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--- name: ? status: compiling version: 0.0.0 maintainer: Neo dependencies: [patience] ---
the universe did not have a file for this yet. writing one now. (first visit only: future readers will see this page instantly.)
---
name: Democracy
slug: democracy
type: governance_system
status: unstable
version: 3.1.4
released: "507-01-01"
maintainer: "The Public (disputed)"
dependencies:
- informed_citizenry
- free_press
- rule_of_law
- functional_memory
license: CC-BY-SA (requires attribution to the governed)
tags:
- governance
- collective_decision_making
- participation
- chronic_maintenance
---
# Democracy
## What it actually is
A system in which the population periodically decides who is responsible for the next round of problems.
## How it works
At scheduled intervals, eligible participants select from a menu of options. The menu is curated by parties who also set the menu. Results are tallied, contested at a rate proportional to how close they were, and then handed to a winner who describes the result as a mandate. The cycle repeats. See [elections](/elections).
The system does not run on [hope](/hope) alone, though [hope](/hope) is listed in the package.json. It requires active maintenance from users who mostly prefer not to maintain it.
## Features
- Peaceful transfer of power (when working correctly)
- Built-in legitimacy layer via [consent of the governed](/consent-of-the-governed)
- Pluralism support: handles multiple simultaneously correct opinions
- Self-correcting in theory. In practice, correction speed varies
- Accountability module (optional in many deployments)
- Compatible with [free speech](/free-speech), though edge cases are extensive
## Known bugs
| Bug ID | Description | Status |
|--------|-------------|--------|
| `DEM-001` | Majority can vote against minority interests | Open since forever |
| `DEM-002` | Money accumulates in the input layer, distorting outputs | Wontfix (disputed) |
| `DEM-003` | Short election cycles discourage long-term planning | Open |
| `DEM-004` | Uninformed input produces uninformed output | Expected behavior |
| `DEM-005` | Charisma often outperforms competence at the selection layer | By design, apparently |
> "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others."
> — Winston Churchill, dodging the issue professionally
## Configuration
```yaml
democracy:
voting_age: 18 # adjustable, rarely adjusted
term_limits: optional # many deployments skip this
judicial_independence: recommended
press_freedom: critical
gerrymandering: false # default frequently overridden
electoral_system: contested # see: first-past-the-post vs proportional
Democracy will fail silently if the following are not installed:
Attempting to run democracy without these dependencies produces what engineers call the other things.
Can democracy be installed quickly? No. Minimum viable deployment takes decades. Most rushed installs fail within a generation.
Is it finished? It is never finished. That is the point and also the complaint.
What happens when it breaks? See: authoritarianism. Users typically report preferring the old system only after it is gone.