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?GiveDirectly and an academic team designed the study and randomised villages; recipients decide freely how to use unconditional payments.A statutory authority (UIDAI) under the central government sets rules; ministries decide where Aadhaar is required; Parliament legislated in 2016 and 2019.Digital identityEach 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?Programme operations and grievance handling by GiveDirectly; research oversight by ethics boards at MIT and Maseno University.Grievance channels at UIDAI and service agencies; constitutional challenges in the Supreme Court, which ruled in 2017 and 2018.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?Donor-funded transfers to every adult in treated villages (about $22.50 a month in the long-term arm), amounting to some 15% of control-village spending.Universal basic incomeA universal, low-cost proof of identity used for welfare transfers, financial inclusion and public services.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 in decision-making as such; automated biometric matching and deduplication decide authentication, and face authentication was added in 2018.No documented AI role.
What are the main risks?Credibility of a 12-year charity promise; researcher–implementer ties; limited transferability to rich economies; results not yet peer-reviewed.Exclusion through authentication failures, data leaks, surveillance and profiling, weak independent oversight and function creep.CLM-0544Soft 'follow or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.