Reference
The reference shelf
The essay makes the argument. This shelf holds what the argument rests on.
Looking for things to read by other people? That is the library.
You do not need to read it in order. Come here when a question comes up while reading. Each shelf below says when to reach for it.
Start from your question
Every shelf
- ReferenceThe framework at a glanceReach for it when you want every part of the framework on one page. The definition, four objects, the objective, the temporal principle, four tests, lifecycle, levels and eleven questions.
- 40 recordsField modelReach for it when you meet a term and want to know where it sits. Actors, incentives, institutions, infrastructures, safeguards and patterns, each with its claims, relationships and sources.
- 10 instrumentsInstrumentsReach for it when someone cites a law, standard or treaty. What each instrument is, how binding it is, and which of the four objects it acts on.
- 6 levelsLevelsReach for it when you need to know who has authority. From a school choosing a tool to an international treaty: where each level’s authority begins and ends.
- 91 sourcesSourcesReach for it when you want to check a claim yourself. Every source the site relies on, with the passages we checked and when.
- 6 lessonsLessonsReach for it when you are learning, or teaching. Short field guides that follow one principle until it becomes an institution, a safeguard and an incentive.
Four objects · where governance acts
Where governance acts. Each page explains one, with examples and the records behind it.
Four tests · questions to ask of any of them
Questions to ask of any of the four. Each page shows the test in use.
- PowerWho has the ability to shape the system, set terms, control infrastructure, or define the problem?
- LegitimacyBy what authority are decisions made, who is represented, and who can contest them?
- DistributionWho captures the benefits, who bears the costs and risks, and who is excluded?
- AdaptabilityCan the governance mechanism learn, revise itself, and recover when its assumptions prove wrong?
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- The essayFootnoted, set for reading and printingPDF ↓
- The slidesFifteen slides, one per landscape pagePDF ↓
Dataset 0.7.0, dated 2026-10-27. Licensed CC BY 4.0: share and adapt them with credit.