It's admittedly not so bad once I got used to it, but still seemed odd. Further playing also revealed that political influence built up for me remarkably quickly even when it's first unlocked, which makes the mechanic seem trivial. I'm also unsure if the upgrades actually do anything, though I do understand the game is a work in progress, so some features may not be fully implemented yet. Overall though, great foundation! I'll be keeping an eye on your progress.