<aside> 👋 Welcome to the Citizens’ House! Here you’ll find everything to get started
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As a badgeholder in the Optimism Citizens' House, your primary duty is to determine which public goods get rewards by voting on the allocation of Retroactive Public Goods Funding (RetroPGF).
Participating as a badgeholder in RetroPGF 3 will require a minimum time commitment of 5-10 hours during October-December.
A full list of responsibilities is here Badgeholder responsibilities
The Citizens' House is a large-scale experiment in non-plutocratic governance and retroactively rewarding public goods. It stands as a governance pillar alongside the Token House in steering the Optimism Collective.
The Citizens' House introduced Retroactive Public Goods Funding (RetroPGF) as a pioneering approach to this form of governance. The method recognises and rewards past contributions that have offered substantial benefits to the Optimism Collective. Its fundamental philosophy is rooted in the belief that it’s easier to agree on the past impact of a project rather than predicting their future impact.
There are currently two main sources of RetroPGF rewards
In the Citizens' House's initial phase, its primary responsibility is the voting process that determines the allocation of RetroPGF. The Optimism Foundation plays a role at this stage by setting the boundaries and amount for each RetroPGF voting round. Badgeholders should note that holding a voting badge during this preliminary phase does not guarantee indefinite participation in the Citizens’ House or in subsequent RetroPGF rounds.
Impact = Profit: One of Optimism's foundational values is that impact to the Collective should be rewarded with proportional profit for the contributors.
Ecosystem Building: The rewards from RetroPGF act as a powerful motivator for individuals to craft public goods tailored for the Optimism Collective. This, in turn, fortifies the ecosystem, making it user-friendly, educational, and connective.
Economic Incentives for Builders: RetroPGF isn't just about rewarding past success; it's about building future potential. By providing an alternative form of “exit” for public goods projects, it paves the way for budding investment opportunities.
This structure allows creators to:
Commitment to Continual Experimentation: The Optimism Collective doesn’t rest on its laurels. Each round of RetroPGF is distinct, highlighting an evolutionary, community-driven process.