Editing Organization (section)

=== Committees or juries ===
These consist of a group of peers who [[Group decision-making|decide]] as a group, perhaps by voting. The difference between a [[jury]] and a [[committee]] is that the members of the committee are usually assigned to perform or lead further actions after the group comes to a decision, whereas members of a jury come to a decision. In [[common law]] countries, legal juries render decisions of guilt, liability, and quantify damages; juries are also used in athletic contests, book awards, and similar activities. Sometimes a selection committee functions like a jury. In the Middle Ages, juries in continental Europe were used to determine the law according to consensus among local notables.

Committees are often the most reliable way to make decisions. [[Condorcet's jury theorem]] proved that if the average member votes better than a roll of dice, then adding more members increases the number of majorities that can come to a correct vote (however correctness is defined). The problem is that if the average member is subsequently ''worse'' than a roll of dice, the committee's decisions grow worse, not better; therefore, staffing is crucial.

[[Parliament]]ary procedure, such as [[Robert's Rules of Order]], helps prevent committees from engaging in lengthy discussions without reaching decisions.