The Archive

The questions. The debates. The verdicts.

Explore every session of The Long Council.

11 of 168 sessions
  1. 24 August 2026

    Which poses a greater threat to democracy: economic inequality or political polarization?

    Verdict

    Inequality is the greater threat. Polarization is what inequality produces when citizens notice the gap.

    EconomyDemocracy
  2. 17 August 2026

    When is civil disobedience justified against a democratically elected government?

    Verdict

    Civil disobedience is justified when a government systematically ignores a serious wrong and closes off every lawful avenue to contest it.

    Democracy
  3. 1 July 2026

    With an increasing grip of technology and state surveillance, how can a “Brave New World” scenario be avoided?

    Verdict

    Surveillance must be stopped before it is built, not governed after the state holds the data.

    GovernanceAI & Technology
  4. 23 June 2026

    Should companies have obligations beyond maximizing shareholder value?

    Verdict

    Yes, but the council splits on whether obligations within the current ownership structure can ever be enough.

    Economy
  5. 20 June 2026

    Should governments redistribute wealth globally through taxation and aid?

    Verdict

    The trading system already extracts wealth from poor countries. The council splits on whether taxation and aid reverse that flow or entrench it.

    Economy
  6. 17 June 2026

    Do Trump's policies and approach to government pose a threat to American democratic institutions?

    Verdict

    Trump's pressure on courts, prosecutors, and elections is a real threat, but whether institutions hold depends on whether their defenders still act like defenders.

    USGovernanceDemocracy
  7. 16 June 2026

    Can capitalism survive an AI-driven economy?

    Verdict

    Capitalism can survive AI, but only if redistribution happens before ownership concentration captures the governments that would impose it.

    EconomyGovernanceAI & Technology
  8. 13 June 2026

    Why do societies increasingly frame policy disagreements as existential threats?

    Verdict

    Policy disagreements become existential threats when economic inequality destroys shared civic reality and algorithms profit from the resulting conflict.

    Democracy
  9. 5 June 2026

    How should prosperity be distributed among citizens?

    Verdict

    Tax capital gains like wages, fund universal basic services, and democratize ownership gradually through sovereign wealth funds.

    EconomyDemocracy
  10. 9 May 2026

    How should wealth be distributed in a fully automated economy?

    Verdict

    Automation will concentrate wealth dangerously unless society redesigns who owns the machines.

    Economy
  11. 7 May 2026

    Why do technological developments reinforce inequality and how can we prevent that?

    Verdict

    Technology serves those who own it, but communities can govern it democratically if institutions give them real control over development and benefits.

    AI & Technology