# A Collection of MER-Iters
## Definition

MER-Iters (working title) are iterative feedback mechanisms that systematically measure, evaluate, and incentivize impact claims through repeated assessment cycles.

## Why change "Generalized Impact Evaluator"?

The term "impact evaluation" has an established meaning in research and policy circles, referring to studies that measure the causal effects of projects, programs, or policies on specific outcomes. Using "Generalized Impact Evaluator" could create confusion with this well-understood concept and suggest we're simply scaling up traditional evaluation methods.

## Framework

MER-Iters are interdisciplinary mechanisms by definition.


## Properties & Considerations

- Strategyproofness (how much is gaming vs honest improvement?)
- Sustainable Loops
- Response rate of the system

## Examples of MER-Iters

### **MONETARY REWARD SYSTEMS**

| **System** | **Impact Claim** | **Measure** | **Evaluate** | **Reward** | **Period** | **Higher-Level Effects** | **Self-Sustaining Loop** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **eBay/Amazon Ratings** | "Reliable seller/quality products" | Delivery time, product quality, service | Buyer ratings/reviews | Sales revenue, visibility | Per transaction | Market trust, transaction efficiency | Better ratings → more customers → more sales → more participation |
| **Uber/Lyft Ratings** | "Excellent transportation service" | Service quality, reliability, safety | Passenger ratings | Ride opportunities, earnings | Per ride | Gig economy transparency, urban mobility | Better ratings → more rides → more income → more driver retention |
| **Bitcoin Mining** | "Network security/transaction processing" | Hash rate, computational work | Network consensus validity | Block rewards, transaction fees | ~10 minutes | Decentralized monetary system | More security → higher Bitcoin value → higher mining rewards |
| **Stock Markets** | "Economic value creation" | Financial health, growth metrics | Investor sentiment, analyst ratings | Investment returns, capital access | Daily/quarterly | Capital allocation efficiency | Better information → better returns → more investment |
| **Carbon Credits** | "Environmental impact reduction" | Emission reductions, verification data | Independent third-party audits | Credit sale revenue | Project cycles | Climate mitigation innovation | More reductions → higher credit prices → more participation |
| **Insurance Premiums** | "Low-risk responsible behavior" | Behavioral patterns, claim history | Actuarial risk assessment | Lower premiums, better coverage | Annual | Risk management, safety incentives | Better behavior → lower premiums → more savings → more compliance |

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### **STATUS/REPUTATION REWARD SYSTEMS**

| **System** | **Impact Claim** | **Measure** | **Evaluate** | **Reward** | **Period** | **Higher-Level Effects** | **Self-Sustaining Loop** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Academic Peer Review** | "Advancing scientific knowledge" | Methodology, significance, novelty | Expert peer assessment | Academic reputation, citations | Per submission | Scientific progress, knowledge validation | Better research → more citations → higher status → more participation |
| **GitHub Contributions** | "Valuable technical contributions" | Code quality, project impact, commits | Peer usage, stars, forks | Developer reputation, recognition | Per commit/project | Collaborative tech innovation | Better code → more stars → higher status → more contributions |
| **Wikipedia Editing** | "Accurate knowledge contribution" | Edit quality, source reliability | Community review, revert rates | Editor status, community recognition | Per edit | Collective knowledge creation | Better edits → more respect → higher status → more editing |
| **Social Media** | "Engaging/influential content" | Likes, shares, engagement rates | Audience interaction metrics | Followers, social status | Per post | Cultural discourse, attention economy | Better content → more followers → higher status → more posting |
| **University Rankings** | "Educational excellence" | Graduation rates, research output | Comparative institutional analysis | Institutional prestige | Annual | Educational competition | Higher rankings → more prestige → more resources → better performance |

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### **ACCESS/OPPORTUNITY REWARD SYSTEMS**

| **System** | **Impact Claim** | **Measure** | **Evaluate** | **Reward** | **Period** | **Higher-Level Effects** | **Self-Sustaining Loop** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Credit Rating (FICO)** | "Creditworthy borrower" | Payment history, debt ratios | Algorithmic risk assessment | Credit access, better rates | Monthly | Financial inclusion, economic mobility | Better scores → more access → better opportunities → more responsible behavior |
| **Medical Licensing** | "Clinical competence/safety" | Medical knowledge, practice standards | Board examinations, peer review | Practice rights, professional credentials | Periodic recertification | Healthcare quality, patient safety | Better competence → more credentials → more opportunities → more skill development |
| **Performance Reviews** | "Organizational value contribution" | Goal achievement, competencies | Managerial assessment | Promotions, job opportunities | Annual/quarterly | Organizational development, talent management | Better performance → more opportunities → higher positions → more engagement |
| **App Store Ratings** | "High-quality mobile app" | Performance, user satisfaction | User reviews/downloads | Platform visibility, user access | Continuous | Mobile ecosystem innovation | Better ratings → more downloads → more access → more development |

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### **ATTENTION/INFLUENCE REWARD SYSTEMS**

| **System** | **Impact Claim** | **Measure** | **Evaluate** | **Reward** | **Period** | **Higher-Level Effects** | **Self-Sustaining Loop** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Sports Rankings** | "Athletic excellence" | Performance statistics, wins | Multi-stakeholder analysis | Media attention, fan recognition | Seasonal | Sports culture, entertainment industry | Better performance → more attention → more influence → more motivation |
| **Citation Index** | "Research significance/impact" | Citations, journal impact factors | Scholarly recognition metrics | Academic attention, field influence | Continuous | Scientific knowledge advancement | More citations → more attention → more influence → more research |

---

### **AUTHORITY/LEGITIMACY REWARD SYSTEMS**

| **System** | **Impact Claim** | **Measure** | **Evaluate** | **Reward** | **Period** | **Higher-Level Effects** | **Self-Sustaining Loop** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Elections** | "Public interest representation" | Polling, electoral performance | Voter preferences, media analysis | Political authority, legitimacy | Election cycles | Democratic governance, societal direction | Better representation → more legitimacy → more authority → more effective governance |