Consensus decision-making

Consensus decision-making is a group process that seeks a decision acceptable to all participants, often through discussion and revision. It aims for broad agreement rather than relying solely on majority rule.

Consensus: A state of general agreement among members of a group. The process aims to produce this shared state, though participants need not agree on every detail.
Majority rule: A decision rule under which the option supported by more than half the voters wins. Consensus seeks an acceptable outcome for the group rather than simply counting votes.
Quaker business method: A Quaker practice of conducting meetings by seeking a shared sense of the meeting rather than taking votes. It is a longstanding religious practice of collective discernment through agreement.
Groupthink: A pattern of group deliberation in which pressure for agreement weakens critical evaluation. Consensus can be mistaken for harmony, making it important to protect dissent and scrutiny.
Consensus democracy: A democratic model that distributes power and seeks broad agreement rather than relying mainly on winner-take-all decisions. It raises questions about whether consensus can scale from small groups to whole political systems.
Facilitation: The practice of guiding a group’s discussion so it can work toward its goals. A facilitator helps balance participation and keep deliberation focused.
Unanimity: A decision rule requiring every participant to vote for the same option. Consensus can permit reservations or non-blocking dissent, unlike strict unanimity.
Indigenous governance: Systems through which Indigenous peoples make decisions, exercise authority, and govern their communities. Some Indigenous governance traditions use deliberation and consensus, though practices differ among peoples.
Abilene paradox: A group-dynamics phenomenon in which members collectively choose an action that many privately oppose. A visible agreement may conceal unspoken disagreement rather than reflect genuine consensus.
Group polarization: The tendency for group discussion to shift members toward more extreme positions than they initially held. Deliberation may deepen divisions instead of converging on a shared decision.

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