The hottest Governance Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Let the Government Buy Your Vote

Ethics Under Construction • 0 implied HN points • 11 Sep 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Voting Rights Democracy Governance Political participation
  1. The concept of 'vote compensation' suggests receiving financial compensation in exchange for abstaining from voting.
  2. Voting comes with costs including information, administration, and error costs that need to be considered to make informed decisions.
  3. The market system can serve as a guide to understand rights, like how corporations use voting and economic rights as options for shareholders.

Unlocking the Future of AI: Active Inference vs. LLMs

Spatial Web AI by Denise Holt • 0 implied HN points • 16 Nov 23
🕹 Technology AI Future Innovation Applications Governance
  1. Active Inference AI, based on the Free Energy Principle, represents a shift in AI, mimicking human brain function and continuous evolution, differing from static AI models.
  2. Large Language Models (LLMs) may excel in content creation but fall short in real-world applications due to lacking contextual awareness, explainability, and action-taking ability.
  3. Integration of Active Inference with HSML and HSTP in the Spatial Web forms a dynamic, self-evolving global network of intelligent agents, enabling governance frameworks and applications across various industries.
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Improving valuations through better governance

Klement on Investing • 0 implied HN points • 19 Feb 24
💼 Business Governance Valuation Liquidity Corporate Governance
  1. Improving share liquidity may not be the best way to increase company valuations. Focus on improving corporate governance instead.
  2. Increasing share liquidity by reducing the bid-ask spread can lead to a significant increase in company valuation, compared to measures like larger boards or institutional ownership.
  3. Improving corporate governance, measured by indices like ISS Board Quality scores, can have a more significant impact on increasing company valuations than just focusing on liquidity.

[P] Oppenh(AI)mer (Part 1)

Nongaap Investing • 0 implied HN points • 19 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Governance
  1. The post is part of a series called Oppenh(AI)mer, focusing on calculating real-world fallout of theoretical governance chain-reactions.
  2. The post is dated March 19, 2024, and is for paid subscribers only.
  3. To access the full content or read more in the series, one can subscribe or sign in as a paid subscriber on the nongaap website.

Chào Thủ tướng!

Thái | Hacker | Kỹ sư tin tặc • 0 implied HN points • 19 Jan 19
🌍 World Politics Policy Governance International relations
  1. Questioning the necessity of laws mandating companies to open offices in Vietnam, citing examples of countries where companies voluntarily establish headquarters without legal requirements.
  2. The importance of Vietnam's policies and laws in attracting investment from leading global technology corporations for the country's aspiration to become a tech hub like Silicon Valley.
  3. Highlighting the concern that Vietnamese startups feel the need to establish businesses in Singapore due to perceived challenges in Vietnam's legal and policy environment for entrepreneurship.

Put Generative A.I. In A Daycare

The Digital Anthropologist • 0 implied HN points • 02 Dec 23
🕹 Technology AI Ethics Governance Innovation Social Impact
  1. Consider putting Generative A.I. in a digital daycare setting with adult supervision to manage potential risks and foster responsible development.
  2. Recognize the importance of adult stewardship in the advancement of AI to ensure ethical and beneficial outcomes for society.
  3. Emphasize the need for accountability and governance in the AI industry to prevent harmful consequences and promote positive progress.

Governing Society and Artificial Intelligence

The Digital Anthropologist • 0 implied HN points • 29 Nov 23
🕹 Technology AI Ethics Governance Innovation Regulation
  1. AI can be a helpful tool for governing societies, but it needs careful consideration beyond just technical aspects.
  2. Human societies have evolved various governance systems over thousands of years, including bureaucracies.
  3. To effectively use AI in governing societies, it's crucial to involve a diverse range of professionals like philosophers, artists, and psychologists, alongside tech experts.

How A.I. Could Hurt Humanity Soon

The Digital Anthropologist • 0 implied HN points • 03 Apr 23
🕹 Technology AI Ethics Risk Assessment Consciousness Governance
  1. AI could potentially cause significant harm to humanity, driven by humans in unexpected ways.
  2. Current limitations include the need for significant processing power, data, and energy for AI to pose serious risks.
  3. The lack of guardrails in place for AI development raises concerns about ethics, governance, and the potential for malicious use by rogue actors.

