Glossary entry

Non-decision

Definition

A stable administrative disposition where a system withholds an outcome that could be challenged (“pending,” “in review”) while consequences accrue.

Non-decisions stretch moral latency and leave people nothing to challenge, keeping them in limbo.

Temporal

Related terms

Governance by suspension
Cite this glossary entry · v1.17.1 · updated Oct 6, 2026 · CC BY-SA 4.0

APA

Ethotechnics Institute. (2026). Non-decision. Ethotechnics glossary. https://ethotechnics.org/glossary/non-decision

MLA

Ethotechnics Institute. "Non-decision." Ethotechnics glossary, 2026, https://ethotechnics.org/glossary/non-decision.

Chicago

Ethotechnics Institute. "Non-decision." Ethotechnics glossary. Oct 6, 2026. https://ethotechnics.org/glossary/non-decision.

BibTeX

@misc{glossary_non-decision,
  title={Non-decision},
  author={Ethotechnics Institute},
  year={2026},
  howpublished={Ethotechnics glossary},
  url={https://ethotechnics.org/glossary/non-decision},
  version={v1.17.1}
}

RIS

TY  - WEB
TI  - Non-decision
AU  - Ethotechnics Institute
PY  - 2026
UR  - https://ethotechnics.org/glossary/non-decision
ER  -

Authorship

Contact: hello@ethotechnics.org

Publication details

  • Published: Dec 3, 2025
  • Last updated: Oct 6, 2026
  • Version: v1.17.1

License: CC BY-SA 4.0

Credit Ethotechnics Institute, include the term title and version, and link to the glossary permalink.

Archive: Wayback Machine history

Latest change

v1.17.1 · Oct 6, 2026 — Editorial revision. Titles are in sentence case. Pasted spec blocks are replaced with prose and worked examples, 79 operational tests are rewritten as pass conditions, 22 origin notes are rewritten or sourced, and unsourced superlatives are cut. No terms were added or removed, and permalinks are unchanged.

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