Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: reversion to or change to traditional consensus model for governance?

[Fred-List manager (fholson]

Chris Roth - Communities Editor <editor [at] gen-us.net>
is the author of the message below.  It was posted by Fred of
the Cohousing-L management team <cohousing-l-owner [at] cohousing.org>
due to a posting problem. It was originally sent Feb 12.

It is a reply to a post that can be read in the acrhives:
Subj:reversion to or change to traditional consensus model for governance?
https://lists.cohousing.org/pipermail/cohousing-l/msg51970.html

--------------------  FORWARDED MESSAGE FOLLOWS --------------------

Hi Sophie and all,

This seems as good a time as any to mention the new issue of
Communities, "Leadership, Democracy, and Autocracy." A number of its
stories involve groups using consensus of various stripes, including one
whose path somewhat fits the general pattern you describe (abandoning
then returning to consensus-based decision-making). More info is at
https://www.gen-us.net/210 and the issue is available at
https://www.gen-us.net/210order .

Here's a description:

Communities#210, Spring 2026, "Leadership, Democracy, and Autocracy,"
explores how communities address questions of authority, influence,
governance, and power. Stories trace the heydays and falls of three
different charismatic leaders whose groups’ identities were deeply
intertwined with their own. On the other end of the spectrum, authors
describe cooperative projects where no one was “in charge” and in fact
nothing was compulsory, but everything got done. Articles depict
decision-making systems spanning the spectrum from committed
egalitarianism with no hierarchy, to merit- and seniority-weighted
influence, to power concentrated in a small group. We discuss different
versions and adaptations of consensus, the impacts of landlord-tenant
dynamics, and what a community’s attitude toward disagreement and
conflict says about its social health and long-term viability. We also
hear about one group which slid from democracy toward autocracy, melted
down, then ultimately recovered its democracy—both a cautionary tale and
inspiring proof that the road to oligarchy and kakistocracy does not
need to be one-way or forever.

--
Chris Roth
Editor, Communities
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Dexter, OR 97431
editor [at] gen-us.net
541-937-5221
gen-us.net/communities

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