Polity Atlas

How each model solves the same problems

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

Question✕✕✕
How are decisions made?104 randomly selected residents, stratified including by constitutional attitudes, deliberated over eight weekends and voted on a vision and 60 recommendations.Sortition / citizens' assemblyThe Prime Minister is formally responsible for Diella; the Constitutional Court states AI cannot change who exercises public power or bears accountability.A statutory authority (UIDAI) under the central government sets rules; ministries decide where Aadhaar is required; Parliament legislated in 2016 and 2019.Digital identity
How are conflicts resolved?Independent conveners and facilitated small groups; no means to resolve the boycott by parties that viewed the assembly as partisan.Opposition challenged the decrees before the Constitutional Court, which dismissed the request on 8 October 2026; its full reasoning is pending.Grievance channels at UIDAI and service agencies; constitutional challenges in the Supreme Court, which ruled in 2017 and 2018.
How are public goods funded?Government-funded (final cost £0.938 million); produced recommendations and a model for later Scottish assemblies.Aims to improve public-service access and reduce discretion in public procurement.A universal, low-cost proof of identity used for welfare transfers, financial inclusion and public services.
How is AI used?No AI role.Chatbot and voice assistant on e-Albania; a procurement system tender was still being prepared in August 2026.No AI in decision-making as such; automated biometric matching and deduplication decide authentication, and face authentication was added in 2018.
What are the main risks?Perception of partisan purpose; remit too broad to produce implementable proposals; non-binding status and a general government response.Unclear accountability for an AI 'minister'; no AI law yet; no published technical detail; AKSHI's leaders face a tender-rigging case.CLM-0359Exclusion through authentication failures, data leaks, surveillance and profiling, weak independent oversight and function creep.CLM-0544

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