agentic-govbot/templates/petition.md

Petition Constitution

This constitution establishes direct democracy through member petitions and community-wide voting.

Article 1: Governance Principle

Section 1.1: Direct Democracy

This community governs through direct participation:

• Any member can petition for changes
• All members vote on petitions
• Decisions made collectively by membership
• No intermediary representatives

Section 1.2: Petition Authority

Successful petitions have authority to:

• Create or change policies
• Authorize administrative actions
• Modify community rules
• Allocate resources
• Amend this constitution

Section 1.3: Participation

Governance is accessible to all:

• Low barriers to creating petitions
• Simple, transparent voting
• Clear outcomes and implementation
• Bot facilitates the entire process

Article 2: Membership

Section 2.1: Member Rights

All community members have equal rights to:

• Create petitions
• Vote on all petitions
• Discuss petitions publicly
• Access petition history and outcomes
• Challenge petition implementation

Section 2.2: Membership Requirements

To participate in governance:

• Be an active community member
• Agree to code of conduct
• Voting eligibility after 30 days
• Bot tracks membership status

Section 2.3: Member Responsibilities

Members should:

• Review petitions when feasible
• Vote on matters they care about
• Participate in good faith
• Respect petition outcomes
• Help implement approved changes

Article 3: Creating Petitions

Section 3.1: Petition Process

Any member can create a petition:

1. Draft clear proposal text
2. Submit to @govbot with "petition" tag
3. Include rationale and context
4. Specify implementation details
5. Bot validates and publishes petition

Section 3.2: Petition Requirements

Valid petitions must:

• State specific change or action
• Explain reasoning and impact
• Be clear and unambiguous
• Identify implementation approach
• Follow community values

Section 3.3: Petition Types

Petitions can address:

Policy Petitions - Changes to community rules and policies

• Voting period: 7 days
• Passage threshold: Simple majority (more Yes than No)

Administrative Petitions - Platform configuration and operations

• Voting period: 7 days
• Passage threshold: Simple majority

Resource Petitions - Budget allocation and spending

• Voting period: 7 days
• Passage threshold: Simple majority

Constitutional Petitions - Amendments to this constitution

• Voting period: 14 days
• Passage threshold: 2/3 supermajority

Urgent Petitions - Time-sensitive matters

• Must justify urgency
• Voting period: 3 days
• Passage threshold: Simple majority
• Can be challenged as non-urgent

Section 3.4: Petition Clarity

Bot reviews petitions for clarity:

• Must be understandable to members
• Question clearly stated
• Implementation feasible
• If unclear, bot requests revision
• Community can also request clarification

Article 4: Petition Discussion

Section 4.1: Discussion Period

Before voting opens:

• Minimum 2-day discussion period
• Petitioner explains and answers questions
• Members discuss pros and cons
• Bot facilitates discussion thread
• Petitioner can revise based on feedback

Section 4.2: Discussion Guidelines

During discussion:

• Focus on substance, not personalities
• Ask clarifying questions
• Suggest improvements
• Identify concerns
• Assume good faith

Section 4.3: Petition Amendments

Petitioner can amend during discussion:

• Clarify language
• Address concerns
• Refine implementation
• Major changes restart discussion period
• Bot tracks amendment history

Article 5: Voting

Section 5.1: Voting Period

After discussion period:

• Bot opens voting
• Voting period based on petition type
• All eligible members can vote
• Votes can be changed before deadline
• Bot sends reminders

Section 5.2: Vote Options

Members can vote:

• Yes - Support the petition
• No - Oppose the petition
• Abstain - Counted for participation tracking but not in passage threshold

Section 5.3: Passage Thresholds

Petitions pass when:

• Simple majority: More Yes than No votes
• Supermajority: At least 2/3 of votes are Yes (constitutional petitions)
• Abstentions don't affect threshold calculation
• Bot calculates and announces results

Section 5.4: No Quorum Requirement

No minimum participation required:

• Petitions can pass with any level of turnout
• Assumes members vote on matters important to them
• High stakes issues naturally draw more voters

Article 6: Petition Results

Section 6.1: Announcing Results

When voting closes:

• Bot tallies votes
• Announces outcome (passed/failed)
• Shows vote breakdown
• Explains next steps
• Archives petition and result

Section 6.2: Implementation Timeline

Approved petitions:

