Local autonomy

Local autonomy is a characteristic of a province, reducing its utility. It shows how much the current province is "tied" to the current government, and how much it really is part of the country as opposed to favoring self-rule (Although the government considers a cored province part of a nation, the local populace might not consider itself part of the government/nation).

A province at 50-60% autonomy for example, could be a province where the government has little to no power and leaves all its issues to the local populace. However, in return, that province will offer less to the government itself as shown below. Its effects make the integration of conquered provinces more gradual and offer the ruler a choice in its pace, and simulate the limits to central rule in faraway overseas provinces.

Effects

Local autonomy applies multiplicatively, rather than additively. This significantly impacts how local autonomy affects a nation. A +50% manpower boost in a 50% autonomy province would thus yield an increase of only 25% of the base value.

It is advised to keep autonomy at a low point, because it affects most of the output of a province.

Each percentage point of local autonomy has the following effects on the province:

Multiplicative effects:

	−1.0%	Local manpower modifier
	−1.0%	Local sailors modifier
	−1.0%	Local tax modifier
	−1.0%	Local production efficiency
	−0.5%	Local trade power
	−1.0%	Land force limit modifier
	−1.0%	Naval force limit modifier

In trade company provinces the following effects are used instead:

Multiplicative effects:

	−1.0%	Local manpower modifier
	−1.0%	Local sailors modifier
	−1.0%	Local tax modifier
	−0.5%	Local production efficiency
	−1.0%	Land force limit modifier

Additionally in both trade company and non-trade company provinces:

−0.33%

Province warscore cost

The effect of autonomy on province warscore cost is added after all positive warscore cost modifiers are added.

Autonomy also affects how fast a nation can enact government reforms, because the reform progress is reduced by the nation's average autonomy level.

Initial autonomy

When annexing a province, its autonomy level will be set to a fixed amount, unless it is already at a higher level:

• Diplomatic annexation of a subject: 60% on provinces the overlord has no pre-existing core on
• Conquest of a province the conquering nation does not have a claim on: 50%
• Conquest of a province the conquering nation has a claim on: 40%
• Reconquest of a province the conquering nation has a core in: 0%
• Inheriting a kingdom through personal union: 0%

A nation's capital province will always have a local autonomy of 0%.

Minimum autonomy

In some cases, a province will have a minimum autonomy. Local autonomy, ignoring modifiers, cannot be lower than:

• 0.5% per point of corruption
• 25% from the estate privilege "Estates Statutory Rights"
• 90% for a province in a state with only a territorial core.
• 90% for a province in a territory.
• 90% for a province in a trade company.

In provinces with a minimum autonomy modifier, there is also a “hidden” level of autonomy that could be lower. This “hidden” autonomy declines over time, although it is not displayed in the game. For example, the player conquers a province where the player has a claim, and the provinces initial autonomy (before conquering) was below 40%. Since the player has a claim on that province, real (but “hidden”) autonomy is set to 40%. But if the province is a territory, its minimum autonomy will be 90%.

NB: If the player chooses to raise autonomy (manually OR by event) while the province is still a territory, from 90% → 100% then the virtual autonomy will be raised to 100% too! If the player waits until the province is cored and made a state, its minimum autonomy floor will be removed, lowering the province autonomy to its virtual value, which is either 40% if there is a claim, and 50% if there isn't a claim. Now the player can raise autonomy to 65%/75% without suffering an extra +10% autonomy unspoken "penalty".

Effects that reduce the minimum autonomy

None of these effects apply to full cored states

	applies to	Conditions
−0.2%	only in territories	per 1% of hegemon power for the economic hegemon up to −20%
−10%	only in territories	Regional representation government reform for monarchies
−10%	only in territories	Bureaucratic apparatus government reform for republics
−10%		State house in a province that produces paper, glass or gems.
−5%		State house
−5%	all provinces in the same trade company region, no matter who owns them	Trade company investment Governor General's Mansion.

	Traditions	Ideas	Bonuses	Policies
−10%	—	American idea 7: Empire of Liberty	Fully Expansionist	—

Changing autonomy

If the hidden local autonomy of a province is currently 75% or lower, the province owner may increase its local autonomy level by +25% in exchange for −10 unrest. Local autonomy can also be decreased by −25% at the cost of +10 unrest provided it's not below 10% autonomy and not already at the minimum autonomy of the province.

The decision to change autonomy levels will be in effect for 30 years, during which time the autonomy cannot be actively adjusted again. This cooldown may be reduced by 50% with the ‘Efficient Autonomy’ ability during the ‘Age of Absolutism’. (Note: Ongoing cooldowns are not affected.) If a province changes owners, both the modifier from adjusting autonomy and the timer are reset.

