Let's rename Smith-Condorcet

[Steve Eppley]

I propose we conduct a poll (in the EM list? in ER?) to try to find
a better name for Smith-Condorcet, something more suitable for 
electoral reform.  

Here's one possibility:    Instant Majority

I occasionally get feedback suggesting people have a negative
reaction to the use of proper nouns ("Smith", "Condorcet", etc.) 
in this context.  It may be suitable in the academic world to bestow
the names of methods' inventors on their methods, but it seems to be
counterproductive in the world of electoral reform. 

Another reason to assign a new name is because there's some
ambiguity about the Condorcet algorithm.  We here in EM use the name
to mean the minimax of opposition in pair-defeats, but if someone
researches using the name Condorcet they will likely find conflicting
info and may believe we're talking about some other algorithm.

I invite EM subscribers to submit new names for Smith-Condorcet for
us to rank or rate.  (Read this just before you go to sleep and let 
me know what names you wake up with.  :-)   I'm considering 
extending this invitation to the ER list, and I'd appreciate 
feedback on whether to do that; my guess is that ER subscribers 
who have a sufficiently intimate understanding of Smith//Condorcet 
or Condorcet to be helpful at inventing new names are already 
subscribed to EM.

We can also include Smith-Condorcet, Smith//Condorcet, Instant Runoffs, 
and "none of these--keep searching" in the poll.

I find the name Instant Majority (IM) appealing because of its
implication that IM will elect the candidate which has majority
support.  I can think of a downside to IM, though: people looking for
a supermajority method in some applications might look elsewhere, not
realizing that it's easy to modify Smith//Condorcet for supermajority
requirements.  

---Steve     (Steve Eppley    seppley at alumni.caltech.edu)