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Political Power

Political Power (PP) is the action resource that enables you to take major actions in Lawmaker. This guide explains how PP works and how to manage it effectively.

What is Political Power?

Political Power represents your party's:

  • Organizational capacity
  • Political capital
  • Resource mobilization ability
  • Action economy

Every major action in the game costs PP, making it a crucial strategic resource.

How PP Works

Generation

You gain PP automatically over time:

  • Rate: 1 PP per game day
  • Real time: 1 PP per real-world hour
  • Automatic: No action required
  • Per party: Each party has its own PP pool

Passive Income

You don't need to do anything to gain PP - it accumulates automatically as long as your party exists.

Maximum Capacity

Your PP pool has a maximum capacity:

  • Cap: 120 PP
  • No overflow: PP stops accumulating at 120
  • Use it or lose it: Can't bank beyond the cap

Don't Waste PP

If you're at 120 PP, any additional generation is wasted. Spend PP before hitting the cap!

Starting Amount

New parties typically start with:

  • Initial PP: Enough to take first actions
  • Varies: May differ by game settings
  • Check dashboard: See your current PP

PP Costs

Action Costs

Action Cost Description
Propose Law 30 PP Submit legislation for voting
Call Early Election 30 PP Trigger special election (10 PP if no parties have seats)
Recruit Character 10 PP Add activist to your party
Commission Poll 10 PP Survey electoral landscape
Expel Character 25 PP Remove activist from party

Free Actions

These actions cost 0 PP:

  • ✓ Voting on proposals - Always free
  • ✓ Sending messages - Unlimited communication
  • ✓ Forming governments - Cabinet proposals are free
  • ✓ Viewing information - All browsing is free
  • ✓ Commenting on proposals - Discussion is free

Resource Management Strategy

Budget Planning

Think of PP as a budget with two components:

  1. Income: 1 PP/hour × 24 hours = 24 PP/day
  2. Expenses: What you spend on actions

Daily budget: You can sustainably spend ~24 PP per day

Weekly budget: ~168 PP per week

Weekly Budget Example

  • Propose 3 laws: 90 PP
  • Recruit 2 characters: 20 PP
  • Commission 2 polls: 20 PP
  • Total: 130 PP (sustainable with 168 PP/week income)

Spending Priorities

High Priority (Core Actions)

  1. Proposing important laws (30 PP)
  2. Defines your legislative agenda
  3. High visibility

  4. Long-term impact

  5. Recruiting key activists (10 PP)

  6. Builds your team
  7. Enables cabinet appointments
  8. Long-term investment

Medium Priority (Strategic Actions)

  1. Commissioning polls (10 PP)
  2. Tracks electoral position
  3. Informs strategy

  4. Useful but not critical

  5. Calling early elections (30 PP)

  6. Only when you have clear advantage
  7. High-risk, high-reward
  8. Situational

Low Priority (Rare Actions)

  1. Expelling characters (25 PP)
  2. Only when necessary
  3. Expensive and permanent
  4. Usually avoidable

Saving vs. Spending

Save PP for opportunities

✓ Always have reserves for urgent proposals ✓ Can react to changing situations ✓ Never resource-starved ✗ May miss opportunities ✗ Wastes generation if capped at 120

Spend PP regularly

✓ Maximize actions per day ✓ Stay active in legislation ✓ Build larger activist roster ✗ No reserves for emergencies ✗ Can't react to surprises

Maintain 30-60 PP reserve

✓ Can propose law when needed ✓ Use most of generated PP ✓ Flexible and responsive

Recommended for most players

PP Strategy by Game Phase

Early Game (First Election Cycle)

Focus: Build foundation

  • Recruit 2-3 activists (20-30 PP) - Build your team
  • Propose 1-2 laws (30-60 PP) - Establish positions
  • Commission 1 poll (10 PP) - Understand electorate
  • Save rest - Keep reserves for opportunities

Mid Game (Established Party)

Focus: Active participation

  • Propose laws regularly - 1-2 per month
  • Maintain activist roster - Recruit as needed
  • Poll strategically - Before elections or major proposals
  • Respond to events - Use PP for tactical moves

Late Game (Major Party)

Focus: Strategic dominance

  • Lead legislative agenda - Frequent proposals
  • Build deep activist roster - 5+ characters
  • Commission polls regularly - Track standings
  • Call early elections - When advantageous

