Decrees

Decrees are effects that can be applied to individual states to improve them in many ways. Decrees cost a base of 100 authority each to be applied. The character traits  Ambitious,  Imperious, and  Cruel each reduce the cost of decrees by −25% when the character is the country's  ruler. Certain events can also reduce the cost. Multiple decrees can be used simultaneously on the same state, with the exception of encouraging certain industries which are mutually exclusive. Nearly all decrees require certain technologies to have been researched in order to be used. Decrees can be applied either by right-clicking on a province or through the political lens.

List of decrees

Name	Required technology	Conditions	Modifiers
Emergency Relief Promote charitable support and care for the state's most unfortunate	Centralization		+50.0% Welfare Payments Note: Additive with Social Security
Encourage Agricultural Industry Increase Agricultural and Plantation sector throughput	Enclosure	State does not have another Encourage __ Industry decree	+20.0% Agriculture Throughput +20.0% Ranches Throughput +20.0% Plantations Throughput Note: Does not affect subsistance buildings
Encourage Manufacturing Industry Increase Manufacturing and Service sector throughput	Manufacturies	State does not have another Encourage __ Industry decree	+20.0% Manufacturing Industries Throughput +20.0% Service Industries Throughput
Encourage Resource Industry Increase Resource sector throughput	Shaft Mining	State does not have another Encourage __ Industry decree	+20.0% Mines Throughput +20.0% Logging Industry Throughput +20.0% Fishing Industry Throughput +20.0% Whaling Industry Throughput +20.0% Oil Extractors Throughput
Enlistment Efforts Incentivizing recruitment and training of local troops through financial incentives and preferential treatment	Mandatory Service		+5% Conscription Rate +25.0% Training Rate
Greener Grass Campaign Promote the state as a desirable place to migrate to	Romanticism	State is not isolated	+50% Migration Attraction Note: Has no effect if  Closed Borders is enacted
Promote National Values Increase cultural assimilation and religious conversion rates	Centralization	State has any assimilating or converting pops	+100% Assimilation +100% Conversion
Promote Social Mobility Encourage the population to strive for higher job qualifications			+25% Education Access +25.0% Qualifications
Road Maintenance Expand and maintain road networks	Centralization		+1 Infrastructure per population +20 Maximum infrastructure per population +10.0% State Construction Efficiency
Violent Suppression Use the nation's national guard to control the angry mobs	Standing Army	Owner does not have the law  Guaranteed Liberties Turmoil is at least 25%	−50% State Penalties from Turmoil +2% Mortality per Turmoil

Strategic considerations

Decrees can be a powerful tool, especially for countries with fewer states to punch above their weight. As an example,  Belgium can enact three or four decrees in each of its two starting states at the game start. In general, the amount of authority available tends to decrease over the course of the game due to liberalisation. Apart from decrees, the other primary use of authority is to raise consumption taxes.

When considering to enact a decree there are two important factors:

• The value of the decree compared to introducing an additional consumption tax
• The value of the decree compared to liberalising further

Decrees are more powerful when the country has around five or fewer states, while consumption taxes are better in larger countries.

Road maintenance and construction

The Road Maintenance decree is not efficient to maintain infrastructure outside of emergencies; railroads and harbors should be built instead as the long term solution. However, using the decree to boost construction can be quite effective; particularly early in the game, when countries do not have a much construction available and thus are constructing in only one or two states at any given time.