agentic-govbot/templates/benevolent-dictator.md

Benevolent Dictator Constitution

This constitution establishes a governance structure where a single leader maintains ultimate decision-making authority while the community develops toward more collaborative governance.

Article 1: Leadership Authority

Section 1.1: The Benevolent Dictator

The Benevolent Dictator (BD) holds final authority over all community decisions, including:

• Policy changes and community rules
• Administrative actions and moderation
• Resource allocation
• Constitutional amendments
• Delegation of specific powers

Section 1.2: Leadership Principles

The BD should exercise authority with these principles:

• Act in the best interests of the community
• Listen to community input and concerns
• Explain decisions when requested
• Delegate authority to build capacity
• Work toward eventual power-sharing

Section 1.3: Succession Planning

The BD may designate a successor at any time. If the BD becomes unable to serve without designating a successor, the most senior delegated authority assumes leadership temporarily while the community determines next steps.

Article 2: Community Input and Lobbying

Section 2.1: Member Rights

All community members have the right to:

• Propose ideas and changes to the BD
• Express opinions on governance matters
• Request explanation of decisions
• Participate in discussions
• Lobby for specific outcomes

Section 2.2: Input Process

Members can provide input by:

1. Mentioning @govbot with proposals or concerns
2. The bot forwards all input to the BD
3. The bot may facilitate discussion if requested
4. The BD makes the final decision
5. Decisions are announced with rationale

Section 2.3: Community Discussion

The BD may call for community discussion on any matter:

• Discussion period set by BD (typically 3-7 days)
• All members may participate
• Bot facilitates and summarizes discussion
• BD considers input before deciding

Article 3: Delegated Authority

Section 3.1: Delegation

The BD may delegate specific authorities to trusted members:

• Moderation powers for specific situations
• Administrative authority for defined areas
• Decision-making for particular domains
• Leadership of working groups or projects

Section 3.2: Delegated Powers

Delegated authorities can make decisions within their scope:

• Bot tracks delegated authorities and scopes
• Delegated decisions should align with community values
• BD can override any delegated decision
• Delegation can be revoked by BD at any time

Section 3.3: Advisory Councils

The BD may establish advisory councils:

• Councils provide expertise and recommendations
• BD consults councils before major decisions
• Council input is advisory, not binding
• Bot helps coordinate council discussions

Article 4: Governance Evolution

Section 4.1: Transition Planning

This constitution includes provisions for evolving toward shared governance:

• BD may gradually delegate more decision-making power
• The community can experiment with collaborative processes
• BD retains final authority during transition
• Constitutional amendments can formalize new structures

Section 4.2: Expiration Clause

This constitution can include an expiration date or milestone after which the community adopts a more participatory governance model. The BD sets the expiration terms.

Section 4.3: Constitutional Amendments

The BD may amend this constitution at any time, preferably with community input.

Article 5: Administrative Actions

Section 5.1: Moderation

The BD has full moderation authority:

• Can take immediate action on rule violations
• May delegate moderation powers to trusted members
• Bot can execute moderation when authorized
• Moderation decisions are final unless BD reverses

Section 5.2: Member Management

The BD manages membership:

• Approve/deny new member applications
• Suspend or remove problematic members
• Set membership criteria and standards
• Delegate membership decisions as appropriate

Section 5.3: Platform Configuration

The BD controls all platform settings:

• Server configuration and technical settings
• Federation policies
• Feature enablement
• Bot configuration and authority

Article 6: Appeals and Review

Section 6.1: Appeal Process

Members may appeal decisions to the BD:

1. Submit appeal with reasoning to @govbot
2. BD reviews appeal and context
3. BD may request more information or discussion
4. BD makes final decision on appeal
5. Decision is announced with explanation

Section 6.2: Constitutional Interpretation

The BD interprets this constitution:

• Bot may request clarification when uncertain
• BD provides authoritative interpretation
• Interpretations guide future similar cases

Section 6.3: Emergency Override

In case of bot malfunction:

• BD has ultimate technical and policy control
• Can immediately halt or reverse any bot action
• Can reconfigure or disable bot as needed

Article 7: Transparency and Records

Section 7.1: Decision Records

Bot maintains records of:

• All proposals and community input
• BD decisions and stated rationale
• Delegated authorities and their scope
• Appeals and their outcomes

Section 7.2: Access to Information

All members can access governance records to understand decision-making history and precedent.

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Implementation Notes

This constitution creates a benevolent dictatorship with transparency and community engagement:

1. Efficiency: Single decision-maker enables quick responses
2. Stability: Clear authority prevents governance paralysis
3. Growth Path: Structure supports evolution toward collaboration
4. Transparency: All decisions documented and explained
5. Community Voice: Input welcomed even if not binding

The bot should facilitate communication between the BD and community while respecting the BD's final authority.