Main Page/2008-08

From Metagovernment - Government of, by, and for all the people

The Metagovernment project invites all people to participate in the governance of every community in which they are involved, under the principle of open source governance.

Instead of simple voting, people may contribute to the governance of any community as much or as little as they wish by creating, discussing, and lending support to rules/laws which they believe in. It heavily favors synthesis over either conflict or compromise: creating mechanisms whereby the best solutions can rise to prominence. It does not require that everyone participate, only that everyone be allowed to participate if they so desire.

The Metagovernment project is the governance mechanism which determines the development and constitution of Metascore: the software being developed to implement and manage community-based open source governance systems. This project is a global project in the startup phase, and everyone is welcome to participate.

Basic principles

I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors. — Thomas Jefferson, 1816

Discussion of the principles below should be conducted on the basic principles page.

This project upholds basic principles consistent with those developed in the open source software and direct democracy movements.

Government of, by, and for the people

Anyone may contribute to any open source government. Significant efforts will be made to enfranchise those who are unable to contribute to a government. Efforts will include conducting regular public meetings and promoting dissemination of internet-access technologies (such as the OLPC project).

Openness in everything

All aspects of governance will be as open as possible, under the principle of radical transparency. All software and systems used to run governments will be open source software and systems.

Without consensus, there is no law

Unless consensus can be reached on how a law could address an issue, then there will be no law on that issue.

Consensus through synthesis

When opposing views are presented, preference is always given to synthesis rather than either conflict or compromise.

Disputed principles

The following principles have been proposed but disputed. See basic principles and Talk:Basic principles for the dispute.

Rating-based weighting

Contributions are weighted by a rating-based scoring system. All ratings are themselves weighted by the score of the person casting the rating. Generally, the more one is respected by respected people in a community, the more say one has in governance of that community.

Geographic distinctness within a global community

Everyone in the world is allowed to contribute to any government's website. However, people who reside in a geographic region have a much greater say on issues affecting their region than do others.

Transition

Much of the transition to open source governance is expected to evolve out of the development of this project, and cannot be accurately predicted. However, the following roadmap shows how open source governance intends to institute itself through peaceful, lawful use of existing institutions.

All open source governments begin, only as communities decide to adopt them. If members of a community decide to use Metascore before the existing community has approved it, then things which are referred to as laws are not enforceable, and the open source government has no power to use force, collect taxes, or otherwise exercise authority within its community.

When Metascore implementations form within communities, they will periodically ask the existing government or other authority to cede power to the open source communities pertinent to that community. At such time as any ruling body cedes power to the open source government, the laws of the various levels of open source government which affect the region governed by the ceding government become real and enforceable to the extent that they are not forbidden by a higher level of government which currently has established control of that area.

The first targets for transformation will be small, non-governmental communities, then the lowest mechanisms of government, such as school boards. Communities around the world will be invited to form governmental websites based on the guidelines and systems provided by the Metagovernment. It is expected that over time, open source governance systems will be the universal form of government, replacing current instances of representative democracy.

It is not expected that governments, particularly national governments, will cede authority in the near future. The intention of the Metagovernment and its associated communities is to gradually make a governance system so superior to the status quo — and so compellingly, unprecedentedly democratic — that the people will demand a change to this form of government. In states which claim to be built on democratic principles, the people there should be able to peacefully transform their government by using the mechanisms of that government. In less democratic states, the transition may take longer, but open source governments innately are protected from brutal force, as they do not have a single leader or a single physical presence.

Until such time as an open source government has the power to collect taxes or otherwise raise funds, users may be invited to act under the principles of adhocracy or perhaps to donate to possible nonprofit institutions which might act as the initial stewards of these governments. Any such initial nonprofit institutions are to be viewed as transient and goal-oriented. Each institution will incorporate into its bylaws a part of its associated website, referred to as a continuing resolution. That continuing resolution can amend the bylaws as necessary, and can also cease continuance. In the latter case, the institution is then required by its bylaws to dissolve itself.