Modular Platform for Political Philosophers – WorkFlow Democracy

Hello,

Alessandro Oppo here, I'm an historian/computer scientist, and this is a proposal for the Decidim.org community.
I wasn't able to embed images, so if you prefer a more readable version, it's mirrored on my blog https://alexoppo.com/modular-platform-for-political-philosophers-workflow-democracy/ .

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.

Decidim is not easy to configure for people who are not tech-savvy. Currently, only individuals with in-depth knowledge of Decidim can properly set up an instance. This issue goes beyond the installation of the software—I'm referring to the effective configuration that enables people to use the software to transform their socio-political activities.

There is significant social, political, and philosophical potential that remains untapped because many people are unaware of modern governance tools like Decidim, nor do they know how to contribute to their development.

Describe the solution you'd like

A plugin that allows people to design specific workflows related to governance processes, especially for political philosophers.

This would enable individuals with political expertise to contribute to the development of new democratic governance systems.

Additional context

Here is my proposal for a Decidim plugin that facilitates the design of workflows tailored to governance processes.

The underlying assumption is that discussions, decisions, or any other governance-related processes are essentially connections or relationships between multiple people.

Democracy Routes starts from real-life problems, leveraging AI to identify individuals who can help users address their issues and organizing roundtable discussions with various participants.

The concept for this plugin originated while developing Democracy Routes, but it has broader applications. Decidim, in particular, seems like an ideal platform to bring this idea to life.

Front End for Creators

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This proposal aligns well with how Decidim operates, particularly with its modular approach. By introducing a creator platform, we could unlock numerous possibilities. Individuals interested in politics, but lacking technical expertise, could design and map out workflows tailored to specific situations or institutions.

People with backgrounds in philosophy or history often possess a deep understanding of political systems. This platform would empower them to become creators, leveraging their knowledge to design balanced and effective decision-making processes. They could contribute significantly to structuring internal power dynamics within governance workflows.

The creator platform would include multiple modules. A sample of the front-end interface can be tested here: app.democracyroutes.com. Through this interface, a .json file is generated to provide instructions for the back end, ensuring seamless integration and functionality.

Front End for Institutions

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Every institution, association, NGO, or company can choose a specific type of workflow to suit their needs. For example, the University of Bologna could adopt a workflow previously tested at the University of Barcelona and then customize it to fit their unique context.

Metrics would play a key role in evaluating these workflows, highlighting their efficiency in terms of user satisfaction, simplicity, and overall effectiveness.

Moreover, users would have the ability to improve workflows by proposing changes to the structure of discussions, decision-making processes, and other governance activities. This collaborative approach would ensure that workflows evolve and adapt to better meet the needs of all participants.

Actual prototype of the front end.

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The front end can be tested here: app.democracyroutes.com.

Once a flow is designed, it can be downloaded in .json format, allowing a backend to use the file to organize discussions, decisions, and other processes.

This specific idea originated while developing Democracy Routes, but it can also serve as a standalone plugin for Decidim.

You can find the Democracy Routes Whitepaper here: Whitepaper.

Modules

Below is a list of the main modules. Some of these can be adapted or reused from existing Decidim modules.

Discussion

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The discussion module facilitates debates and exchanges of ideas. Discussions can take place either in real life or online, utilizing video call software like Jitsi Meet.

• Brainstorming - Collective brainstorming

• Networking - Networking discussion event

• Problem Oriented - Problem oriented and goal oriented discussion

• Explain / Understand - Discussion oriented to explain a topic/motivation.

Decision

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Decisions can be made through polls, enabling participants to vote and reach collective agreements effectively.

• By Majority - Majority decides for everyone.

• Consensus - Everyone has to agree.

• At least X% (quorum) - A certain kind of % is requested, e.g. 3/4 , 2/3, etc.

• Authocracy - Only one person decide for everyone.

• Delegating - Vote delegation.

Participants

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Participants in a given event (e.g., Discussion, Decision, etc.) can be selected based on specific criteria. This applies only to individuals who are registered on the platform and have their profiles detailed and categorized.

• Skill - Select participants based on their skills

• Scientific Field - Select participants based on their scientific field.

• Experience - Select participants based on their experience.

• Sex/Gender - Select participants based on their skills

• Proximity - Select participants based on their location/proximity.

• Political Power - Select participants based on their political power.

• Sensitivity - Select participants based on their sensitivity.

• Ideology - Select participants based on their ideology.

Institutional

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Institutional models act as an upper layer for other modules, providing a higher-level structure. Additionally, workflows can themselves be transformed into modules, allowing them to be integrated into more complex workflows.

• Court - This module allows to contact a Court.

• Parliament - This module create a Parliament.

• Deputy Chamber - This module create a Deputy Chamber.

• Tribunal - This module create a tribunal.

• Archive - This module allows to archive a content in a specific place.

• Government - This module create a Government.

• Electors - This module create a pool of electors.

AI Agents – Real Time

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AI Agents are designed to provide real-time support to users engaged in discussions or decision-making processes.

• Academic Support - Academic support inside the discussion.

• Bias Recognition - Bias Recognition Agent

• Historical AI agent - An AI agent impersonating an historical person and opinions.

• Emotional Support - Emotional support inside the discussion.

• Mediator - Mediator Agent, tries to mediate between different positions.

• Custom Agent - With this module you can customize your own AI agent (Server side)

• Custom Agent configured in the videocall - With this module you can customize your own AI agent (Client side).

Gamification

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Gamification systems play a crucial role in engaging participants, motivating them to unlock new achievements.
These systems can be tailored to work for a specific institution or multiple organizations, but not across entirely different contexts. The idea is to have generic gamification systems that can be easily integrated into existing workflows, allowing them to adapt to the organization’s specific needs and processes.

• Hierarchical - Hierarchical Gamification System

• Collaborative - Collaborative Gamification System

• Explorative - Explorative Gamification System

• Learning Environment - Learning Environment Gamification System

People – Processes

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These modules are useful for building other types of modules, such as institutional ones, by applying various rules related to organizational processes, including all branches of procedural law.

• Remix - This module remixes all partecipants.

• Random - This module extract a random person from the group.

• Election - This module enables voting and the selection of an elected candidate.

• Economy - This module extract allows to send/receive money.

• Pool - This module allows to create a pool of people.

• Cycle - This module allows to cycle and iterate a process.

• Time - This module allows to wait for a certain amount of time.

Conclusion

I hope this introduction presented some interesting ideas. If any details were unclear, it's likely due to the tight integration involved in developing the front end for Democracy Routes.

If you're interested in helping design more modules or in developing the front end/plugin for Decidim, feel free to reach out to me.