Exclosures as a form of functional sovereignty Summary

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Summary

The presentation introduces the concept of “exclosures” as a way to analyze how social groups create spaces of functional sovereignty and autonomy within surrounding legal/political systems. Exclosures are defined as self-defending, stable arrangements that leverage the rules of the surrounding system against itself to carve out autonomous spaces.

The core idea is to take a structural, systems-level view of autonomy rather than looking at specific domains. A matrix is presented that categorizes different autonomy strategies based on whether they are stable/unstable and self-defending/permitted. Stable, self-defending arrangements in the top-left quadrant are identified as the ideal form of “exclosure.”

Examples of potential exclosures are given, such as copyleft licensing, conservation easements, and certain indigenous sovereignty arrangements. Common features being studied include having nested rule systems, being domain-specific, and taking advantage of decision spaces within the surrounding rules.

The motivation for developing exclosures relates to the emergence of new social practices and organizational forms, like DAOs, that existing legal/political systems struggle to accommodate. Exclosures provide a way for these groups to self-organize and maintain autonomy. Challenges involve navigating tensions with surrounding systems and developing robust design principles.

Key Takeaways

• Exclosures provide a novel analytical framework for understanding how groups create autonomous spaces within existing systems through structural/rule-based approaches.
• Motivating factors include friction with existing legal/political structures, ideological goals, efficiency needs, and the emergence of new organizational/economic forms.
• Key features of stable exclosures include nested rules, domain-specificity, and leveraging decision spaces within surrounding rule systems.
• Developing robust methodologies for intentionally designing exclosures from the bottom-up is an important challenge and area for further research.
• Navigating tensions between exclosures and surrounding systems, while integrating into broader societal frameworks, are vital considerations for real-world application.
• Domains with significant exclosure activity include crypto/web3, network nations, indigenous groups, conservation, and emergent decentralized communities/practices.
• Analyzing exclosures through a systems lens provides a unique perspective on the changing dynamics of social organization and sovereignty in the modern world.

Speakers

• Speaker A: Jessica (Presenter) - Demonstrated expertise in systems analysis of autonomy and novel social structures. Key contributions framing the concept of exclosures and analytical approach.
• Speaker B: Facilitator/Moderator - Provided context and guided discussion around relevance and real-world manifestations of exclosures.
• Speaker C: Participant with legal/regulatory expertise in crypto space - Offered examples of gray zones and quasi-sovereignties emerging in that domain. Highlighted regulatory drivers.
• Speaker D: Participant - Insightful commentary on how exclosures emerge organically from new practices clashing with existing legal/regulatory structures designed for old models.