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Constitution & Constitutional Changes

Every country has a constitution that decides who holds which powers. It assigns specific powers — declaring war, appointing judges, setting monetary policy, granting pardons, and so on — to one of four kinds of holder:

  • a legislature (an elected chamber),
  • a cabinet position (whoever holds that office),
  • the monarchy (in countries with a Crown), or
  • professional non-partisan bureaucrats (an independent civil service, outside political control).

There are 18 such powers in all (viewable on your country's constitution page), spanning the military and intelligence services, foreign policy, the courts, economic regulation, and clemency. Each country starts with a different arrangement — some concentrate power in the executive, others spread it out — and parties can propose constitutional changes to move powers around, fundamentally reshaping how the country is governed.

Proposing a change

Any party can propose moving one or more powers from their current holder to another. A change package:

  • costs 30 PP per item, minimum 60 PP (establishing or abolishing a monarchy is a flat 60 PP);
  • requires a supermajority (typically 66.6% of seats), not a simple majority;
  • runs for a 60-day voting period, with the proposing party automatically voting Yes;
  • must, in bicameral countries, clear the threshold in every required chamber independently;
  • is limited to one open change per country at a time.

After a change passes there's a cooldown (typically ~2 years) before another can be proposed — this prevents constant constitutional upheaval. A change can resolve early if it already has the votes, or if too many No votes make the threshold impossible. The proposer can withdraw at any time, but the PP isn't refunded once voting has opened.

How it differs from normal legislation

Normal proposal Constitutional change
Cost 30 PP 30 PP/item (min 60); 60 PP for a monarchy
Threshold Simple majority (>50%) Supermajority (~66.6%)
Chambers Usually one May require all required chambers
Cooldown None ~2 years after a successful change

Election frequency

The same system lets you change how often a legislature is elected (2–120 months). It's added to your change package as another item, follows the same supermajority process, and applies prospectively — your next already-scheduled election still runs under the old frequency.

Amendments

Parties can also propose amendments — custom plain-text articles added to the constitution ("Freedom of speech is an inalienable right of every citizen"). They have no direct gameplay effect but represent the will of the people, and follow the same cost, supermajority, and cooldown rules as power changes. A passed amendment can later be repealed through the same process. Amendments are a useful way to signal your values or force rivals to vote publicly for or against a popular idea.

Line up a supermajority first

A supermajority is a high bar and the package costs at least 60 PP, so don't open one until you've negotiated the votes. Common moves include centralising power in cabinet posts your coalition holds, decentralising it to legislatures for oversight, or depoliticising a sensitive area by handing it to independent bureaucrats.

Next steps