This whitepaper introduces a formal model for measuring the gap between what governed systems specify and what they actually do. Three variables are defined: the Integrity Gap (ΔI), Masking (M), and the Verification Threshold (θ). The model is applied to cybersecurity compliance systems, with a masking taxonomy, an integrity assessment protocol, and a ΔI scoring rubric developed for practitioner use. The paper states the scale-invariant hypothesis: that ΔI, M, and θ are not domain-specific but are general properties of governed systems operating through identical mechanisms from code to culture. A layer architecture (Layers 0–4 plus two RFC layers) maps the domains where the model applies. Verification protocols specifying what would confirm, refine, or falsify the hypothesis in each domain are provided. The cognitive mechanism explaining corruption persistence and detection is under development and will be published in subsequent academic work. This document was developed with LLM assistance, including drafting, structural editing, and strategic review. All intellectual content is the author's original work. This is a Request for Comment. The model is a specification. Test it.
Houssam Badi (Wed,) studied this question.