• Implementation begins within 7 days
• Urgent petitions: within 24 hours
• Bot executes authorized actions
• Implementation progress reported
• Completion confirmed

Section 6.3: Failed Petitions

If petition fails:

• Outcome recorded
• Can be resubmitted after 30 days
• Resubmission should address concerns raised
• Or wait for changed circumstances

Article 7: Concurrent Petitions

Section 7.1: Multiple Petitions

Multiple petitions can run simultaneously:

• No limit on active petitions
• Bot tracks each independently
• Members vote on each separately
• Clear labeling prevents confusion

Section 7.2: Conflicting Petitions

If petitions conflict:

• Both can be voted on
• If both pass, later one takes precedence
• Or petition can explicitly supersede earlier one
• Bot identifies potential conflicts

Section 7.3: Related Petitions

For related issues:

• Consider combining into single petition
• Or vote sequentially
• Note relationships in petition text
• Bot helps coordinate related petitions

Article 8: Administrative Actions

Section 8.1: Authorized Actions

Bot implements approved petitions:

• Policy changes
• Moderation actions
• Platform configuration
• User role changes
• Content management

Section 8.2: Action Logging

All actions logged with:

• Petition that authorized action
• Timestamp
• Implementation details
• Who executed (bot or member)
• Reversibility information

Section 8.3: Action Review

Members can review actions:

• Check audit log anytime
• Verify correct implementation
• Report discrepancies
• Petition for correction if needed

Article 9: Emergency Procedures

Section 9.1: Emergency Petitions

For urgent safety/security matters:

• Accelerated process (24-hour total)
• Must clearly justify emergency
• Higher passage threshold (60% Yes)
• Can be challenged as non-emergency

Section 9.2: Emergency Actions Without Petition

For immediate threats:

• Any moderator can act immediately
• Must report action within 6 hours
• Emergency petition created retroactively
• Community votes to ratify or reverse

Section 9.3: Bot Malfunction

If bot acts contrary to petitions:

• Any member can call emergency halt
• Manual override by admin
• Emergency petition to address issue
• Fix implemented before resuming

Article 10: Challenging and Reversing

Section 10.1: Implementation Challenges

To challenge implementation:

• Member submits challenge to @govbot
• Explains discrepancy from petition
• Community reviews implementation
• Correction made if challenge valid

Section 10.2: Reversing Decisions

To reverse approved petition:

• Create new petition to reverse
• Requires same threshold as original
• Constitutional reversals need supermajority
• Bot implements reversal if approved

Section 10.3: Constitutional Violations

If petition violates constitution:

• Any member can raise challenge
• Special constitutional review petition
• Requires 2/3 vote to overturn
• Bot halts implementation pending review

Article 11: Petition History and Precedent

Section 11.1: Petition Archive

Bot maintains complete archive:

• All petitions (passed and failed)
• Discussion threads
• Vote tallies
• Implementation records
• Amendments and reversals

Section 11.2: Precedent Value

Past petitions inform future ones:

• Show community values and priorities
• Guide petition drafting
• Inform discussion
• Establish norms
• Not binding but instructive

Section 11.3: Periodic Review

Community can review past petitions:

• Identify policies needing update
• Consider consolidation
• Remove obsolete policies
• Via normal petition process

Article 12: Constitutional Amendments

Section 12.1: Amendment Process

To amend this constitution:

1. Create constitutional petition
2. Extended discussion period (7 days)
3. Extended voting period (14 days)
4. Requires 2/3 supermajority
5. Bot updates constitution if approved

Section 12.2: Constitutional Interpretation

For interpretation questions:

• Member requests interpretation via petition
• Community discusses interpretation
• Vote on correct interpretation
• Guides future similar cases
• Bot applies interpretation

Section 12.3: Core Principles

Amendments should preserve:

• Direct democracy
• Member petition rights
• Transparent voting
• Equal participation
• Bot facilitation

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Implementation Notes

This constitution creates direct participatory democracy:

1. Accessibility: Any member can petition
2. Transparency: All votes and outcomes public
3. Simplicity: Straightforward petition and voting
4. Flexibility: Multiple concurrent petitions
5. Member Power: Direct decision-making authority

The bot should make petitioning easy, facilitate clear voting, implement decisions accurately, maintain complete records, and help members track governance activity.