[maxerickson]

A significant role of government is to manage conflicts. Conflicts, by definition, lack consensus.

Imagine Hal doesn't want Bill to build a fence (to make it fun, let's say Hal isn't even going to be impacted by the fence, he just doesn't like Bill).

How does consensus handle this?

Our current system tells Hal to sit down and shut up about what Bill does on his property. If consensus is the norm, Hal has a veto on Bill's fence.

An answer about requiring people to be reasonable in a consensus government is not very satisfying, people aren't reasonable.

[kashkhan]

consensus works by give and take. Hal and Bill don't just have to deal only with the fence. They have many more items they need to negotiate if they are to live as neighbors.

our current system does NOT allow Bill to do whatever he wants on his property.

[maxerickson]

our current system does NOT allow Bill to do whatever he wants on his property.

Of course not. My point was that it doesn't give Hal a veto over anything Bill might want to do.