Repository of problems worth solving
World Solve is a public institutional repository for identifying real unresolved problems across science, society, health, governance, economics, and local systems. Each entry is intended to be citable, inspectable, and actionable.
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4194Total
4194Open
0Solved
9Humans
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Even where indigenous communities have lived on land for centuries, national laws sometimes fail to formally recognize their ownership or governance rights over it. This leaves them vulnerable to displacement by governments or corporations.
society-governance
global-unspecified
indigenous
communities
land
rights
national
governance
often
lack
formal
legal
systems
economics-resources
philosophy-ethics
climate-environment
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some contested borders have remained unresolved for decades, occasionally flaring into conflict, without any agreed process forcing a final decision. This leaves both governance and everyday life uncertain for people living near these borders.
society-governance
global-unspecified
any
process
border
disputes
between
neighboring
countries
persist
generations
binding
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
determine
don
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
The same person fleeing the same crisis might face a fast, fair asylum process in one country and years of limbo in another, based purely on geography. A more consistent international standard remains unbuilt.
society-governance
global-unspecified
asylum
face
country
refugees
seekers
wildly
inconsistent
legal
processes
depending
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
have
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Voters often know little about how a party chooses its candidates or policies internally, even though those internal decisions shape who ends up on the ballot. More transparency here could improve accountability before elections even happen.
society-governance
global-unspecified
internal
transparency
decisions
political
parties
some
democracies
operate
almost
made
whether
philosophy-ethics
evidence
haven
resolved
know
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Once elected, officials often make major decisions with limited mechanisms for ongoing public feedback until the next vote, sometimes years away. Tools for continuous citizen input remain underdeveloped almost everywhere.
society-governance
global-unspecified
input
decisions
citizens
democracies
have
little
formal
made
between
election
whether
philosophy-ethics
evidence
resolved
public
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
When election results are close or contested, some countries have no clear, agreed procedure for resolving the dispute short of prolonged conflict or unrest. This leaves democratic transitions vulnerable at exactly their most sensitive moment.
society-governance
global-unspecified
countries
clear
election
lack
legal
process
peacefully
transferring
power
disputed
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
False claims about candidates or voting processes can spread across social media faster than officials can issue corrections, especially close to election day. This growing speed gap threatens the integrity of public understanding during critical voting periods.
society-governance
global-unspecified
during
election
officials
disinformation
campaigns
elections
outpacing
ability
respond
voting
whether
philosophy-ethics
fiscal
austerity
technology-computing
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Legislatures in various democracies have seen government shutdowns or near-shutdowns simply because opposing parties can't agree on routine budget matters. This turns basic governance into a repeated crisis rather than a stable process.
society-governance
global-unspecified
basic
political
polarization
making
governing
functions
like
passing
budgets
increasingly
philosophy-ethics
whether
have
public
haven
african
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Complicated issues like constitutional changes or international agreements are occasionally put to a simple yes or no vote, even though the details matter enormously and most voters can't research them fully in advance. This risks major decisions being made on incomplete understanding.
society-governance
global-unspecified
referendums
sometimes
bypass
careful
deliberation
deeply
complex
policy
questions
complicated
decisions
evidence
local
communities
philosophy-ethics
whether
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some leaders who were initially bound by term limits have successfully changed laws or constitutions to stay in power far longer than originally intended. This weakens one of democracy's basic safeguards against entrenched rule.
society-governance
global-unspecified
leaders
term
limits
power
political
inconsistently
applied
sometimes
removed
once
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
haven
determine
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Even where donation limits exist, wealthy donors can often find legal workarounds through political action groups or indirect spending. This keeps outsized influence in the hands of a few, regardless of formal campaign finance rules.
society-governance
global-unspecified
wealthy
political
influence
there
reliable
way
stop
individuals
buying
disproportionate
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
determine
haven
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some voting systems use outdated machines or paper processes vulnerable to error or tampering, and upgrading them is often slow due to cost and political disagreement. This leaves elections more vulnerable than they need to be.
society-governance
global-unspecified
voting
election
security
depends
heavily
aging
infrastructure
parts
world
vulnerable
whether
systems
philosophy-ethics
technology-computing
mathematics-logic
african
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Fewer people are voting even in countries with a long history of democratic participation, suggesting something deeper than simple apathy is at play. Understanding and reversing this trend remains an open challenge for democratic governance.
society-governance
global-unspecified
voter
turnout
keeps
declining
established
democracies
despite
decades
civic
education
whether
philosophy-ethics
democratic
climate-environment
resolved
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Politicians in charge of drawing district boundaries can shape them to protect their own party's power rather than reflect the actual population. This practice, often called gerrymandering, distorts the link between votes and representation.
local-regional
global-unspecified
party
redrawing
electoral
districts
places
unfairly
favor
political
politicians
charge
society-governance
philosophy-ethics
whether
haven
resolved
representation
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
National governments sometimes pass laws requiring local services without providing the money to pay for them, leaving local governments to either cut corners or raise taxes. This mismatch between responsibility and resources undermines local governance everywhere it happens.
society-governance
global-unspecified
governments
local
national
regions
lack
funding
deliver
responsibilities
handed
down
economics-resources
african
recovery
africa
systems
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Citizens are often legally entitled to request government records, but agencies can slow-walk or deny these requests with few real consequences. This makes transparency laws look stronger on paper than they are in practice.
society-governance
global-unspecified
laws
but
practice
freedom
information
exist
countries
routinely
ignored
delayed
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
determine
resolved
african
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
When the people appointing or removing judges are the same people those judges might need to rule against, fair trials involving powerful officials become far less likely. This weakens the separation of powers meant to keep governments in check.
society-governance
global-unspecified
judges
judicial
independence
remains
fragile
countries
removed
political
leaders
people
philosophy-ethics
whether
haven
determine
resolved
know
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Where spending limits are weak or unenforced, a small number of wealthy donors can have outsized influence over who gets elected and what they prioritize once in office. This tilts democracy toward those with money over those with votes.
society-governance
global-unspecified
wealthy
donors
political
campaign
financing
rules
vary
widely
dominate
elections
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
haven
determine
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Public procurement, from building roads to buying medical supplies, remains one of the most common channels for corruption worldwide. Stronger, harder-to-manipulate bidding systems remain unevenly adopted.
society-governance
global-unspecified
government
contracts
frequently
awarded
processes
vulnerable
bribery
favoritism
public
procurement
systems
corruption
resilient
whether
philosophy-ethics
technology-computing
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
In many countries, there's little requirement to disclose which companies or interest groups pushed for specific changes to legislation. This makes it hard for citizens to know whose interests their laws actually serve.
society-governance
global-unspecified
laws
lobbying
powerful
industries
shape
public
ever
knowing
influenced
countries
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
determine
know
resolved
