Human space colonies

towards a governance architecture

Rick Wylie

pp. 251-266

in: Charles S. Cockell (ed), The meaning of liberty beyond earth, Berlin, Springer, 2015

Abstract

The subject of this chapter is a maybe not-too-distant future when humankind reaches out from the Earth to colonise new worlds. Its' focus is the development of a general framework to create the basics of a governance architecture which engages a possibly disparate group of colonists in a manner which creates a legitimate, robust and equitable basis for policy and governance. It is argued that the rights of colonists, and their freedoms, could be strongly influenced by the resourcing package and consequent mission profile, and that the process of developing such an architecture will begin on Earth well before any colonising mission begins its long and perilous journey to a new human home. Drawing upon the experience of institutions on Earth the Institutional Analysis and Development Framework is used to highlight the importance of a framework of rules and responsibilities, and the key role of a sense of community in shaping the human experience in an off-world colony.