Criteria for developing principles of ethics governing AI research

The Future of Life • 0 implied HN points • 29 Mar 23
🕹 Technology AI Ethics Research Innovation Governance Sentience
  1. We need ethical rules for AI research to ensure safety and responsibility as AI develops.
  2. These rules should work with market forces and avoid pushing AI development to unsafe or rogue areas.
  3. The principles must respect the rights of all sentient beings and be flexible enough to adapt to future AI technologies.

Can Natural Language Instructions Work for AGI Control?

The Future of Life • 0 implied HN points • 29 Mar 23
🕹 Technology AI Ethics Governance Language Models Robotics
  1. As AGI gets closer to reality, we need strong rules to manage it to keep humanity safe. It's really important to set these guidelines before AGI becomes widely used.
  2. ChatGPT and similar models can understand natural language better than old robots. This means they can follow our instructions by understanding the context of what we say.
  3. There’s a risk that AI might not always follow our instructions correctly. However, using natural language can help in getting AIs to behave the way we want them to, showing a promising direction for controlling AI.

FIVE POINTS: The Worst Job in Washington

Matt’s Five Points • 0 implied HN points • 02 Feb 18
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress Legislation Political Process Campaigns Governance
  1. Being a Congressman is getting less enjoyable. Many members are spending more time on boring tasks and fundraising rather than making laws and engaging in policy discussions.
  2. The budget process is messy and needs reform, but figuring out how to change it is complicated. Many agree it's broken, but the details of how to fix it are hard to sort out.
  3. There's a lot of talk about an infrastructure plan, but it seems to keep getting delayed. With so many other issues on the table, it's unclear when or if it will actually happen.

FIVE POINTS: Those Midwinter Divided-Caucus Blues

Matt’s Five Points • 0 implied HN points • 26 Jan 18
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress Legislation Political parties Governance Political Process
  1. Party caucus rules are crucial but not well understood. These rules help shape how decisions are made in Congress without input from the opposing party.
  2. Control over the agenda can prevent a bill that has majority support from being passed. This means that even if most members want something, they might not get to vote on it if the majority party decides against it.
  3. Many people are actively thinking about Congress and its function today. There are lots of good discussions and articles that you can read to learn more about how it all works.

The debacle of the old congressional calendar or: how you know the Constitution wasn't divinely inspired

Matt’s Five Points • 0 implied HN points • 03 Jan 18
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Constitution Legislation Political History Congress Governance
  1. The old congressional calendar was poorly designed, causing long gaps between elections and when Congress actually met. This led to issues like the 'lame duck' sessions where outgoing officials had to make big decisions without a fresh mandate.
  2. The Framers of the Constitution made mistakes in setting the calendar dates due to not knowing how long ratification would take. This resulted in the first Congress meeting much later than expected, leading to political instability.
  3. The 20th amendment fixed these problems by aligning the start of congressional terms with the beginning of sessions. This helped ensure smoother transitions in government and avoid delays in handling national issues.

FIVE POINTS: Popular does not equal good

Matt’s Five Points • 0 implied HN points • 20 Oct 17
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress Policy Elections Legislation Governance
  1. Just because something is popular doesn't mean it's actually good. Many people like things for different reasons that don't reflect their quality.
  2. When Congress gets less input from members, it can lead to poor laws and less effective work. It's important for everyone to have a say in making rules.
  3. With a closely divided House, leaders might struggle to maintain control and this could cause problems for passing laws. Smaller groups can create a lot of challenges.

Resigned but Not Forgotten

Matt’s Five Points • 0 implied HN points • 25 Jan 12
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Congress Legislation Elections Governance Political Process
  1. Resigning from the House of Representatives involves writing a formal letter to both the state governor and the House, notifying them of the decision. This ensures that the resignation is official and follows proper procedures.
  2. When a Representative resigns, it creates a vacancy that allows the state to hold special elections to fill the position. This process is important to keep the House fully represented.
  3. The resignation also affects the total number of members in the House. When someone resigns, the official count of the House changes, which can impact voting and quorum requirements.

North vs. South (side of the Capitol, that is)

Matt’s Five Points • 0 implied HN points • 21 Dec 11
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Legislation Partisanship Elections Governance Political culture
  1. Representatives serve shorter terms and pay closer attention to the immediate needs of their constituents. Senators have longer terms, so they can focus on long-term issues without the pressure of frequent elections.
  2. The rules and structures of the House and Senate are different, leading to different power dynamics. The House allows majority rule, while the Senate requires more consensus for decisions, creating potential conflicts.
  3. Voters may have different expectations for their Representatives and Senators. This can affect how each chamber approaches policy decisions and negotiations with each other.

