Jim Rutt, seasoned thinker on decentralized systems and complexity science, defines 'liquid democracy' as a flexible, dynamic form of democratic governance that allows individuals to participate in decision-making either directly or through delegation. In this system, each person holds a vote which they can cast themselves on various issues or delegate to a chosen representative who can vote on their behalf. Importantly, this delegation is not static; votes can be retracted and reassigned at any time, allowing for a fluid, responsive form of governance that can adapt to varying levels of interest and expertise among the populace. Rutt appreciates liquid democracy for its potential to combine direct and representative democracy’s virtues, potentially making collective decision-making more inclusive, efficient, and responsive.

See also: crypto, emergence, evolutionary computing, collective intelligence