I'd like to know what roleplay excuses you employ to change your lvl 4 gov to something above. After all it is an allied state, where you don't have any rights officially. People might know that they have to obey Makedonia or your respective faction, but they still consider themselves independent.

For example, yesterday the client ruler of Mytilene died. What I generally do is to destroy the gov building, move the garrison out and set the taxes to very high. Normally that makes for a good riot, but unfortunately it didn't work so I voluntarily destroyed the Temple to Asklepios and the Askleipion of the city. that brought me my riot, and the subsequent turn I took a general and let him march into the city. Now I ordered a lvl 2 gov.

So I roleplayed that Makedonia, as the "good shepherd and protector of the people of Lesbos", took the initiative and marched into the city, to re-establish "the good order etc.". So how do you do it?