[EM] Approval Voting vs Instant Runoff Voting:

[Blake Cretney]

On Fri, 09 Feb 2001 22:23:26 -0800
Bart Ingles <bartman at netgate.net> wrote:


> > advantage, that it involves no real insincerity, is a false one, because
> > it can only make that claim because Approval has no intuitive "sincere"
> > vote. Approval sucks. It does nothing to empower ordinary voters to ensure
> > their vote counts.
> 
> No intuitive sincere vote?  Vote for everyone you like; don't vote for
> anyone you don't like.

Actually, although I certainly think Approval has problems, I like it much better since I stopped thinking about it along those lines.

I guess it may be a difference between how you and I view elections, but I don't naturally divide the candidates into two groups (like and dislike).  "Liking" a candidate only makes sense to me in relation to other candidates.  For example, I might like A more than B.  What do you mean when you say that you "like" a candidate?  Does it mean that you feel actual affection for them?  I suspect you mean that you think the candidate is better than the average for the field.

Now, I tend to view Approval purely as a strategy game, weighted towards the Condorcet winner.  From that point of view it makes a certain amount of sense.

---
Blake Cretney