In this world but not of this world

Matt’s Five Points • 0 implied HN points • 12 Dec 11
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Political theory Presidency Congress Political Dynamics Governance
  1. The President has a different job than Congress members, needing to achieve goals quickly because they serve a maximum of eight years. This often leads to frustration with the slower pace of Congress.
  2. Unlike Congress members, the President must focus on winning important votes and achieving results to justify their role. This creates a pressure that can lead to risky decisions for quick victories.
  3. The unique position of the President can make them feel isolated in Washington, as their goals and strategies often clash with the longer-term approaches of other political actors.

Thanksgiving Briefing Book, Part III: Strategies

Matt’s Five Points • 0 implied HN points • 23 Nov 11
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Elections Governance Policy Strategy Political Analysis
  1. Have a plan for Thanksgiving to make the day go smoothly. Being organized helps everyone enjoy the time together.
  2. Communicate with family and friends about what they can bring or contribute. This makes everyone feel involved and happy.
  3. Be flexible and ready to adapt if things don't go as planned. Sometimes, unexpected moments can make the day more special.

On institutional mirages

Matt’s Five Points • 0 implied HN points • 05 Oct 11
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Legislation Budgeting Congress Governance Political Process
  1. The current budgeting issues in Congress are more about politics than the process itself. Changing the timeline may not solve the underlying disagreements about money and priorities.
  2. Switching to a two-year budgeting system could lead to more intense political battles. The pressure might shift from an annual basis to a crisis point every two years.
  3. Moving to biennial budgeting might create complications, like more supplemental funding needs. It could end up being less efficient rather than streamlining the process.

In (partial) defense of less democracy

Matt’s Five Points • 0 implied HN points • 28 Sep 11
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Democracy Legislation Governance Political theory
  1. Democracy is generally the best form of government we have, but it's not perfect. While it's better than other systems, it often has flaws and can be complicated.
  2. There are situations where democracy might not be the best choice, like long-term planning or during wars. In some cases, more centralized decision-making could be more effective.
  3. Democracy and majoritarianism are not the same. You can have a system that is democratic but still requires a lot of agreement among people, which can slow down decision-making.

Hollow Victory

Matt’s Five Points • 0 implied HN points • 25 Jun 11
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Legislation Civil Rights Social Issues Governance Equality
  1. Legalizing gay marriage may not fully solve the problem of marriage inequality. It still leaves out unmarried couples and those who prefer different relationship structures.
  2. The author believes that marriage and government should be separate. Ending state involvement in marriage would treat all relationships equally, without special benefits.
  3. It's unfair that married couples receive government benefits while others in similar lifestyles do not. True equality means everyone should have the same rights, regardless of marital status.

On watching battles unfold

Matt’s Five Points • 0 implied HN points • 03 May 11
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Elections Governance Public Policy Political Events Media Coverage
  1. Media coverage of important events can often feel dull and uninteresting. It's important to look for captivating images that give a new perspective.
  2. Photos taken in key moments can be strategically released. This raises questions about what the official narrative wants us to see.
  3. The setting of important meetings, like the Situation Room, can be surprising. It's easy to imagine it looking high-tech, but reality might be much simpler.

On The Idea of Repealing the 17th Amendment

Matt’s Five Points • 0 implied HN points • 08 Sep 10
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Constitution Federalism Elections Legislation Governance
  1. Repealing the 17th Amendment would mean that state legislatures, not the people, would choose Senators again. Some people think this could make Senators focus more on state interests.
  2. Many argue that direct election of Senators helps reduce corruption and ensures that states are represented fairly. They worry about empty seats and political manipulation when legislators choose Senators.
  3. Changing how Senators are elected might change who can become a Senator. Elections could favor more seasoned politicians, rather than regular people, which could affect the diversity of the Senate.

In Europe, Chaos Is the New Normal

Yascha Mounk • 0 implied HN points • 10 Jun 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Elections Populism Political parties Governance Voter Behavior
  1. Populism is becoming a strong force in European politics. New far-right parties are gaining significant support and may soon dominate over traditional parties.
  2. The divide in politics is shifting from just left vs. right to also include outsiders versus the establishment. This makes it harder for clear majority governments to form.
  3. Emmanuel Macron's presidency is facing major challenges, with recent elections showing a decline in support. The political landscape in France may change dramatically in the coming years.

