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?Designed and run by federal and Manitoba governments as a research programme; households applied and were paid by a field office.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' assemblyEach listed body sets its own well-being objectives and steps; the Welsh Ministers publish national indicators and a future trends report after each election.
How are conflicts resolved?Administrative income verification; no participant role in governance.Balanced briefing materials, trained neutral moderators and competing experts structured disagreement.The Commissioner may review a body and recommend; the body must take reasonable steps to follow or publish reasons (s 22). The Auditor General examines application of the principle.
How are public goods funded?Federal–provincial funding of income guarantees with 35–75% benefit-reduction rates; produced a research dataset later made public.Privately funded; produced published results, media coverage and a peer-reviewed study.Covers the Welsh Ministers, local authorities, health boards, national park authorities and other listed bodies; public services boards plan locally.
How is AI used?No AI role.No AI role.No documented AI role.
What are the main risks?Political termination before analysis; dependence on the governments that launched it; confusion between negative income tax and universal basic income.Self-selection into attendance; artificial setting; analysis by the method's designers; no institutional uptake.Soft 'follow or explain' enforcement; procedural compliance; difficulty measuring long-term and preventative benefits.

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