Civilization V: Social Policies

An overview of in-game information for each social policy branch. For more detailed and accurate information, users are encouraged to visit the War Academy’s individual social policy articles which are linked to in the branch headings.

Image	Policy	Description	Prerequisites
Liberty		Liberty is best for civilizations which desire rapid expansion. Adopting Liberty will provide 1 Culture in every city. Adopting all policies in the Liberty tree will grant a free Great Person of your choice near the Capital.	Ancient Era
	Liberty	Adopting Liberty will provide 1 Culture in every city.
	Collective Rule	Speeds the training of Settlers by 50% in the Capital and a free Settler appears near the Capital.
	Citizenship	Tile improvement construction rate increased by 25% and a Worker appears near the Capital.
	Republic	+1 Production in every City and +5% Production in cities when constructing Buildings.	Collective Rule
	Representation	Each city you found will increase the Culture cost of policies by 33% less than normal. Also starts a Golden Age.	Citizenship
	Meritocracy	+1 Happiness for each City you own connected to the Capital and -5% Unhappiness from Citizens in non-occupied Cities.	Citizenship
Tradition		Tradition is best for small empires. Adopting all Policies in the Tradition tree will grant +15% Growth and +2 in each city.	Ancient Era
	Tradition	Adopting Tradition greatly increases the rate of border expansion in cities and also grants 3 Culture in the Capital.
	Aristocracy	+15% when building Wonders and +1 Happiness for every 10 Citizens in a City.
	Oligarchy	Garrisoned units cost no maintenance and cities with a garrison gain +100% Ranged Combat Strength.
	Legalism	Provides a free culture building in your first 4 cities.
	Landed Elite	+10% Growth and +2 in the Capital.	Legalism
	Monarchy	+1 Gold and -1 Unhappiness for every 2 Citizens in the Capital.	Legalism
Honor		Honor improves the effectiveness of one’s army in a variety of ways. Adopting all policies in the Honor tree will grant Gold for each enemy unit killed.	Ancient Era
	Honor	Adopting Honor gives a +25% combat bonus VS Barbarians, and notifications will be provided when new Barbarian Encampments spawn in revealed territory. Gain Culture for the empire from each barbarian killed.
	Warrior Code	+15% Production when training Melee units and a Great General appears outside the Capital.
	Discipline	+10% combat strength for military Units which have another military Unit in an adjacent tile.
	Military Tradition	Military Units gain 50% more Experience from combat.	Warrior Code
	Military Caste	Each City with a garrison increases empire Happiness by 1 and Culture by 2.	Discipline
	Professional Army	Gold cost of upgrading Military Units reduced by 33% and +1 Happiness from every defensive building (Walls, Castle, Arsenal, Military Base).	Military Caste
Piety		Piety increases the Culture of empires. Adopting all policies in the Piety tree will reduce the Culture cost of future Policies by 10%. This branch cannot be active at the same time as Rationalism.	Classical Era
	Piety	Adopting Piety reduces the time to build Culture buildings by 15%.
	Organized Religion	+1 Happiness from every Monument, Temple and Monastery.
	Mandate of Heaven	50% of excess Happiness added each turn to the amount of Culture that may be spent on Social Policies.
	Theocracy	Temples increase a cities Gold output by 10%.	Organized Religion
	Reformation	Culture increased by 33% in all cities which have built a World Wonder and the empire immediately enters a Golden Age.	Organized Religion
	Free Religion	+1 Culture for each Monument, Temple and Monastery. Also gives 1 free Policy.	Reformation, Mandate of Heaven
Patronage		Patronage enhances the benefits of City-State friendship. Adopting all policies in the Patronage tree will make other players’ Influence with City-States decrease 33% more per turn than usual.	Medieval Era
	Patronage	Influence with City-States degrades 25% slower than normal.
	Philanthropy	Gold gifts to City-States produce 25% more Influence.
	Aesthetics	Minimum Influence level with all City-States is 20.
