[EM] FWD - How to Fix n Election

[Bart Ingles]

Donald E Davison wrote:
> 
>   --------- Forwarded without comment ----------
> Resent-Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 10:53:27 -0500
> Date: Wed, 24 Mar 1999 07:49:44 -0800
> From: "Peter B. Macdonald" <pbmacdonald at netci.com>
> Reply-To: pbmacdonald at netci.com
> Organization: Private
> MIME-Version: 1.0
> To: donald at mich.com
> Subject: How to Fix an Election
> 
> The following appeared on one of my listserve.
> 
> Though it might be of interest.
> 
> Some of you math types might like to pick it apart.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Peter B. Macdonald
> 
> http://www.netci.com/taxcap
> The other side of Direct Democracy
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> >From Ivars Peterson's Math Trek, Science News Online,
> http://www.sciencenews.org/sn_arc98/10_31_98/mathland.htm
> 
> October 31, 1998
> 
> How to Fix an Election
> 
> By Ivars Peterson -- Science News Online
> 
[snip]

> Comments are welcome. Please send messages to Ivars Peterson
> at ip at sciserv.org.
> 
> Ivars Peterson is the mathematics/computers writer and online
> editor at Science News.


You don't have to be a math type to pick this article apart.

First, the author appears to rely almost exclusively on Donald Saari as
a source of information for this article.

Second, he mentions that Borda has "some problems", but doesn't
enumerate them at all.  No mention of rich-party or "turkey raising".

Third, he incorrectly uses the term "approval voting" to describe a
multiple-seat election.  Approval is by definition a single winner
method.  He appears to be using the term to describe an At-Large
Plurality election.

At least there is an address for comments directed at the author.  Some
letters to the editor might be in order as well.

Bart Ingles