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? | Each of eight canal communities elects a board and a trustee (síndic) who must farm his own land; the trustees sit as the Tribunal and elect a president for two years. | 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? | Weekly public oral hearings in Valencian; no written record; the trustee of the canal concerned does not vote; penalties follow each community's ordinances.Arbitration | Grievance channels at UIDAI and service agencies; constitutional challenges in the Supreme Court, which ruled in 2017 and 2018. | |
| How are public goods funded? | Distribution of Turia water in 138 proportional shares, canal cleaning and guards financed by member levies; cheap and trusted dispute resolution. | A universal, low-cost proof of identity used for welfare transfers, financial inclusion and public services. | |
| How is AI used? | None. Hearings are oral and decided by elected farmer-trustees; no algorithmic tools are used. | 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? | Loss of farmland to urban growth, an ageing farming population and dependence on river flows controlled by state water authorities.CLM-0501 | 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.