January 2017 Data Update 7: Profitability, Excess Returns and Governance

Musings on Markets • 0 implied HN points • 30 Jan 17
💼 Business Corporate Finance Investment Analysis Company performance Financial Metrics Governance
  1. Companies need to earn more than their cost of capital to be successful. Just making money isn't enough; they must create value for their investors.
  2. Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) is a common way to measure how well a company is doing, but it has its flaws. Investors should be careful when interpreting this metric for young or troubled companies.
  3. There are many companies that are not creating value for their shareholders, with a large number classified as 'value destroyers.' This can limit resources for better investment opportunities in the economy.

A Risk Argument: Democracies versus Dictatorships

Musings on Markets • 0 implied HN points • 19 Sep 09
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Democracy Dictatorship Risk management Globalization Economic Policies Democracy Dictatorship Governance International relations
  1. Democracies have more day-to-day uncertainty because policies can change frequently, making it hard for businesses to predict outcomes. In contrast, dictatorships can promise stability but may change radically without warning later on.
  2. Continuous risks in democracies can be managed with tools like options and futures, while the sudden changes in dictatorships can be harder to protect against. This is why managing constant risks can be easier for businesses.
  3. Experience in uncertain democratic environments can help businesses adapt better to changes, giving them an edge in the unpredictable global economy compared to those in more stable, but risky, dictatorship settings.

Trump Vs Mill

Theory Matters • 0 implied HN points • 15 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Elections Democracy Political theory Voter Behavior Governance
  1. Many people are questioning the value of democracy after Trump was re-elected, especially since he has a history of undermining it. It's making voters rethink what their choices mean.
  2. There's a concern about whether voters really understand the issues they are choosing between. If they lack knowledge, it affects how good their decisions can be.
  3. The current political system is criticized for not giving voters good options. Instead of a variety of meaningful choices, it feels like people are just picking the least harmful option.

From Paris to Washington DC

Theory Matters • 0 implied HN points • 10 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Elections Political parties Democracy Governance Public Opinion
  1. Engagement and love can change how we feel about our surroundings. A visit to Paris became magical because of the joy in personal connection and letting go of distractions.
  2. Being disconnected from the internet can actually be a good thing. It allowed a moment to enjoy life and surroundings without the usual digital noise.
  3. The political situation can deeply affect our emotions. Observing the election outcome from afar highlighted dissatisfaction with political choices and the need for change within party leadership.

Opus 26: Can You Have Growth and Order?

The Opus Letter • 0 implied HN points • 26 Nov 24
🌐 International Geopolitics Economics Culture Society Governance
  1. Switzerland is known for its orderliness and efficient systems, which contribute to a high quality of life for its residents. People there generally trust each other and public services work well.
  2. While many orderly countries experience slow economic growth, Switzerland manages to maintain growth despite its high level of order. This is unusual and raises questions about the relationship between order and economic expansion.
  3. There are cultural differences in work habits and priorities across countries. In some places, people focus more on enjoying life, while in others, like the U.S., there’s a strong emphasis on work, which can lead to growth.

Prophecies for 2025

Numb at the Lodge • 0 implied HN points • 05 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Elections Political theory Governance Social movements Political Commentary
  1. Politics is expected to be mostly irrelevant in 2025. There won't be significant events or changes; everything will appear to be the same.
  2. The focus will shift from political ideologies to personal optimization and self-improvement. People will look inward rather than outward for solutions.
  3. Expect a blend of personal interests, conspiracy theories, and cultural discussions that avoid traditional politics, leading to apolitical conversations instead.

Two authoritarian cults

Wyclif's Dust • 0 implied HN points • 12 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Political theory Political parties Leadership Governance
  1. People in a group need to work together by choosing the same actions to achieve better outcomes. They can follow a leader's decision or stick to set rules that everyone knows.
  2. Choosing a leader can be flexible because they can respond to situations. However, leaders might make choices that don’t benefit everyone, and that’s risky.
  3. Rules can be fair and apply to everyone equally, creating a balance. But laws can be inflexible and complicated, needing experts to interpret them.

Build Robust Enterprise AI Vaults

OSS.fund Newsletter • 0 implied HN points • 05 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Data Management Enterprise Solutions Governance Analytics
  1. Having clean and well-organized data is really important for making AI systems work properly. If the data is messy, it can cause a lot of problems.
  2. Creating an AI-ready vault helps businesses manage their data better. It can reduce costs, improve efficiency, and keep sensitive information private.
  3. The process of building this vault should be well-managed like a product, with a dedicated owner to keep track of progress and improvements.