Local Democracy

A principle advocating for the devolution of political and fiscal power to the most local level of government possible (cities, towns, counties). The argument, known as subsidiarity, is that decisions are more accountable, responsive, and innovative when made close to those affected. It can exist within both capitalist and socialist frameworks and is often a rallying cry against centralized state or corporate control.

Example: The Participatory Budgeting process in Porto Alegre, Brazil, where city residents directly decide how to allocate a portion of the municipal budget, is a celebrated innovation in Local Democracy. It shifts power from city hall technocrats to community assemblies in neighborhoods.

by Dumu The Void February 5, 2026

Communal Democracy

A system where the central political and economic unit is the commune—a self-governing community that collectively manages its resources and social life. Communes federate with each other for larger projects. This model is deeply associated with anarchist and utopian socialist thought, envisioning a confederation of autonomous, directly democratic communities replacing the nation-state.

Example: The Paris Commune of 1871, though brief, was the iconic attempt at Communal Democracy. Paris was reorganized into a federation of wards, each with its own assembly, recallable delegates, and integrated military and administrative functions, aiming to create a decentralized republic of communes across France.

by Dumu The Void February 5, 2026

Assembly Democracy

A model of direct democracy where the sovereign body is the popular assembly—a mass meeting of all citizens in a polity. It’s only feasible for small populations (like a town or a large organization). Decisions are made by majority vote after open debate. It is the purest, most ancient form of democracy, but scales poorly, leading to the use of elected representatives in larger societies.

Example: The New England Town Meeting, where all eligible voters in a town gather annually to debate and vote directly on the budget, laws, and local officials, is a living (though often declining) example of Assembly Democracy in a modern, albeit limited, context.

by Dumu The Void February 5, 2026

Community-Based Democracy

An umbrella term for democratic models that root political legitimacy and decision-making processes in pre-existing or intentionally formed communities, defined by geography, ethnicity, workplace, or shared interest. The community, not the abstract individual citizen, is the primary political actor. This approach often emphasizes consensus-building and cultural traditions over majoritarian voting.

Example: Many Indigenous governance systems, such as the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy’s Grand Council, operate on principles of Community-Based Democracy. Representatives (sachems) from each clan and nation deliberate with a mandate from their community, aiming for consensus in a system deeply tied to cultural and spiritual practices.

by Dumu The Void February 5, 2026

Commune-Based Democracy

Essentially synonymous with Communal Democracy, emphasizing the commune as the foundational cell. The term often carries a stronger connotation of the commune being an integrated social and economic unit, not just a political one, practicing collective ownership and mutual aid internally.

Example: The theoretical vision of Murray Bookchin’s Communalism or Libertarian Municipalism advocates for a Commune-Based Democracy. Neighborhood assemblies would form the base, federating into confederations to manage regional affairs, replacing the state with a networked system of directly democratic, ecological communes.

by Dumu The Void February 5, 2026

Assembly-Based Democracy

A synonym for Assembly Democracy, stressing that the assembly is the basis of the entire political system. All other institutions (councils, magistrates, courts) are subordinate to and recallable by the sovereign assembly of the people.

Example: Ancient Athenian democracy was an Assembly-Based Democracy for its citizen body. The Ecclesia (assembly) of all male citizens met regularly to vote on laws, declare war, and elect officials. While not inclusive by modern standards, it placed the assembly at the absolute center of power.

by Dumu The Void February 5, 2026

Local-Based Democracy

A reiteration of the Local Democracy principle, reinforcing the idea that the local unit isn't just one level among many, but the primary source of democratic legitimacy and power. Higher levels of governance are seen as service providers or coordinators for the local units, not rulers over them.

Example: The Swiss canton system, particularly in small cantons like Glarus and Appenzell Innerrhoden that still hold annual Landsgemeinde (open-air assemblies), exemplifies Local-Based Democracy. Cantons retain immense sovereignty, and the federal government’s power is constitutionally limited, preserving local primacy.

by Dumu The Void February 5, 2026