Dev question - Secret Police costs

[King Doom]

I'm playing a campaign (Still, I love this game) and it's the biggest map size possible. I've got to the point where the cost to keep secret police running at max size is utterly crippling. The cost to run them is only slightly less than the costs of everything else in my empire combined! (1175 vs. 1041!)

The problem is, even though I'm winning, the second I turn them down my empire fragments pretty much instantly! Literally! I turn it from severe to the next one down and the second I make the change a province revolts. Is it possible to tweak the numbers so that the better you are doing the less chance of revolts there are? maybe include a bonus or penalty based on if the province has been pillaged or not?

If the Glorious Empire is owner of two thirds of the world and your province is perfectly fine you'd think people would be a little more enthusiastic and less likely to stage an armed rebellion.

[FourGreenFields]

I think defences and/or defensive fleets reduce the chance to incite a revolt. Maybe build some small 0 maintenance buildings and see if that helps.

No warranty.