Ordering Applied Briefs No.02 — Figure 02: Formal Authority vs Causal Authority

This companion visual distinguishes formal authority from causal authority in the diagnosis of Decision Drop. Formal authority names the visible right to decide. Causal authority names the layer that actually orders the outcome under systemic pressure. Decision Drop begins when these two no longer align: the visible interface may remain active, but decisive weight has moved to the deeper layer that absorbs failure. This figure accompanies Ordering Applied Briefs No.02, The Decision Drop World: How Visible Decision Interfaces Lose Causal Authority Under Systemic Pressure.