Skip to main content
Hemlock Collective Logo Hemlock Collective

Diagrams

Visual analytical frameworks for understanding institutional capture.

Featured

Core Model

Theory of Capture

A comprehensive systems model mapping how democratic institutions are converted into instruments of minority rule through coordinated capture mechanisms.

All Diagrams

Systems Analysis

Theory of Capture: A Systems Model of Democratic Degradation

This systems diagram provides a comprehensive visual model of democratic capture—the process by which democratic institutions are systematically converted into instruments of minority rule and oligarchic extraction.

How to Read This Diagram

  1. Left to Right: Follow the main flow from enabling conditions (Inputs) through legitimation (Permission Structure) to the actual mechanisms (Instruments) and their products (Outputs).

  2. Feedback Loops: Trace the blue dashed arcs from Outputs back to earlier stages. These loops show how the system stabilizes and becomes self-reinforcing.