Polity Atlas

How each model solves the same problems

Instead of “democracy versus anarchism”, compare the concrete ways collective problems get solved.

Question+ Model
How are decisions made?Rules are embedded in software that sorts cases, sets options and sometimes takes the decision itself.A stratified random sample of 523 voters deliberated in moderated groups and plenaries and answered questionnaires before and after; no decisions were taken.Sortition / citizens' assembly
How are conflicts resolved?UnknownBalanced briefing materials, trained neutral moderators and competing experts structured disagreement.
How are public goods funded?UnknownPrivately funded; produced published results, media coverage and a peer-reviewed study.
How is AI used?Risk scoring, eligibility checks, fraud detection and, increasingly, machine-learning models in public administration.No AI role.
What are the main risks?Opacity, discrimination learned from data, mass errors and weak routes for appeal.Self-selection into attendance; artificial setting; analysis by the method's designers; no institutional uptake.

This illustrates differences in design; it is not a universal claim about outcomes. Each cell links to mechanisms and the claims behind them.