Pseudoconsensus

Pseudoconsensus

A pseudoconsensus is a false consensus, reached most commonly when members of a group feel they are expected to go along with the majority decision, as when the voting basis is a large supermajority and nothing can get done unless some of the members of the minority acquiesce. This can cause problems such as the Abilene paradox. Robert's Rules of Order notes that this was part of the impetus for switching from consensus to majority as the voting basis in the English House of Lords: [RONR (10th ed.), p. xliv-xlv] The book "Creating a Life Together: Practical Tools to Grow Ecovillages" identifies pseudoconsensus as a problem that can occur in communal environments with a consensus voting basis. Various forms of pseudoconsensus identified were the Big League Complex; Decision by Endurance; Everyone Decides Everything; and "I Block, I Block!" [cite book|title=Creating a Life Together: Practical Tools to Grow Ecovillages|author=Leafe, Diana|year=2003]

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  • Consensus — has two common meanings. One is a general among the members of a given group or community, each of which exercises some discretion in decision making and follow up action. The other is as a theory and practice of getting such agreements (for… …   Wikipedia

  • Abilene paradox — The Abilene paradox is a paradox in which a group of people collectively decide on a course of action that is counter to the preferences of any of the individuals in the group. It involves a common breakdown of group communication in which each… …   Wikipedia

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