[EM] Proportional Representation and Accountability

[Donald E Davison]

Greetings to EM list members,

A person by the name of Bill Frampton wrote; "No system based on
single-member ridings -- and this includes MMP -- can make politicians
accountable to the voters."

Donald's comments:
     Bill's statement is correct as far as it goes, but a more complete
statement would be to say:  "No election system -- and this includes STV --
can make politicians accountable to the voters."

     The voters already have the ability to vote for some other candidate
at the next election, but this does not seem to hold the members
accountable, and there is no reason for anyone to think that changing the
election method will change this lack of accountability.
     PR does give representation to more people, but it does not improve
accountability. You merely have a new and different collection of members
who will be just as accountable and/or unaccountable as the old collection
of members.

     If you want accountability, you need Direct Democracy in which the
people have the power to void measures passed by their lawmakers, but in no
way does STV make lawmakers accountable anymore than any other election
system.

     Bill loves STV, but he is making the error of all lovers, the error of
giving false qualities to his love.
     Bill Frampton is in error.

Donald,

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   |                         Q U O T A T I O N                         |
   |  "Democracy is a beautiful thing,                                 |
   |       except that part about letting just any old yokel vote."    |
   |                            - Age 10                               |
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