C2 - Delegation
The Proposal may impact any or all of the following; Security and Functionality of Protocol/Ecosystem Contracts, Partnership and Service integrations to MahaDAO
What is Delegation?
In the context of governance, 'Delegation' simply refers to mutual consent of bestowing individual's voting power to another. This system can help counter the predominant voting power of whales, who may act in a biased position that is not aligned with the broader community. In addition, delegation introduces different elements of appeal, reputation, credibility, and expertise, which can help put voting support behind one another, irrespective of their personal wealth.
Theory
On the surface, it seems reasonable (if not ideal) to govern through the expertise, reputation, and credibility of individuals which is what delegation aims to leverage. However, unequal access to quality education, resources, and associate networks is a gross disadvantage that underpins a 'Meritocracy.' Primarily, these are socioeconomic factors that impact access and opportunity over accumulated generations. Still, this is more of an ethical matter that can still yield efficient and effective governance, albeit with room for improvement. In practical application, not always will the 'wisdom of the crowd' lead to the best outcome, regardless of popularity; this is especially true for proposals that are technical, complex, and highly sensitive. In this regard, nuance considerations are generally overlooked or incomprehensible to the layman. The ideal approach is to lean into delegates' relevant expertise, credibility, and reputation. In this way, consensus typically follows in hindsight, as any conceptual understanding will always be limited. The traditional beliefs held around plutocracies don't apply within the context of on-chain delegation. The reason being is unlike traditional election cycles and governments, a delegate's power may also be revoked at any time. This introduces additional and ongoing accountability on a proposal-by-proposal basis. In a way, an on-chain delegation is a form of representative democracy that has a much more responsive adjustment to individual preference. Even so, delegation still remains a more or less passive involvement for most, one where consensus is generally only evaluated in hindsight.
Proposal Applications
The Proposal may impact any or all of the following
Security and Functionality of Protocol/Ecosystem Contracts
Partnership and Service integrations to MahaDAO Ecosystem
C.2 Proposal types may utilize delegation, without requirement of a consensus pass as outlined in the follow chapter; "C.3 - Consensus Hybrid".
In this classification, we're primarily focused on the security of the protocol, and the protection of our community. This demands an emphasis on being able to identify not only malicious risks but also unintended consequences. Ideally, we encourage both technical and strategic specialists to consider delegate nomination.
Technical Proposals This refers to proposals that are attached with executable code or contract that will interact with the MahaDAO Protocol and/or ecosystem.
Partnership and Service integrations As we have witnessed many exploits and hacks around bridges and oracles, we have included this proposal type as high risk and of technical specialization.
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