# PAT-0240 — Authority-State Mismatch

## Ontology Metadata

Code: PAT-0240
Version: PAT-0240@0.1.0
Ontology release: 0.1.0
Updated: 2026-05-10T00:00:00Z
Canonical URL: /workbench/patterns/authority-state-mismatch/

## Summary

A structural condition where observed system state no longer aligns with the declared authority state that is supposed to govern it.

## Primary Lenses

- LEN-0270 — Reconciliation Lens
  - URL: /workbench/lenses/reconciliation-lens/
  - Summary: Evaluates whether structural changes align with declared authority updates, version changes, or reconciliation rules.

## Secondary Lenses

- LEN-0170 — Convergence Lens
  - URL: /workbench/lenses/convergence-lens/
  - Summary: Compares parallel structural systems to determine whether they align under shared authority.
- LEN-0280 — Reference Stability Lens
  - URL: /workbench/lenses/reference-stability-lens/
  - Summary: Evaluates whether structural references, identifiers, nodes, and edges remain consistent across execution cycles or comparable states.

## Primary Issue Matches

- ISS-0043 — Behavior Does Not Match Declared Role
  - URL: /workbench/issues/behavior-does-not-match-declared-role/
  - Summary: The AI or agent behaves outside, below, or differently from the role, authority, responsibility, or permission posture declared for it.
- ISS-0085 — Cannot Identify Authoritative State
  - URL: /workbench/issues/cannot-identify-authoritative-state/
  - Summary: The user or workflow cannot tell which state, version, review result, decision, source, or output is currently authoritative.
- ISS-0015 — Declared Owner Cannot Control Outcome
  - URL: /workbench/issues/declared-owner-cannot-control-outcome/
  - Summary: A person, role, system, or policy is declared responsible for an outcome but does not have the actual authority or control needed to govern it.
- ISS-0038 — Model and Workflow Disagree on Next Step
  - URL: /workbench/issues/model-and-workflow-disagree-on-next-step/
  - Summary: The AI model recommends or selects a next step that conflicts with the workflow state, required handoff, routing rule, or process sequence.
- ISS-0041 — Revoked Approval Still Treated as Active
  - URL: /workbench/issues/revoked-approval-still-treated-as-active/
  - Summary: An approval, permission, exception, or authorization that was revoked continues to affect AI behavior or workflow decisions as if it were still active.

## Supporting Issue Matches

- ISS-0040 — Actual Policy Differs From Declared Policy
  - URL: /workbench/issues/actual-policy-differs-from-declared-policy/
  - Summary: The policy the AI or workflow actually follows differs from the policy that is documented, declared, displayed, or expected.
- ISS-0094 — Early Model Output Gets Overweighted Downstream
  - URL: /workbench/issues/early-model-output-gets-overweighted-downstream/
  - Summary: An early AI output receives too much authority in later workflow steps, decisions, reviews, or generated artifacts.
- ISS-0036 — Human Review and Automation Disagree
  - URL: /workbench/issues/human-review-and-automation-disagree/
  - Summary: A human review result and an automated AI or workflow result disagree without a declared rule for resolving the difference.
- ISS-0101 — Local Exception Grows Into Policy
  - URL: /workbench/issues/local-exception-grows-into-policy/
  - Summary: A local exception, special case, or one-off allowance begins to function like a general policy.
- ISS-0012 — No Owner for Agent Action
  - URL: /workbench/issues/no-owner-for-agent-action/
  - Summary: An agent action can affect the system without a declared responsible owner, authority, or accountable decision path.
- ISS-0112 — Routing Overrides Task Intent
  - URL: /workbench/issues/routing-overrides-task-intent/
  - Summary: Routing, mode selection, agent behavior, or workflow classification sends the task down a path that overrides what the user was trying to accomplish.
- ISS-0055 — Rubric Changed but Results Did Not
  - URL: /workbench/issues/rubric-changed-but-results-did-not/
  - Summary: A review rubric, scoring rule, evaluation standard, or classification criterion changes, but AI results continue to reflect the old rubric.
- ISS-0001 — Similar Cases Route to Different Outcomes
  - URL: /workbench/issues/similar-cases-route-to-different-outcomes/
  - Summary: Similar inputs, cases, prompts, or workflow states are routed to different outcomes without a declared difference that explains the split.