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 |