Levels Decision Tool

Decide how much decision-making power to share with a democratic system

The Levels Decision Tool helps decision-makers and advocates think through what level of democratic governance is appropriate in a given context. Rather than prescribing answers, it surfaces key questions to consider when making these choices.

What is the Levels Decision Tool?

The Levels Decision Tool is a structured set of questions organized by key considerations:

Trust & Legitimacy - How important is public trust? Are there legitimacy challenges?
Stakeholder Dynamics - What are the internal and external pressures?
Regulatory Environment - What are the government and compliance considerations?
Decision Characteristics - What type of decision are you making?
Practical Constraints - What are your resources, speed, and adaptability needs?

Each question includes indicators (↑ or ↓) showing whether affirmative answers generally point toward higher or lower democracy levels, though the ultimate decision depends on your specific context.

Editable Decision Tool template → Decision Tool PDF →

Who Should Use This Tool?

Current Decision-makers

Leaders at AI organizations and government agencies who are considering whether and how to involve democratic processes in their decision-making.

Internal Champions

Teams and individuals advocating for democratic governance within their organizations, who need to build a case for specific approaches.

External Advocates

Civil society groups, researchers, and stakeholders pushing for democratic governance, who need to understand and address organizational concerns.

Advisors & Consultants

Those helping organizations design governance systems, who need a structured way to explore options.

How to Use the Tool

1. Define your context

Before using the tool, clearly identify:

The scope of the decision domain (e.g., AI safety policies, content moderation rules)
Who currently has decision-making power
The constraints decision-making needs to operate under

2. Work Through the Questions

For each category:

Consider how each question applies to your situation
Note which factors point toward higher vs. lower democracy levels
Identify which considerations are most critical for your context (e.g., costs, speed, addressing external pressure)

3. Balance Competing Factors

The tool will likely surface tensions:

Some factors may point toward higher levels (e.g., legitimacy needs)
Others may point toward lower levels (e.g., speed requirements)
Your job is to weigh these based on your priorities, capabilities and desired outcomes

4. Use Insights to Plan

The tool helps you:

Make an informed choice about what level to target
Anticipate challenges and objections
Build stronger arguments for your chosen approach
Identify what needs to change to enable higher levels
Use the Democratic System Card to match your systems to your desired level

Key Considerations

No Single Right Answer

Different organizations in different contexts will reasonably come to different conclusions using the same tool. That's intentional—the tool helps you think through your context.

Starting Points Matter

Organizations new to democratic governance might start with lower levels and build capacity over time. Those with more experience might target higher levels from the start.

Context Can Change

Revisit the tool periodically. Factors like regulatory pressure, public trust, or internal culture can shift over time, changing what level makes sense.

Use with System Cards

Once you've identified a target level, use the Democratic System Card to evaluate whether specific democratic processes or systems are ready for that level of responsibility.