5.7. Risks and limits
Ideas
- The institutions of Software Democracy are not adapted to crisis situations. A temporary emergency cabinet composed of five members can be formed to manage these situations.
- In order for citizens not to tire of exercising power, representative institutions must effectively handle day-to-day affairs. Education is the key to citizen engagement.
Emergency
One of the first limitations that comes to mind is the possible inadequacy for extreme emergency situations, where the time needed to prepare a vote, cast it, and implement it seems difficult to reduce to less than a few days.
Software Democracy then provides for a temporary emergency cabinet, composed of the four main political representatives (Representative Council, Council of Elders, Council of Ministers, Council of the Just) and the representative of the Citizen Oversight Commission.
The activation of the emergency cabinet can be immediate, at the initiative of the Representative Council and the Council of Elders, but it must be subject to a votation citizen deferred to confirm the decision.
This cabinet of 5 members can take emergency measures by a simple majority (i.e. 3 representatives), temporarily and within the limited context of the emergency situation. The normal work of the institutions continues in parallel for decisions independent of the urgent nature.
Of course, an illegitimate takeover of power by this cabinet must be avoided; a votation citizen can at any time dissolve this cabinet or put an end to the emergency situation. The laws and decisions made by the cabinet during the emergency period are deactivated by default at the end of the period unless a votation citizen has decided otherwise.
Democratic fatigue
There is also a risk of democratic fatigue; citizens may tire of regularly exercising power, reading all proposals and regular reports, and seeing the system work, detach themselves from their responsibilities.
It should first be recalled that while citizens remain the ultimate holders of power, representative institutions must be able to handle most of the day-to-day affairs, making the direct vote of citizens an exception.
Moreover, we emphasize the importance of education, a true pillar of Software Democracy. Just as the memory of the world wars has permanently imprinted the "never again" in the memories of our ancestors, the remembrance of the totalitarian excesses of our political systems must strengthen individual responsibility and make the exercise of citizen power a moral duty. The exercise of power implies responsibilities!