CFV: EM FAQ outline

[Steve Eppley]

**Call for a Vote**
I propose the following initial outline for the new EM FAQ.
(If passed, it can and should be modified by future votes.)

EM subscribers are requested to send their yes, no, or neutral votes
to me.  I don't know how many subscribers would consider posting
votes in the list to be clutter, so I won't advise for or against
posting votes there as well.

--Steve

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PROPOSED OUTLINE
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applications of elections
   choose one from a set of conflicting proposals
   elect a single office-holder from a set of candidates
   elect a set of representatives to deliberate and vote
   choose a subset of competing proposals (budget allocation)
voter preferences and indifference
voter preference orders
circular majorities & pluralities
submerged majorities & pluralities
criteria for judging methods
   majority rule criteria
   supermajority criteria and applications
   LOE criteria
   Arrow criteria
   modified Arrow criterion: IIAC-2
      which candidates are relevant?
standards for judging methods
   majority rule
   no LOE
   no Spoiling
   no incentives to misrepresent preference orders
   avoid submerging of majorities and pluralities
   simplicity of voting
      optimizing one's vote
      entering one's vote in the voting booth
   simplicity of tally
      need for voters to understand how winner won
   no need for preliminary ("primary") elections
   ability to assign a single "majority" count to the winner?
      (developed by Marsha Pripstein's students)
   ability to elect none of the choices?
   the Davison standard?
   plurality rule?  (Is a large faction needed to effectively govern?)
other related standards and criteria
   No barriers to ballot presence (ballot access reform)
   No barriers to inform voters (campaign cost and finance reform)
   Low cost of voting
commonly used methods
proposed methods
   advocated methods
ballot and voting booth practicality considerations
fancy methods for the future
examples of method successes re: standards and criteria
examples of method failures re: standards and criteria
arguments about plausibility and frequency of examples
   empirical experience
   conjectures
arguments about importance of criteria and standards
arguments about how well or poorly methods satisfy criteria and 
   standards
arguments about incomparable preference "intensities"
glossary
glossary of key terms
   majority
   submerged majority