Consent-Based Decision Making
In TogetherOS, consent-based decision making means decisions pass when no one has fundamental objections, not when everyone agrees.
Consent vs Consensus
| Aspect | Consensus | Consent |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Everyone agrees | No one fundamentally objects |
| Speed | Slow | Faster |
| Minority voice | Can be lost in compromise | Preserved as minority reports |
| Result | Watered-down decisions | Clear decisions with documented concerns |
How It Works
- Proposal submitted with evidence and trade-offs
- Discussion period where members ask questions
- Voting with four options:
- Support — You consent to moving forward
- Oppose — You have concerns but won't block
- Abstain — You choose not to participate
- Block — You have fundamental objections that must be addressed
- If blocked — Objections must be addressed through amendment
Minority Reports
When members oppose or block a proposal, their concerns are:
- Documented formally — Not just a comment, but a structured report
- Displayed prominently — Shown alongside the majority decision
- Reviewed over time — If predictions prove correct, proposals can be amended
Why Consent Over Consensus?
Consensus sounds democratic but often leads to:
- Endless deliberation without action
- Lowest-common-denominator decisions
- Minority voices drowned out in compromise
Consent allows communities to move forward while preserving dissenting views for future reference.