Asymmetric institution
An asymmetric institution is an institution or mechanism which gives influence asymmetrically based on some property.
Contents
Examples of asymmetric institutions
- science
- betting
- debate (of the civil/rational kind, not a shouting match)
- charity evaluation based on some strict criteria
Examples of symmetric institutions
- violence
- shouting match
- spreading viral content
- persuasion tactics
- info warfare
Concerns
Even asymmetric institutions aren't that good. Some thoughts here:
- lots of low hanging fruit remain unpicked / inability to resolve coordination failures (e.g. look at all of the criticisms of science in recent years)
- even asymmetric institutions can be corrupted
- halo effect to areas where these institutions don't have expertise
External links
- Comment by Carl Shulman on "Improving the future by influencing actors' benevolence, intelligence, and power"
- https://slatestarcodex.com/2017/03/24/guided-by-the-beauty-of-our-weapons/