Abstract It Doesnt Matter Whether We Recognize It Or Not

Abstract: The Internet is full of new and original institutional forms that transform social organization offline and online, regardless of whether we are aware of it. Minecraft servers Issues of governance in these Internet platforms and other digital institutions have created a challenge for software engineers, a majority of whom have no exposure to the theories or history of design for institutions. This paper provides a useful framework that aims to promote dialog between computer scientists and political scientists. The behavioral engineering paradigm that is based on incentives and a range of atheoretical techniques such as A/B testing or incremental issue-driven programming have been the predominant methods of design of digital institutions. One framework for institutional analysis that has proven useful in the design of traditional institutions is the body of resource governance literature , also known as the "Ostrom Workshop". One of the most important conclusions of this literature which is yet to be fully integrated into the design of numerous new institutions, is the importance of including participatory process processes in what is referred to as an "constitutional" layer of institutional design. This is basically defining rules that allow and enable different stakeholder participation in institution design changes. We examine whether this principle is being and/or could be satisfied in three distinct instances of digital institutions: cryptocurrency, cannabis informatics, and amateur Minecraft server governance. We can illustrate the significance of constitutional layers in many types of digital institutions by looking at such diverse cases.