Fascinating article.
I was wandering what it means to democracy. Can we use those ideas in collaboration to have a better decision making in real governments?
Linear programming was hoped to have been a strong enough framework to replace the market-based resource allocation system. Unfortunately, no single centrally managed computer could outperform a network of autonomous free participants. Modern government is the realization that there can be no prosperity without free agents, and that propaganda can persuade these free agents to acquiesce to being governed.
Whilst on the subject of distributed, collaborative efforts, I recommend this paper http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/Papers/lottery.pdf
This describes an attempt by a Cambridge University professor to harness the power of many students to solve a problem. A very interesting read.
A similar example that shows the strength of great organisation is a famous 1999 online chess match known as Kasparov versus the World. In that game Irina Krush organized the world team well enough to take Kasparov to 62 moves and nearly won the game.
To quote him:
It is the greatest game in the history of chess. The sheer number of ideas, the complexity, and the contribution it has made to chess make it the most important game ever played.
http://michaelnielsen.org/blog/kasparov-versus-the-world/