Further, some actions can directly affect the autonomy of a province:

Type	Effects
Magnate rebels successfully sieging a province	+5 autonomy
Peasant, cossacks, lollard, noble, particularist, tribal rebels successfully sieging a province	+10 autonomy
Demands of ikko-ikki or ronin rebels are accepted or enforced	+10 autonomy in all provinces
Parliament bribe “Grant local autonomy”	+20 autonomy
Demands of religious rebels of a different religious group, heretic, or noble rebels are accepted or enforced	+20 autonomy in all provinces of that rebel faction
Demands of peasant rebels are accepted or enforced	+20 autonomy in all non-overseas provinces of that rebel faction
Demands of magnate rebels are accepted or enforced	+25 autonomy in all non-overseas provinces of that rebel faction
Demands of particularist or tribal rebels are accepted or enforced	+30 autonomy in all provinces of that rebel faction

Monthly autonomy change

There are many factors that change autonomy on a monthly base.

Local modifiers

	Conditions
−0.20	with town hall (replaces a courthouse)
−0.10	with courthouse producing chinaware
−0.05	in a state with prosperity
−0.03	in a state with the “Centralization Effort” edict active

Country-wide modifiers

	Conditions
−0.10	during peacetime during unconditional surrender
−0.05	as Emperor of China after “Delegate Zongdu” reform with a parliament and “Administrative Reform” active issue as Inti country as Tengri country with Inti as secondary religion with a ruler which has the ‘Lawgiver’ personality
+0.05	during bankruptcy
+0.40 – −0.05	depending on crown land level

From governments:

	Conditions
−0.200	with ‘Revolutionary Empire’ government reform (tier 1 monarchy) with ‘Revolutionary Republic’ government reform (tier 1 republic) with ‘Revolutionary State’ government reform (tier 1 republic)
−0.075	with ‘Prussian Monarchy’ government reform (tier 1 monarchy) with ‘Stratocratic Administration’ government reform (tier 1 republic) with ‘Presidential Dictator’ government reform (tier 1 republic) with ‘Military Dictatorship’ government reform (tier 1 republic)
−0.050	having empire rank with ‘Tsardom’ government reform (tier 1 monarchy) with ‘Centralized Bureaucracy’ government reform (tier 3 monarchy) with ‘A Loyal Consulate’ government reform (tier 6 monarchy) with ‘Protectorate Parliament’ government reform (tier 1 republic) with ‘Colonial Government’ government reform (tier 1 republic)
−0.025	having kingdom rank with ‘Mamluk Government’ government reform (tier 1 monarchy)
−0.010	as ‘Mughal Diwan’ government reform (tier 1 monarchy) with assimilated West African culture group

From ideas and policies:

	Traditions	Ideas	Bonuses	Policies
−0.075 monthly	—	Anhalt idea 2: The Branches of Anhalt	—	—
−0.050 monthly	Ethiopian traditions	Economic idea 5: Centralization Aragonese idea 6: Reforming the Administration Asturian idea 6: Unify the Provinces Ava idea 7: Rein in Provincial Governors Betsimisaraka idea 4: Gifts & Hostages Castilian idea 7: Nueva Planta Cebu idea 4: Pacify the Islands Dithmarscher idea 6: Ecclesiastical Orders Garhwali idea 1: Legacy of the 52 Garhs Great Qing idea 6: The Viceroyalties Hatakeyama idea 5: Wakae Castle Imerina idea 1: Unify the Inland Kingdoms Kikuchi idea 6: Three Chief Retainers Kono idea 4: Yuzuki Castle Mahri idea 7: Rein in the Chiefs Mainzian idea 5: Perpetual Privy Council Mori idea 4: Three Arrows Moroccan idea 7: Curb Tribal Power Mossi idea 4: The Nakomse Nepalese Princedom idea 7: End the Division of Domains Saxe-Lauenburg idea 6: Lauenburg Centralization Sistani idea 3: Subjugation of the Tribes Tokugawa idea 5: Matsudaira Branches	Lusatian ambition	Diplomatic-Economic: The Dissolution Act Espionage-Expansion: The Loyalty Act
−0.030 monthly	—	Colognian idea 4: Prime Minister of Cologne Trierian idea 4: Landesburgen	—	—
−0.025 monthly	—	Aristocratic idea 3: Local Nobility American idea 7: Empire of Liberty	—	—

Completing missions and some events can also give adjustments to monthly autonomy change.

Footnotes

Mechanics

Customization

Nation designer • Random New World

Ages and Institutions

Ages • Institutions

Innovativeness and Technology

Innovativeness • Technology

Defense

Fort • Zone of control