Efficiency Tips

Maximize PP Value

  1. Plan proposals carefully
  2. 30 PP is expensive
  3. Don't waste on doomed proposals

  4. Build coalition support first

  5. Recruit strategically

  6. Focus on high-trait activists
  7. Quality over quantity

  8. 3 great activists > 10 mediocre ones

  9. Poll before spending

  10. 10 PP poll can prevent wasting 30 PP on bad proposal

  11. Check electoral position before calling early election

  12. Use free actions

  13. Vote on everything (free)
  14. Communicate extensively (free)
  15. Build coalitions through messaging (free)

Avoid PP Waste

PP Traps

  • Capping out - Hitting 120 PP wastes generation
  • Panic spending - Using PP on low-value actions just to spend it
  • Failed proposals - 30 PP spent with no result
  • Unnecessary expulsions - 25 PP to remove activists you just recruited
  • Poorly timed elections - 30 PP for election you'll lose

PP in Coalition Play

Coalition Efficiency

When in coalition:

  • Coordinate proposals - Take turns proposing to share PP cost
  • Pool resources conceptually - "You propose this, I'll propose that"
  • Support each other - Vote for coalition partners' proposals
  • Maximize collective impact - More proposals passed per PP spent

Coalition Coordination

Green-Social Coalition

  • Green Party proposes environmental law (30 PP)
  • Social Party proposes healthcare law (30 PP)
  • Both vote Yes on each other's proposals
  • Result: 60 PP total, 2 laws passed (efficient!)

Solo Play Challenges

Without coalition:

  • Harder to pass proposals - Need broader support
  • More PP wasted - Failed proposals
  • Less efficient - Can't coordinate with partners

Emergency PP Management

Running Low on PP

If you're resource-starved:

  1. Stop spending - Build reserves
  2. Focus on voting - Free action, still impacts game
  3. Communicate - Free coalition building
  4. Wait for regeneration - 24 PP/day adds up
  5. Prioritize critical actions - Only spend on essential proposals

PP Surplus

If you're capped at 120 PP:

  1. Propose laws - Use your political capital
  2. Recruit activists - Build long-term assets
  3. Commission polls - Gather intelligence
  4. Stay active - Don't let PP waste

Advanced PP Tactics

Timing Regeneration

Since PP regenerates at 1/hour:

  • 30-hour wait = 30 PP (one proposal)
  • 10-hour wait = 10 PP (one recruit/poll)
  • 5-day wait = 120 PP (full tank)

Plan actions around regeneration timing.

PP Denial (Opponent Strategy)

You can't directly affect rivals' PP, but you can:

  • Make them waste PP on failed proposals (vote No)
  • Force them to spend PP responding to your proposals
  • Time proposals when rivals are low on PP

Resource Pressure

Use PP to maintain constant activity:

  • Regular proposals keep rivals voting
  • Active recruitment builds team advantage
  • Frequent polls give information edge

Monitoring PP

Dashboard Display

Your party dashboard shows:

  • Current PP - How much you have now
  • Maximum (120) - Cap display
  • Recent spending - Transaction history
  • Next actions - What you can afford

Planning Ahead

Before spending, consider:

  • Current PP: Can you afford it?
  • Regeneration time: How long to replenish?
  • Upcoming needs: Election, cabinet formation, coalition deals?
  • Alternative actions: Is there a better use of this PP?

PP Mistakes to Avoid

Common Errors

  1. Wasting 30 PP on doomed proposals - Build support first!
  2. Hitting 120 PP cap repeatedly - Use it or lose it
  3. Recruiting too many activists - Quality > quantity
  4. Expelling characters unnecessarily - 25 PP is expensive
  5. Calling early elections without advantage - 30 PP gamble
  6. Not saving for opportunities - Always keep some reserves
  7. Spending just to spend - Every PP should have purpose

Tips for PP Mastery

Best Practices

  1. Maintain 30-60 PP reserve - Always ready to propose
  2. Plan spending weekly - Budget your actions
  3. Prioritize proposals - Legislative impact > all else
  4. Build coalitions - Make proposals more likely to pass
  5. Use free actions extensively - Voting, messaging cost nothing
  6. Track regeneration - Know when you'll have PP for next action
  7. Don't cap out - Wasted generation is inefficient
  8. Quality over quantity - Strategic spending beats frantic activity

Next Steps