However, a new form of hurrying production has been added to the early game. Chopping down trees and forests now yields hammers straight to the nearest local city, hurrying the unit or structure being produced in that city. You can also use the Slavery civic to hurry production with population, if you have tons of food but very few production sources around a city.
Now, at the beginning of the game you can concentrate your economy on research, and trade spare gold for techonolgies in diplomacy (once you get Currency). Later on you gain the ability to also use gold for hurrying production (through Universal Sufferage), and gold can be used to upgrade units regardless of your current civics.
With endgame civic choices, Representation boosts economy, research, and happiness; Police State boosts warmongering, and Universal Sufferage boosts production.