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 majorly impacts how local autonomy affects a nation. A +50% manpower boost in a 50% autonomy province would thus yield an increase of only 25%. Giving a province to an estate (requires The Cossacks expansion) results in autonomy not affecting the values associated with that particular estate

It is advised to keep autonomy at a low point, as the negative modifiers get worse over time added together with buildings or ideas, since these are additive as well. Autonomy especially affects tax base, because of the multiple additive percentage modifiers affecting tax.

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

Additionally:

−0.33%

Province warscore cost

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

With , the nation's average autonomy level affects how fast it can enact government reforms; the lower the average autonomy, the faster the nation can accumulate the required points.

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 can never be lower than:

• 25% for a province granted to an estate (except the Tribes).
• 50% for a province granted to the Tribes estate.
• 50% for a province in a state with only a territorial core.
• 75% for a province in a territory, unless in a trade company (where minimum autonomy is 0%).

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 75%.

NB: If the player chooses to raise autonomy (manually OR by event) while the province is still a territory, from 75% → 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 +25% autonomy unspoken "penalty", the same principle applies if a province is owned by a state.

Changing autonomy

If the 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. 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.

Monthly factors that can change autonomy include:

			Government Type
		-0.200	Revolutionary Empire Revolutionary republic
-0.100	-0.150	-0.200	American republic Federal republic
-0.050	-0.075	-0.100	Absolute monarchy Constitutional monarchy Enlightened Despotism Constitutional republic Bureaucratic Despotism
-0.050			Colonial government
-0.025	-0.050	-0.075	English monarchy Prussian monarchy Administrative republic Republican Dictatorship Dutch republic Peasants' republic
	-0.050		Papacy
		-0.050	Tsardom Ottoman Government
0	-0.025	-0.050	Administrative monarchy Elective monarchy Iqta Mamluk government Ambrosian republic Oligarchic republic
0	0	-0.025	Despotic monarchy Feudal monarchy Merchant republic Theocracy

	Trigger
-0.10	Peace
+0.01	Scorched earth
+0.20	Bankruptcy

	Traditions	Ideas	Bonuses	Policies
−0.05 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 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 Sistani idea 3: Subjugation of the Tribes Tokugawa idea 5: Matsudaira Branches	—	Diplomatic-Economic: The Dissolution Act Espionage-Expansion: The Loyalty Act
−0.025 monthly	—	Aristocratic idea 3: Local Nobility	—	—

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

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

Type	Effects
Peasant, particularist, noble, pretender, or heretic rebels successfully sieging a province	+10 autonomy
Non-enforcement of Ordinances	+15 autonomy
Accepting the demands of peasant, noble, heretic, ronin, or ikko-ikki rebels	+20 autonomy in all provinces
Accepting the demands of particularist rebels	+30 autonomy in all provinces
Granting a province to an estate	autonomy will be minimally set to 25%

Footnotes

Province mechanics