Participatory democracy needs decision signals people can inspect

Participation can mean agenda setting, public comment, consultation, budgeting, deliberation, or voting, so a single tool rarely covers every part of that process well.

Nicolas focuses on the decision layer through clear alternatives, finite voice budgets, measurable support and opposition, and transparent outcomes.

In participatory processes, the people most affected by a decision may be a minority. A simple majority signal can miss the strength of their preference.

Quadratic voting lets participants spend more voice credits where they care more, while making that intensity costly and visible.

Nicolas does not handle outreach, identity verification, meeting facilitation, public records law, or the political process that decides whether a signal is binding.

It fits best when the process already has participants, alternatives, and a need for a structured preference-intensity result.