One Child Rule

The One Child Rule is common law among the colonies that forbids couple from raising more than one child unless they earn the right to have more. Houses are important enough that they can bend this rule if they can lead their colonies to prosperity.

Codex
"Humanity lacks the knowledge to build new colonies or significantly expand existing ones, so there is a limit on how many people can be supported.

This has created enormous social pressure to limit population growth. A simple rule that has become widespread throughout the colonies is that each couple have the right to have one child, but must earn the right to have more.

""Earning"" the right usually means pleasing the head of the house which dominates one's life, giving the nobility a useful mechanism for motivating their most valuable subjects.

The flip side of this rule is the public onus on houses to manage population counts wisely, and nobles which fail to do so draw universal ire. To a lesser extent, a noble will also offend his peers and subjects if he grants this right only to his cronies."