Architecture Principles

General rules and guidelines that inform and constrain architecture decisions. All initiatives must align with these principles or obtain an approved exception.

12
Ratified
3
Proposed
89%
Compliance
2
Exceptions
PRIN-001 Governance Ratified

Open by Default

All architecture artifacts, decisions, and discussions are open and accessible to the community unless there's a compelling reason for restriction.

Rationale
The Post-Labor Economics movement is built on collective action and shared understanding. Transparency builds trust, enables participation, and ensures that architectural decisions can be scrutinized and improved by the community. Closed decision-making contradicts our core values of democratized governance and collective ownership.
Implications
Benefits
  • Increased community trust and engagement
  • Better decision quality through diverse input
  • Easier onboarding for new contributors
Costs & Constraints
  • Additional effort to document decisions
  • Need for clear communication guidelines
  • Must manage sensitive information carefully
Related Elements
GOAL-001: Community Trust ABB-003: Knowledge Base STD-007: Documentation Standard PRIN-008: Audit Trail
Ratified: Jan 15, 2026 • Last reviewed: Jan 28, 2026
PRIN-002 Data Ratified

Data Sovereignty

Individuals maintain ownership and control over their personal data. Systems must enable data portability and explicit consent for any data use.

Rationale
As advocates for data dividends and collective data ownership, we must model these values in our own systems. This principle ensures our architecture embodies the data rights we advocate for society.
Related Elements
GOAL-002: Data Ownership CAP-015: Privacy Management
PRIN-003 Business Ratified

Decentralized Decision Making

Decision authority is distributed to the lowest appropriate level. Working groups have autonomy within their domains while aligning with shared principles.

Rationale
Centralized control contradicts post-labor values. By enabling distributed decision-making, we model the democratic governance structures we advocate and increase community engagement and ownership.
PRIN-004 Application Ratified

Interoperability First

Systems must use open standards and APIs. Avoid vendor lock-in and ensure data and services can integrate with the broader ecosystem.

Rationale
The movement must be able to grow and adapt. Interoperable systems enable coalition-building with other organizations, reduce switching costs, and prevent dependency on any single vendor or platform.
PRIN-005 Technology Ratified

Prefer Open Source

When evaluating technology options, open-source solutions are preferred unless proprietary alternatives provide significant and justified advantages.

Rationale
Open source aligns with our values of transparency and collective ownership. It reduces costs, enables customization, and supports the broader open-source ecosystem that benefits society.
PRIN-006 Business Ratified

Stakeholder Inclusivity

Architecture decisions must consider impacts on all stakeholder groups, especially those traditionally marginalized in economic systems.

Rationale
Post-labor economics aims to benefit everyone, not just those with current economic power. Our architecture must enable broad participation and avoid creating new barriers or inequities.
PRIN-007 Data Ratified

Evidence-Based Decisions

Architecture decisions must be supported by evidence, research, or well-reasoned analysis. Assertions require supporting rationale.

Rationale
As a movement grounded in economic research and policy analysis, we must apply the same rigor to our own organizational decisions. This builds credibility and improves decision quality.
PRIN-008 Governance Ratified

Complete Audit Trail

All significant decisions, changes, and transactions must be recorded with sufficient context to understand what happened, when, why, and by whom.

Rationale
Accountability requires traceability. Complete audit trails enable learning from past decisions, support governance processes, and maintain trust through transparency.
PRIN-009 Application Ratified

Accessibility by Design

All systems and content must be designed to be accessible to people with disabilities from the outset, not as an afterthought.

Rationale
Economic justice must include accessibility justice. Retrofitting accessibility is costly and often inadequate. Designing for accessibility from the start ensures everyone can participate.
PRIN-010 Technology Proposed

Climate-Conscious Technology

Technology choices should minimize environmental impact. Prefer energy-efficient solutions and providers committed to sustainability.

Rationale
Post-labor economics must be sustainable economics. Our technology choices should reflect our values regarding environmental stewardship and long-term thinking.