Hidden Agenda (1988 video game)

The economy of Chimerica is mainly based on two export crops, cotton and coffee. The cotton industry is mainly dominated by large landowners, whereas coffee fields are mainly held by small to medium-sized coffee growers. Most of Chimerica's food (primarily corn, flour, beans, and rice) is produced by campesinos.

Later on, with development aid, individual campesinos and farmers can receive help in producing vegetables for the American market along with utilising highly mechanized agricultural techniques. The development of the economy is up to the player, and can take the form of either a free market-oriented approach in which the player would receive support and aid from the United States, or a collectivist approach which is supported by the Soviet Union and Cuba.

Central to the game is the appointment of ministers to the player's cabinet. There are four positions that need to be filled, and ministers are chosen from the three main parties. The Agriculture Minister is perhaps the most important, being responsible for determining the extent of the much-demanded land reform policies, as well as being responsible for developing the country's struggling export commodities. The next most important is the Defense Minister, who implements policies concerning control of the Army. The Internal Affairs Minister decides upon budgetary policies such as infrastructure development and healthcare, and the External Affairs Minister manages Chimerica's diplomatic standing on the international stage.

Ministers effectively function as tools to implement the player's decisions, rather than to advise the player upon several courses of action. Players employ both the ministers and their party's ideals when they are appointed. When using the Consultation function, the player can choose from the courses of action recommended by any of their four ministers on any issue raised, for example allowing them to accept advice from the defence minister on agricultural policy, and so forth. However, it is impossible to make a decision outside of what the ministers advise. If an "interrupt" decision comes up, or an Encounter is initiated, there are only two courses of action available: that of the relevant minister, and that of the character who is being encountered. For example, if the player is being petitioned by an army general, the only options available will be those suggested by the defence minister and the general.

The player may choose up to four ministers from the three political parties to fill their cabinet, from the "contacts" list. As each party only offers three candidates, note that the player cannot fill all ministerial roles unilaterally. The three political parties are:

• National Liberation Party: Composed of nationalists, Marxists, poor farmers, and adherents of Liberation Theology. They side with Cuba, the USSR and other communist countries. The National Liberation Party proposes an authoritarian left wing economic policy.
• Popular Stability Party: The PSP finds most of its supports among landowners, the wealthy, the military, and religious conservatives. This party sides with the United States and other capitalist nations in foreign affairs. Policies of the Popular Stability Party tend to be in line with conservative ideology.
• Christian Reform Party: The only opposition party that was tolerated by Farsante. Members of the CRP are centrist politicians who often recommend a middle-of-the-road course of action. The party will offer the most moderate advice and are the most open to compromise - which may lead to them backing down if challenged on issues such as price controls. The party advocates non-alignment in foreign affairs, civil freedoms, and regulated capitalism. It also is the party openly favored by the United States in the game.