ViewSwap

ViewSwap is OMXUS's radical accountability mechanism. If your policy creates problems for someone, you might have to live their life.

The Problem

Traditional democracy has zero accountability:

• A politician votes for war but never fights
• A banker approves foreclosures but never loses a home
• A lawmaker criminalizes drugs but never faces prison

This distance between decision and consequence corrupts all governance.

The Solution

ViewSwap closes the gap between deciding and experiencing:

If a policy you supported causes unresolved hardship for another token holder after 7 days, you may be required to swap life circumstances with them for 30 days.

How It Works

1. Problem Identification

A token holder experiences hardship they attribute to a specific policy:

• Lost housing due to zoning decision
• Fined for behavior now legal
• Denied service based on new rules

2. ViewSwap Request

After 7 days of unresolved problems, they file a ViewSwap request:

{
  "requester": "her_abc123",
  "policy_id": "pol_xyz789",
  "hardship_type": "housing",
  "description": "Evicted due to new zoning policy",
  "evidence": ["eviction_notice.pdf", "bank_statement.pdf"],
  "date_started": "2026-01-20"
}

3. Supporter Selection

The system randomly selects a token holder who voted FOR the policy:

• Selection weighted by vote timing (earlier = higher chance)
• Selected supporter is notified
• 48 hours to acknowledge

4. Swap Decision

The selected supporter can:

Accept: Begin the 30-day swap

• Exchange living situations
• Experience the hardship firsthand
• Gain perspective on policy impact

Refuse: Trigger automatic repeal

• Policy is immediately suspended
• New vote required to reinstate
• Refuser marked in public record

5. Swap Execution

If accepted, both parties:

• Exchange residences
• Assume each other's daily obligations
• Maintain contact for coordination
• Document experiences

6. Resolution

After 30 days:

• Both parties return to original lives
• Experiences shared with community
• Policy may be modified based on insights

Example Scenario

Policy: Increase minimum parking requirements for new buildings

Supporter: Sarah, who owns a car and lives in suburbs

Affected: Tom, whose affordable housing project was cancelled due to parking costs

Timeline:

1. Day 1: Policy passes with Sarah's vote
2. Day 30: Tom's project cancelled, housing plans disrupted
3. Day 37: Tom files ViewSwap request
4. Day 39: Sarah selected and notified
5. Day 41: Sarah accepts swap
6. Days 42-72: Sarah lives in Tom's cramped rental, experiences housing insecurity
7. Day 73: Both return; Sarah now understands housing crisis firsthand
8. Day 80: Sarah proposes parking requirement reduction

Safeguards

Cannot Be Used For:

• Minor inconveniences: Must demonstrate significant hardship
• Pre-existing conditions: Problem must be caused by the policy
• Malicious targeting: Random selection prevents personal attacks
• Repeated abuse: Limited to 2 requests per year

Protected Categories:

Some circumstances cannot be swapped:

• Medical conditions requiring specific care
• Child custody (children don't swap)
• National security positions
• Active legal proceedings

Verification Requirements:

• Evidence of hardship must be documented
• Causation to policy must be demonstrable
• 7-day waiting period prevents knee-jerk requests
• Community mediator reviews each request

Why This Works

1. Empathy Through Experience

Reading about homelessness is different from being homeless. ViewSwap creates genuine understanding.

2. Careful Voting

When your vote might put you in someone's shoes, you vote carefully. No more casual cruelty.

3. Policy Improvement

Swap participants return with insights. Policies improve through lived experience.

4. Social Cohesion

Knowing anyone might experience any outcome creates solidarity. We're all in this together.

Invoking ViewSwap

Through the OMXUS app:

// Swift
let request = ViewSwapRequest(
    policyId: "pol_xyz789",
    hardshipType: .housing,
    description: "Policy caused my eviction",
    evidence: [evictionNotice, bankStatement]
)
 
try await OMXUSClient.shared.submitViewSwap(request)

Through the API:

curl -X POST http://188.166.208.172:8080/api/v1/viewswap \
  -H "X-API-Key: your-api-key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "policy_id": "pol_xyz789",
    "hardship_type": "housing",
    "description": "Policy caused my eviction",
    "evidence_urls": ["https://..."]
  }'

Statistics

Since OMXUS launch:

FAQ

Q: What if I can't physically do the other person's job? A: Swaps are about circumstances, not specific tasks. You experience their housing, finances, and social situation, not their exact employment.

Q: Can wealthy people just pay to avoid swaps? A: No. Swap refusal triggers automatic policy repeal. There's no monetary alternative.

Q: What about privacy? A: Swap participants agree to share relevant life circumstances. Personal secrets unrelated to the policy remain private.

Q: Has anyone been harmed during a swap? A: No serious incidents recorded. Both parties are connected and supported throughout the process.