Economic systems

Economic systems refer to methods by which resource allocation occurs as a result of the ratings system. Using the system, people will rate each other's claims to economic goods based on multiple factors such as their productivity, needs, overall rating, etc. Since the ratings system has both a subjective and community version, we distinguish two types of economic system, the Subjective Ratings Based Economy (SRBE) and CRBE (Community Ratings Based Economy). The CRBE forms a large part of the discussion since the presence of a community is assumed, although a communal form of the SRBE is also considered. However, both systems lead to the egalitarian economic outcomes advocated here and the SRBE has the benefit of growing organically out of the completely decentralized subjective ratings system.

Another related and fundamental distinction is between a moneyed and a moneyless economic system. Given the problems money has caused in contemporary society, we tend to favor the moneyless approach. The SRBE, in particular, would probably work better in a moneyless system.

We begin by outlining some ideas by which economic predicates in a ratings system could work. These are the questions that people would be rated on which would influence their ability to fulfill economic claims. One of these, productivity is highly relevant to judging not only "deservingness" but also economic performance writ large. We might also, alongside these concepts, try to understand personal economic choices and sacrificial contributions, ones that are difficult to place in a traditional self-interested economic context.

Since we openly advocate an egalitarian economic system, we might take a look at the history of such systems in contemporary society. Of particular interest is their ability to incentivize productive work. Speaking of productivity, we note that participation in the ratings system will be part of everyone's "job", at least in the community based system (as opposed to the subjective system). As such members may be compensated depending on the distribution of income rules, their rating, productivity, and so on.

The backdrop for all these ideas is the influence of wealth in contemporary society, particularly on how it erodes democratic principles. We envision communities based on the ratings system to have transparent economic systems with democratically defined rules and a built-in enforcement mechanism.