4. Delegate (definition)

NOTE: if you’re new to Ground-Up Governance, or are finding anything a bit strange or confusing, you might want to START HERE.

If you’re a person with authority over a lot of other people or over a complicated operation like a banana puree store, it usually makes a lot of sense to give authority to other people to do things on your behalf. Just like Mr. Bananaman gave you authority to decide whether it made more sense to use the blender (faster, smoother) or to puree the bananas with your bare hands for chunky, artisanal flair. To “delegate” means to give away authority. To make things simple, the person receiving authority is also called a “delegate,” but it’s pronounced differently. Cool?

Just remember, an interesting wrinkle is that even if you delegate authority to someone, you’re still accountable.