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?Residents propose capital projects; city services check feasibility and merge ideas; residents vote online and in person; winners are built by the city.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?Administrative review and committee merging of similar ideas; disputes over eligibility are settled by the city.Grievance channels at UIDAI and service agencies; constitutional challenges in the Supreme Court, which ruled in 2017 and 2018.
How are public goods funded?A share of the municipal investment budget funds playgrounds, schools, greening, sport and cycle facilities, with an earmark for working-class neighbourhoods.Participatory budgetingA universal, low-cost proof of identity used for welfare transfers, financial inclusion and public services.
How is AI used?No AI role.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?Low and socially skewed turnout; administrative agenda control; projects substituting for ordinary spending; narrowing of eligible categories.Exclusion 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.