Happily devoured new "Arts and Minds," a history of the RSA. Its early model is a striking combo:
1. Leverage philanthropic/status motive: crowdsource a fund from nobles/"risers"
2. Leverage self-interest: offer prizes to inventors
3. Grant-making by direct democracy
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But… why did grant-making-by-vote work?
RSA was insistent that anyone could join—not just learned/nobles—if they paid into the fund. Why did this produce a member pool which made good funding decisions?
Not obvious that this would work! i.e. What if NSF used direct democracy?
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