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 and groups propose care or regeneration of a commons; the city negotiates a written collaboration pact setting goals, duties and resources.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?Pacts specify responsibilities and reporting; disputes are handled by negotiation with the city's coordinating office.Balanced briefing materials, trained neutral moderators and competing experts structured disagreement.
How are public goods funded?Unpaid civic work combined with city-supplied materials, insurance and fee relief maintains and regenerates public spaces and buildings.Privately funded; produced published results, media coverage and a peer-reviewed study.
How is AI used?No AI role.No AI role.
What are the main risks?Volunteers substituting for paid public services; uneven capacity across neighbourhoods; exclusion of users who are not party to a pact.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.