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Structures & Mechanisms

How Networked Commons Governance actually works

The Overall Architecture

NCG is deliberately simple at the centre and rich at the edges. Most day-to-day governance (85–90%) happens in the Regional Commons Assemblies. Only a thin “Meta-Commons” handles truly national matters. This design respects subsidiarity while maintaining the unity of the United Kingdom.

1. Regional Commons Assemblies

Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the English regions each have their own Commons Assembly. These are the primary engines of governance and handle the vast majority of policy and delivery.

  • Responsible for education, health, planning, transport, policing, and most public services
  • Use sortition juries as the main decision-making body
  • Can exceed national minimum standards and run experiments
  • Preserve and express regional character and priorities

2. The Thin Meta-Commons

A small, coordinating body that handles only matters that genuinely require national unity. Its powers are strictly enumerated and deliberately limited.

National defence and security
Foreign affairs and treaties
Monetary policy framework
National debt strategy
Borders and immigration envelopes
Major cross-regional infrastructure
Platform integrity (the national app)

Any expansion of these powers requires unanimous consent from all Regional Commons Assemblies plus ratification by a Founding-style Meta-Jury.

3. Sortition Juries

The beating heart of NCG decision-making. Ordinary citizens chosen by lot serve as the primary deliberative bodies at both regional and Meta-Commons levels.

Random selection with safeguards

Citizens are chosen by lot, with basic eligibility checks (age, residency, no serious criminal convictions).

Civic Immersion training

Jurors receive balanced briefings from experts and stakeholders before deliberating.

6–12 month terms with overlap

Ensures continuity while preventing permanent political classes from forming.

4. The National Platform & Liquid Delegation

A secure, transparent national app serves as the democratic backbone of NCG.

  • Citizens can vote directly on issues or delegate their vote to someone they trust
  • Delegation is fully revocable at any time
  • Local input is weighted more heavily on hyper-local matters
  • All decisions, votes, and performance data are public by default
  • Strong privacy and security standards protect participants

5. Accountability Mechanisms

Public Trust Audits

Regular, transparent approval ratings via the national app. Below 50% triggers mandatory review, rotation, or improvement plans.

Delivery Juries

Independent juries oversee implementation of decisions and can escalate persistent failures.

Sunset Clauses & Regulatory Pruning

All major regulations automatically expire unless renewed. Legacy Review Juries systematically remove obsolete or contradictory rules.

“Power must be exercised at the smallest effective scale. Those who decide must bear consequences. Systems should improve under stress. Minorities must retain the right to experiment.”