Economic Freedoms

[Broughdom]

Hi all. I wasn't sure whether to post in here or "Gameplay" but figured this was related to issues enough to warrant a thread here.

Anyway, I'm aiming on becoming a Benevolent Dictatorship and have high civil freedoms with low political freedoms, but only medium economic freedoms which I've had for a while. I understand the concepts of increasing economic freedoms but sometimes find myself lost with what to do on some issues. I think it would be a help if there was a way to track how my economic freedoms are doing but alas that isn't the case.

So I'm wondering a few things really.
1) Does anyone have a list or an idea of some issues which have options that result in higher economic freedoms? In fact, are there some issues out there that are "perfect" for benevolent dictatorships?
2) Why is BV considered such a hard category to stay in? Is it simply due to economic freedoms? I ask because I've found it easy to keep high CF and low PF, but obvious EFs have been difficult for me to get.
3) Are there any ways to tell how your economic freedoms are doing? I've noticed that a lot of (not all) BVs have a high private sector percentage - could this graph be a rough indication of economic freedoms?
4) I just received the "Diving for Currency" issue (below). Would option 2 increase economic freedoms or have I got the wrong end of the stick?

I appreciate any thoughts on this matter

#049: Diving For @@CURRENCY@@s [Nogero; ed:Reploid Productions]

The Issue
Divers from a local scuba club have discovered an enormous underwater gold deposit that could be worth billions of @@CURRENCY@@s in one of @@NAME@@'s lakes. It has also caused a huge debate over who should be allowed to plunder the goods.

The Debate
1. @@RANDOMNAME@@, a cabinet member, would like the government to seize the deposit. "This is an excellent time to boost @@NAME@@'s economy and increase our foreign trade with other countries! Who cares about the people that discovered the deposit? They've done their country a great favor and should let us have the money!"

2. @@RANDOMNAME@@, a civil rights activist, vehemently disagrees. "The deposit was found by private citizens and it should be their choice of what to do with the gold. If the government goes around stealing what is rightfully ours, then I shudder to think I live in such a corrupt country. These people discovered the gold, it's now their time to get rich! Nevermind the fact they were diving in a lake on government property!"

3. "We should do what now?" Environmentalist @@RANDOMNAME@@ exclaims. "Do you have any idea how damaging it would be to the environment to mine the gold under that lake? Think of all the aquatic life that would be disrupted or destroyed! Think of how an otherwise pristine lake view would be ruined! Forget the gold and keep those money-grubbing pigs away from nature!"

[Myrth]

The problem with the Benevolent Dictatorship category is keeping the high civil rights and high economic freedom. Quite often with issues it's made obvious that by increasing economic freedoms, you're restricting civil rights (i.e. you're giving businesses more rights at the expense of your people's) and tend to drift back to a Compulsory Consumerist State.
It is possible, though. There are loads of economic issues out there - and it's fairly obvious which ones will increase your economic freedoms, given how many of them have a '...says @@RANDOMNAME@@, CEO of Megacorp' option.

[Michael VII]

Its considered such a hard category to stay in, because there are very few issues which allow you to keep the best of both worlds, where you are able to stay within the thin window of freedoms that a benevolent dictatorship possesses. ICD is the easiest to stay in I believe, because the gameplay was written to make some easier than others to stay in.