
-50% war ;
Universal Suffrage Universal Suffrage Medium Democracy +1 hammer from town;
Can spend gold to finish production;

 

Legal Civics:

Icon Civic Name Upkeep Cost Required Tech Effects
Barbarism Barbarism Low None None
Vassalage Vassalage High Feudalism New units receive +2 experience points;
More free units
Bureaucracy Bureaucracy High Civil Service +50% hammers and +50% commerce in capital
Nationhood Nationhood None Nationalism Can draft 1 to 5 units per turn, depending on map size;
+25% espionage points in all cities;
+2 from barracks
Free Speech Free Speech Low Liberalism +100% culture in all cities;
+2 gold from town

 

Labor Civics:

Icon Civic Name Upkeep Cost Required Tech Effects
Tribalism Tribalism Low None None
Slavery Slavery Medium Bronze Working Can sacrifice population to finish production in a city
Serfdom Serfdom Low Feudalism Workers build improvements 50% faster
Caste System Caste System Medium Code of Laws Unlimited artist, scientist, merchant;
+1 hammer from Workshops
Emancipation Emancipation Low Democracy +100% growth for cottage, hamlet, village;
penalty for civs without emancipation

 

Economy Civics:

Icon Civic Name Upkeep Cost Required Tech Effects
Decentralization Decentralization Low None None
Mercantilism Mercantilism Medium Banking +1 free specialist per city;
No foreign trade routes;
Foriegn coporations have no effect
Free Market Free Market Medium Economics +1 trade route per city;
-25% maintenance costs from corporations
State Property State Property Low Communism No maintenance cost from distance to palace;
+1 food from workshop, watermill;
+10% hammers in all cities;
Corporations have no effect
Environmentalism Environmentalism Medium Medicine +6 health in all cities
+25% maintenance costs from corporations;
+2 health from Public Transporation;
+2 commerce from Windmills, Forest Preserves

 

Religion Civics:

Icon Civic Name Upkeep Cost Required Tech Effects
Paganism Paganism Low None None
Organized Religion Organized Religion High Monotheism Can build missionaries without monastery;
Cities with state religion construct buildings +25 faster
Theocracy Theocracy Medium Theology +2 experience points in cities with state religion;
No non-state religion spread
Pacifism Pacifism None Philosophy +100% great person birth rate in cities with state religion;
+1 gold support cost per military unit
Free Religion Free Religion Low Liberalism No state religion;
+1 per religion in a city;
+10% research in all cities

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