| name | specification-govern |
| description | Review work for constitutional compliance. Propose amendments when primitives or prohibitions are affected. Checks against amendment registry and enforces the AI Decision Procedure (IX.3). Final gate before merge. |
Specification Govern Phase
Purpose
Audit any work — plan, spec, implementation, or validation — for constitutional compliance. Propose amendments when necessary. This phase answers: Are we allowed to do this?
When to Use
Load this skill when:
- The user asks "does this violate the constitution?"
- The user wants to add/redefine/remove a primitive
- The user wants to relax a prohibition (e.g., allow substrate mutation)
- The user wants to introduce a formalism that may fail the Aleksandrov Test
- A
[TRANSITION STATE] principle is blocking work and the user wants resolution
- Any phase encounters a constitutional conflict and cannot proceed
Constitutional Constraints (P0 + P1)
P0 (Never Drop)
- I.19 Dialectic Primitive —
D = (A, Ā, w, T, σ) is irreducible. No redefinition without MAJOR version bump.
- I.20 Spatial Substrate — Immutable. No mutation ever.
- II.9 Morphism Dyadic — Strictly dyadic. No N-ary morphisms.
- III.7 Determinism Hash — Every tick deterministic. Non-determinism is a bug.
- III.8 Aleksandrov Test — Every formal construct traces to material relation.
- V Verb Atomicity — Every verb maps to graph operation. Atomic per target instance.
P1
- IX.2 Staged Amendment Series — Primitive changes require downstream translation with invariance proofs. No skipping.
- IX.3 AI Decision Procedure — Read-and-Proceed → Read-and-Ask → Escalate → Transition-State-Protocol.
- IX.4 AI Context Budget — P0 immutable, P1 domain-mandatory, P2 droppable-with-reporting.
AI Decision Procedure (IX.3)
Follow this escalation ladder exactly:
1. Read and Proceed
If the constitution provides an unambiguous constraint that answers the question, apply it without asking for clarification.
Examples:
- "Can we delete a county from the substrate?" → Banned per I.20. Reject immediately.
- "Should Investigate mutate the graph?" → Required per V. Proceed.
2. Read and Ask
If the constitution constrains the shape but not the content, consult the relevant spec before proceeding.
Examples:
- "What's the cost function for AIR_LINK transport?" → II.13 defines types but not costs. Read transport spec.
- "How does Educate create centrality?" → I.21 defines modes but not graph operation. Read verb spec.
3. Escalate to Amendment
If the question requires any of:
- Adding a new primitive (new pole type, new morphism relation, new transport edge type not in II.13)
- Redefining an existing primitive (changing dialectic structure in I.19)
- Relaxing a prohibition (allowing substrate mutation despite I.20)
- Introducing a formalism that fails Aleksandrov Test (III.8)
Then: STOP. Propose a constitutional amendment. Include:
- The problem
- Proposed principle text
- Principles affected
- Draft invariance proof
- Version bump rationale (MAJOR/MINOR/PATCH)
4. Transition State Protocol
If a principle is marked [TRANSITION STATE], treat it as blocked.
You MAY propose a spec to resolve the transition state.
You MUST NOT implement code that depends on the unresolved principle.
Examples:
- II.7 (hyperedges) is transition state → Do not implement hyperedge logic until Amendment D ratified.
- I.17 (OODA) is transition state → Do not implement OODA profiles until Amendment C ratified.
Amendment Proposal Format
If escalation is required, draft an amendment following this structure:
**Amendment [Next Letter] — [Title]**
Status: PROPOSED
Target Version: [e.g., v2.8.0]
Bump: [MAJOR/MINOR/PATCH]
**Problem:**
[What problem does this solve?]
**Proposed Principle:**
[Exact text of the new/modified principle]
**Affected Principles:**
- [List all downstream principles that must be translated]
**Invariance Proof (Draft):**
[Demonstrate that affected principles are at least as constrained as predecessors]
**Consequences:**
- Positive: [Benefits]
- Negative: [Tradeoffs]
Save to .specify/memory/constitution.md as a PROPOSED amendment in the IX.2 registry. Do NOT bump the version until ratified.
Compliance Audit Checklist
For any work under review, verify:
If any unchecked, flag the defect and recommend remediation or amendment.
Next Phase
Govern is typically terminal. After compliance review, the work either:
- PASSES → ready for merge (user's discretion)
- FAILS → return to appropriate phase with remediation instructions
- REQUIRES AMENDMENT → amendment proposal drafted, awaiting ratification
