likwid/docs/reference/glossary.md

# Glossary

Key terms and definitions used in Likwid.

## A

### Approval Voting
A voting method where voters can approve any number of options. Options are ranked by total approvals.

## C

### Community
An organizational unit in Likwid representing a group with shared governance needs.

### Condorcet Winner
An option that would beat every other option in a head-to-head comparison. The Schulze method always selects a Condorcet winner if one exists.

## D

### Delegate
A user who receives delegated voting power from other users.

### Delegation
The act of entrusting your vote to another user.

### Deliberation
The discussion phase of a proposal where members debate and refine ideas before voting.

## I

### Instance
A deployment of Likwid. Each instance is independent and can have its own configuration.

### Instant Runoff
See Ranked Choice Voting.

## L

### Liquid Democracy
A form of democracy combining direct and representative democracy. Voters can vote directly or delegate their vote, and can change delegation at any time.

## M

### Moderation Log
A transparent, auditable record of all moderation actions taken in a community.

### Member
A user who has joined a community and can participate in governance.

## P

### Plugin
A modular component that extends Likwid's functionality. Voting methods, integrations, and features are implemented as plugins.

### Proposal
A decision item submitted to a community for deliberation and voting.

### Pseudonym
A separate identity used for voting to preserve ballot privacy while maintaining accountability.

## Q

### Quadratic Voting
A voting method where the cost to cast multiple votes increases quadratically. Used to express intensity of preference.

### Quorum
The minimum participation required for a vote to be valid.

## R

### Ranked Choice Voting
A voting method where voters rank options. Also called Instant Runoff Voting (IRV).

## S

### Schulze Method
A Condorcet voting method that uses pairwise comparisons and strongest paths to determine the winner.

### Scope
The extent of a delegation - for example, global or community-wide.

### STAR Voting
Score Then Automatic Runoff - voters rate options 0-5 stars, top two enter automatic runoff.

## T

### Topic
A category or subject area used to organize proposals.

### Transitive Delegation
When delegation chains are followed (A delegates to B, B delegates to C, so A's vote goes to C).

## V

### Voice Credits
The currency in quadratic voting that voters allocate across options.

### Voting Identity
A pseudonymous identity separate from civic identity, used to maintain ballot privacy.

### Voting Method
The algorithm used to aggregate individual votes into a collective decision.