After a few rounds, I’ve taken on Bananistan and created a Utopia. The same set also worked for Russia, UK and USA. My achievenments were: Economic Miracle, Socialist Paradise, Technological Superiority and Crime Free Utopia. (Just outta curiosity, what are the other ones?) I’ve had no reds (i.e. stuff like Tax Evasion), built up a nice reserve and was still making money.
Basically I maxed out on education, (State Schools, Free Meals, Science Funding, Adult Education, Technology Colleges, Public Libraries, University Grants and Youth Club Subsidies). Also maxed out on my State Health Services, Free Eye Tests and Stem Cell Research. Creationism I kinda didn’t care enough about to change.
On Welfare I maxed out on Housing, placed a high value on pensions, low on unemployement compensation (my unemployement was 0), maxed out on childcare provision (are you guys noticing that I kinda love the little brats) and Child benefit was in the middle, maxed out on disability benefit and winter fuel subsidies, with vets benefit in the middle.
For economy I maxed out on all three grants, (rural development, small business and technology) clean air subsidies, pollution controls, plastic bag tax and organic farming subsidies. Materinity leave and labor laws I had in the middle, as well as tax shelters.
Foreign Policy I had army set to highly trained, and maxed out on border controls and citizenship tests. Also had a “high” on foreign aid and had low on import tariffs (that’s how I regulate my unemployement, if everyone’s employed, I lower, if there’s unemployement over 5%, I raise to compensate).
Transportation I maxed out on telecommuting initiative, monorail, rail subsidies, free bus passes, bus subsidies clean fuel subsidiy, and of course school busses. Had some expansion on road contruction and medium on bus lanes.
On crime I was tough. Liberals hate me here hehe. Actually wealthy, capitalists and liberals are the only groups that I don’t win. Not that I care, I still get 70-80% of the vote, depending on the economy and weather or not terrorists strike. How they do it, I don’t know, I max out my intelligence agency, phone tapping, prisoner tagging, and have prisons at medium. I also have my police force and armed police at medium and maxed out on community policing. Strict controls on handguns, no narcotics, and for booze and cigarettes minimum age is 18. No narcotics, but maxed out on jury trial and legal aid. Gambling’s at limited stakes and has an age limit.
By now, the astute reader has figured out that I tax everything. That’s very true, I do. All taxes are set between Reasonable and Average to avoid tax evasion or petrol protests. But they do add up. I also max out on micro-generation grants, the hybrid cars initiative, mortgage tax relief and set marriage tax allowance to advantageous.
I have technological advantage and high productivity. What’re some of the other ones I could get. What’s your Utopia like? BTW, it took me 12 years to build this. FDR was in power for 17. I realize that this sounds like a very government controlled state, but keep in mind that education is maxed out and my government is elected with smart people, not the “no child left behind” ones.