You can make this into a somewhat nationalistic game and leave the domestic and foreign spheres separate. In the domestic one, the player is looking to regulate

You can make this into a somewhat nationalistic game and leave the domestic and foreign spheres separate. In the domestic one, the player is looking to regulate / optimize competition and collaboration to maximize output, whereas in the international one you're looking to beat other nations with favorable trade, attracting talent, staying ahead in research, etc. From that, there countless trade-off themes emerge – industrialization vs. sustainability, regulation vs. laissez-faire, bilateral negotiations vs. multinational institutions, and so on and so forth