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
Some school systems barely cover how government works or how to engage with it, leaving graduates unfamiliar with basic civic processes. This gap can quietly weaken democratic participation a generation at a time.
social-civic-problems
global-unspecified
civic
leaving
education
schools
varies
wildly
young
citizens
unprepared
participate
systems
society-governance
haven
whether
philosophy-ethics
prepare
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Surveys in numerous countries show steadily falling trust in courts, legislatures, and civil services, even as living standards in some of those places have improved. Understanding and reversing this erosion remains a central unsolved governance challenge.
society-governance
global-unspecified
trust
public
government
institutions
has
been
declining
democracies
decades
surveys
whether
philosophy-ethics
data
services
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Annual budget cycles can force short-term thinking on issues, like infrastructure or education, that really require planning over decades. Building longer-term budgeting tools into government processes remains rare.
society-governance
global-unspecified
government
budgeting
planning
countries
happens
ways
make
long-term
nearly
impossible
african
whether
philosophy-ethics
cities
systems
climate-environment
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
Many public programs continue for years based on assumption rather than evidence that they're working, because rigorous evaluation is neither required nor prioritized. Better built-in evaluation could redirect resources toward what actually helps.
society-governance
global-unspecified
programs
actually
government
agencies
rarely
measure
whether
own
achieve
stated
philosophy-ethics
haven
resolved
way
determine
african
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
When an algorithm denies someone benefits or flags them as a risk, it's often unclear who is responsible for reviewing or correcting that decision. This accountability gap grows as governments rely more heavily on automated systems.
technology-computing
global-unspecified
often
accountability
government
decisions
like
welfare
eligibility
policing
lacks
clear
society-governance
systems
intergenerational
public
whether
philosophy-ethics
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
During emergencies, confusion over which agency is responsible for what can delay critical decisions when speed matters most. Clearer, pre-agreed emergency governance structures remain inconsistently established across different regions.
society-governance
global-unspecified
government
responses
disasters
frequently
slowed
unclear
lines
authority
between
agencies
whether
philosophy-ethics
governance
health-biology
public
african
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
This revolving door between industry and regulators can create conflicts of interest, even when no explicit wrongdoing occurs, simply through shared professional relationships and mindset. Building truly independent regulatory bodies remains difficult in practice.
society-governance
global-unspecified
regulatory
agencies
some
sectors
often
staffed
former
employees
industries
meant
whether
philosophy-ethics
way
resolved
determine
countries
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Talented people are sometimes drawn toward higher-paying private sector jobs instead of public service, leaving government roles filled by less experienced staff. This talent gap quietly undermines the quality of policy and services citizens receive.
society-governance
global-unspecified
public
sector
wages
countries
too
low
attract
skilled
workers
needed
services
governance
whether
philosophy-ethics
social-civic-problems
haven
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
Multiple departments sometimes handle similar issues with little coordination, leading to duplicated efforts, conflicting rules, and citizens unsure which agency to even contact. Streamlining this bureaucracy remains a persistent governance challenge.
society-governance
global-unspecified
government
agencies
countries
operate
overlapping
responsibilities
create
confusion
waste
multiple
philosophy-ethics
whether
haven
public
african
resolved
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
As populations shift toward cities, rural areas can be left with proportionally less political power even though they still depend heavily on government services like roads and healthcare access. Balancing this representation gap remains an unresolved tension in many democracies.
society-governance
global-unspecified
rural
less
political
representation
regions
countries
have
far
relative
needs
whether
philosophy-ethics
access
determine
way
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Zoning, housing, and infrastructure decisions are sometimes controlled by higher levels of government that move far slower than the pace of local growth. This mismatch leaves cities struggling to manage problems they can see coming but can't legally address.
society-governance
global-unspecified
manage
growth
city
governments
fast-growing
regions
often
lack
legal
authority
african
cities
urban
climate-environment
whether
infrastructure
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
In many federal systems, disputes over which level of government has final say on issues like healthcare or environmental regulation can delay action for years. This overlapping authority problem shows up in democracies of all sizes.
society-governance
global-unspecified
federal
over
authority
regional
governments
frequently
clash
ways
stall
important
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
systems
determine
haven
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