	Scholasticism	All City-States which are Allies provide a Science bonus equal to 25% of what they produce for themselves.	Philanthropy
	Cultural Diplomacy	Quantity of Resources gifted by City-States increased by 100%. Happiness from gifted Luxuries increased by 50%.	Scholasticism
	Educated Elite	Allied City-States will occasionally gift you Great People.	Scholasticism, Aesthetics
Commerce		Commerce provides bonuses to naval empires, and those focused on Gold. Adopting all Policies in the Commerce tree will grant +1 Gold from every Specialist.	Medieval Era
	Commerce	Adopting Commerce will boost Gold output in Capital City by 25%.
	Trade Unions	Maintenance paid on Roads and Railroads reduced by 33%. Harbors and Seaports gain +1 Gold.
	Naval Tradition	+1 Movement for Naval units and +1 Sight for Naval combat units.
	Mercantilism	Purchasing items in Cities requires 25% less Gold.	Trade Unions
	Merchant Navy	+3 Production in all coastal Cities.	Naval Tradition
	Protectionism	+1 Happiness from each Luxury resource.	Mercantilism
Rationalism		Rationalism improves the ability to use and generate Science. Adopting all Policies in the Rationalism tree will grant +1 Gold from Science buildings. This branch cannot be active at the same time as Piety.	Renaissance Era
	Rationalism	Adopting Rationalism boosts Science gained from research agreements by 50%.
	Secularism	+2 Science from every Specialist.
	Humanism	+1 Happiness from every University, Observatory and Public School.
	Free Thought	+1 Science from every Trading Post and +17% Science from Universities.	Secularism
	Sovereignty	+15% Science while the empire is Happy.	Humanism
	Scientific Revolution	2 free Technologies.	Free Thought
Freedom		Freedom is best for small, focused empires. In particular, it provides bonuses for Great People and Specialists. Adopting all Policies in the Freedom tree will increase the base yield from Great Tile Improvements by 100% and length of Golden Ages increased by 50%. This branch cannot be active at the same time as Autocracy or Order.	Renaissance Era
	Freedom	Upon adopting Freedom, the rate at which Great People are born is increased by 25%.
	Constitution	+2 Culture from each World Wonder.
	Universal Suffrage	Combat Strength of Cities increased by 33%.
	Civil Society	Specialists consume only half the normal amount of Food.
	Free Speech	8 units are maintenance free.	Constitution
	Democracy	Specialist Population in Cities produce half the normal amount of Unhappiness.	Civil Society
Autocracy		Autocracy is for militaristic civilizations, dreaming of world conquest. Adopting all Policies in the Autocracy tree will grant a 20% attack bonus to all Military Units for 30 turns. This branch cannot be active at the same time as Freedom or Order.	Industrial Era
	Autocracy	Adopting Autocracy reduces Unit Gold Maintenance costs by 33%, allowing an empire to field a larger military.
	Populism	Wounded Military Units inflict 25% more damage than normal.
	Militarism	Gold cost of purchasing units reduced by 33%.
	Fascism	Quantity of Strategic Resources produced by the empire increased by 100%.	Populism, Militarism
	Police State	+3 Happiness from every Courthouse. Build Courthouses in half the usual time.	Militarism
	Total War	+15% Production when building Military Units and new Military Units start with 15 Experience.	Fascism, Police State
Order		Order is best for large, sprawling empires, increasing the strength of the empire based on the number of Cities it contains. Adopting all Policies in the Order tree will grant +1 Food, Production, Science, Gold, and Culture per city. This branch cannot be active at the same time as Freedom or Autocracy.	Industrial Era
	Order	Adopting Order will increase Happiness by 1 per City.
	United Front	Militaristic city states grant units twice as often when you are at war with a common foe.
	Socialism	Gold maintenance costs of Buildings reduced by 15%.	Planned Economy
	Nationalism	25% attack bonus when fighting in friendly territory.
	Planned Economy	Factories increase a cities Science output by 25%.
	Communism	+2 Production per City and +10% Production when constructing Buildings.	Socialism