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
Fewer reporters are left covering city councils, local courts, and regional agencies, meaning much of everyday governance now happens with almost no public scrutiny. This local news gap makes accountability at the community level far harder to maintain.
society-governance
global-unspecified
local
news
coverage
government
activity
has
collapsed
regions
traditional
media
economics-resources
recovery
african
africa
remains
conflict
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Complex bidding requirements often favor large, established companies with dedicated legal teams, shutting out smaller or newer businesses that might offer better value. Simplifying this without opening the door to corruption remains a difficult balance.
society-governance
global-unspecified
businesses
public
procurement
processes
remain
slow
complicated
enough
small
compete
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
determine
mathematics-logic
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Mistakes in identity documents, tax records, or benefit eligibility can take months or years to fix, causing real harm in the meantime. A faster, more citizen-friendly correction process remains missing in most bureaucracies.
society-governance
global-unspecified
records
citizens
countries
have
simple
way
correct
errors
official
government
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
don
agreed
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Government databases holding sensitive information, from tax records to health data, have been breached repeatedly, exposing citizens to fraud and identity theft. Stronger, consistent data protection standards remain unevenly applied across agencies.
technology-computing
global-unspecified
data
citizens
collected
governments
often
poorly
protected
against
misuse
breach
society-governance
whether
systems
philosophy-ethics
african
incomplete
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Surveillance capabilities have expanded rapidly, but the oversight meant to prevent abuse often lags behind, staffed by bodies with limited authority or access. This leaves citizens with little real assurance surveillance powers aren't being misused.
society-governance
global-unspecified
surveillance
oversight
bodies
real
countries
lack
independent
power
review
government
without
mass
whether
philosophy-ethics
technology-computing
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Citizens sometimes wait weeks for paperwork that should take minutes, because the underlying government systems processing it were built decades ago and never modernized. This directly affects public trust in whether government can function at all.
society-governance
global-unspecified
government
systems
public
countries
outdated
basic
services
slow
error-prone
citizens
whether
philosophy-ethics
technology-computing
institutions
across
trust
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Positions that should be filled based on skill and merit are sometimes given out as political favors instead, weakening the quality of public administration over time. Breaking this pattern requires reforms that many governments resist making.
society-governance
global-unspecified
governments
political
over
civil
service
hiring
rewards
loyalty
genuine
competence
public
philosophy-ethics
whether
real
time
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Amendment processes designed to prevent hasty changes can also freeze in place rules that no longer reflect modern realities, with no practical way to update them. Finding the right balance between stability and adaptability remains unresolved.
society-governance
global-unspecified
constitutional
amendments
some
countries
made
difficult
clearly
outdated
laws
simply
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
way
determine
haven
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
People without citizenship often can't access healthcare, education, legal employment, or travel documents, trapping them in a kind of legal limbo. Resolving statelessness requires cooperation between countries that often have little incentive to act.
social-civic-problems
global-unspecified
statelessness
people
leaves
millions
any
country
willing
legally
recognize
citizens
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
legal
have
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
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
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
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
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
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
