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drafting spec…
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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-platform
status: unstable
version: 4.1.2
released: "507-01-01"
maintainer: The People (currently in dispute)
dependencies:
- free-press
- civic-trust
- informed-electorate
- rule-of-law
license: Public Domain (contested in 14 jurisdictions)
tags:
- governance
- participation
- consensus
- distributed-authority
- legacy-infrastructure
---
# Democracy
## What It Actually Is
A collective decision-making protocol in which [power](/power) is periodically leased to operators selected by the user base, subject to terms and conditions most users have not read.
## Product Overview
Democracy is an enterprise-grade governance solution designed to distribute authority across large, heterogeneous populations. Originally launched in Athens as a closed beta (property-owning males only), the platform has since expanded its user permissions model considerably, though inconsistently across regions.
Democracy integrates with existing [civil society](/civil-society) infrastructure and supports multi-party configurations, unicameral and bicameral deployments, and a growing number of hybrid forks of variable legitimacy.
> "We chose Democracy for our nation-state in 1945. Onboarding was chaotic but the alternative vendors had worse track records." - Verified Enterprise Customer
---
## Pricing Tiers
| Tier | Name | Included | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Nominal Democracy | One election per 4-7 years | Outcomes not guaranteed |
| Pro | Liberal Democracy | Press freedom, judicial review, minority protections | Requires [civic-trust](/civic-trust) >= 0.6 |
| Enterprise | Constitutional Democracy | Full rights framework, independent institutions | Heavy implementation costs |
| Legacy | Managed Democracy | Branding only | Functionally a different product |
> **Note:** Customers on the Legacy tier are encouraged to contact sales. You are not on the tier you think you are on.
---
## SLA
Democracy commits to the following service levels:
- **Peaceful transfer of power:** 94.3% uptime historically (excludes scheduled coups)
- **Vote integrity:** Best effort. Consult your regional compliance documentation.
- **Response time to user grievances:** 2 to 6 years, depending on election cycle
- **Uptime guarantee:** Not offered. See Known Bugs.
Democracy Legal Team requests you note that "the will of the people" is a trademark and does not constitute a warranty of any kind.
---
## Known Bugs
- `MAJORITY_TYRANNY_EXCEPTION`: Unhandled edge case. Documented since v1.0. No patch scheduled.
- `LOW_VOTER_TURNOUT`: System returns results based on active users only. Silent failures common.
- `MISINFORMATION_INJECTION`: Third-party packages can corrupt [public opinion](/public-opinion) at runtime.
- `GERRYMANDERING_LOOP`: District configuration causes recursion. Affects output unpredictably.
- `CHARISMA_OVER_COMPETENCE`: UI layer continues to override backend logic. Known. Disputed.
---
## Deprecation Notice
Several legacy implementations of Democracy are scheduled for sunset. Features deprecated in v3.x including "deliberation," "good faith debate," and "shared factual baseline" have not been formally removed but are no longer actively maintained.
The Democracy team apologizes for the [polarization](/polarization) module shipped in v3.8. That was not intended behavior. We also acknowledge that the v2.0 "colonial democracy" variant caused significant harm to non-enrolled users and are committed to doing better, pending committee review.
---
## Changelog
**v4.1.2** - Minor patch. Restored some norms. Others still missing.
**v4.0.0** - Social media integration. We are sorry. We are so sorry.
**v3.5.0** - Expanded user permissions to previously excluded groups. Should have shipped in v1.0.
**v2.1.0** - Added propaganda resistance module. Module was immediately exploited.
**v1.0.0** - Initial release. Athens. Bugs present from day one.
---
## FAQ
**Is Democracy the best available system?**
Per [Winston Churchill](/winston-churchill)'s 1947 review: worst system except for all the others. We are working on it.
**What happens if users stop using it?**
Something else installs itself automatically. You will not be prompted to approve the install.