Hello again - if a race has trouble with a stronger superior power at war, best thing to give them is warships. They will then like you more for some time (diplomatically). Technologies are also very good, especially military-related ones (so they can upgrade their ships - check their ships beforeahead, if they sport laser weapons and you give them a better lasergun, many ships may be upgraded once they have the money for it). Gifting them money is also ok, but sometimes doesn't net good results. Some AI are reluctant to spend it (also, on lower difficulty levels they won't spend it at all...). Or they spend it quickbuying buildings etc. Spending them a few technologies that are carrying empire-wide bonuses will also help the AI greatly. Here's a trick: You can see (somewhere in the Foreign Policy-screen...) what technology the AI is currently researching. If you already have that technology you could gift it to them - they'lll get it anyyway, but with this version, you have a bonus for yourself, as the AI will like you more. I usually always do this with potential allies (I don't want my allies to invest research production into something I already have - I rather want them to research something I still lack, so I can get it from them so both parties benefit). It's also better to not give them a very strong package, but instead break it down to a few smaller packages, that you hand over to them not on the same turn, but on separate turns. Hope this helps

You won because of your 99% approval rating. If it's too low you'll loose. Just adjust taxes the turn before a vote so you can win, afterwards jack up taxes high until the day before a new vote begins.

Sometimes if you gift ships they won't move. Usually if the targets are too distant or the AI is set too simple. Higher difficulty level may change this.