Using Bribery to Influence Elections

[Jimcat]

So, since I started playing as Uncle Duke (see my other thread) instead of some touchy-feely treehugger, I suddenly have to take a lot more interest in elections and how to swing the results my way.

I've been exploring the uses of bribery, and wondered if anyone has some good tips on whom to bribe, and when, and what the effects are.

I started out by issuing bribes in the year before an election is announced. I figured that if I bribed the leader of the most powerful faction that was dissatisfied with me, that would have the greatest effect in reducing opposition to me.

I quickly found out a valuable piece of information: the leader of the most powerful faction that is dissatisfied with you is the most likely person to run against you in the election!

So, my first question: does bribing your electoral opponent do any good at all? I 'd think that this person's followers would be their strongest supporters, and so wouldn't be likely to swing over to me in any case.

So if that doesn't work, what's my most effective option for bribery? I've thought of a few possibilities:

1. Bribe the leader of the second most powerful faction that is dissatisfied with you. This has the potential to swing the most votes your way.

2. Bribe only the leaders of factions that have "Fair" relations with you; these are more likely to be influenced than those with "Cool" relations.

Also, I'm wondering how long the effects of bribery last. Is it too late once your opponent in the election has been announced? Should I be practicing regular "preventive graft"? Or is bribery not worth the money?

Anyone have any other tips on swinging the elections when you're less than popular, besides the obvious (festival edicts, tax cuts, canceling the elections, and ballot tampering)?

[loverevolutionary]

Preventive graft works best.  It can take a while for your bankers to track down the recipient, so bribe early, bribe often.

Multiple bribes one right after the other have less of an effect.  However, bribes to relatives increase respect as well.  Try bribing the faction leader and any immediate family.

Rather than basing bribes merely on faction leader's respect isn't the most effective use of money, either.  So those tree-huggers hate you.  How many of them are there?  50?  F***-'em.  Say the religious faction has higher, but not great respect for you, and there's 150 of them?  Bingo!  Bribe that priest.  

I have noticed that some faction leaders seem to respond more to bribes than others.  Capitalists love 'em.  Priests seem less effected, but maybe I'm imagining that.

[charliem]

This may be a dumb question, but how do you know who the leader of a faction is?

[CapnMadcap]

Just as an aside...
'
Does anyone know about the relationship between general faction Support & the opinion of the faction leader? Quite frequently, the Faction Loves me & the Faction Leader is rather unhappy as well as vice versa.  My guess is that the faction leader's opinion 'influences' that of the general faction - so despite them being insanely happy with you, his negative perspective would cast a slight pall on their optimism.  Am I correct?

- Regards,
CapnMadcap

[Eddy]

That's basically the way it works yes.

[Senor Ruina]

Has anyone ever done quantitative tests on it?  How much does a bribe really influence (a) the target, (b) his party, (c) his family, and (d) anyone else?