A Computational Systems Model of Multi-Level Governance for Human Flourishing

Governance operates simultaneously across multiple levels—from local communities to national governments to international institutions—yet most formal governance models treat governance as a single-level phenomenon. This conceptual paper extends the General Governance Success Model (GSM) to account for multi-level governance, providing a computational systems framework for analysing how governance capabilities interact vertically and horizontally across nested scales. The extended model represents governance at levels, with each level characterized by five coupled capabilities: accountability, institutional competence, social cohesion, strategic continuity, and adaptive learning. The framework formalizes vertical (top-down and bottom-up) and horizontal (peer-to-peer) interactions, cross-level information flows with fidelity matrices, level-specific dynamics with differentiated parameters, and recursive learning processes. Drawing on the Viable System Model's recursion principle, polycentric governance theory, multi-level governance theory, and system dynamics, the model generates testable hypotheses concerning vertical alignment, polycentric governance, cross-level coordination, and recursive learning. The paper further demonstrates the model's empirical applicability through a worked example applying the GSM to Denmark using open-source data from the World Bank, United Nations, V-Dem, and World Justice Project, followed by a summary of comparative analysis findings across 100 countries (with full results in Appendix C). The extended GSM provides a foundation for analysing governance systems in their full institutional complexity, offering both theoretical insights and practical guidance for designing more effective multi-level governance arrangements. The framework treats computational methods as decision-support tools rather than substitutes for political judgment, with normative objectives and model weights remaining subject to public deliberation, constitutional rights, transparency, and contestability.