[EM] Approval Voting vs Instant Runoff Voting

[LAYTON Craig]

Bart wrote:

>If utility isn't relevant here, I don't see how it could be relevant
>anywhere.

Okay, that was an overstatement.  Utility is relevant, perhaps even the most
important factor in evaluating electoral systems.  But there isn't just the
kind of dis-utility you get from a candidate you don't like winning, there's
also the kind of dis-utility you get when the contest is close, you have a
voting system highly vulnerable to vote splitting and strategy, voters
aren't sure how to vote, and those who don't do the right thing (ie voted
A>B=C instead of A=B>C)feel cheated (quite rightly).  They think that their
vote didn't count, and if only they voted differently they could change the
outcome.  It's like finding out your vote has been declared invalid.  The
satisfaction of knowing that, generally, the best thing for you to do is to
express your preferences sincerely (and there's only one way to do it) is
more utility positive than a system which does (very marginally) better in
expected utility outcomes (like Approval).  Except, of course, if the world
was full of mathmaticians and voting theorists, who would have much more fun
strategising.

>I see no evidence that a majority preferred any of the candidates. 
>While I agree that it's nice to have a majority winner where possible, I
>don't agree that a manufactured majority is better than none at all. 
>There is nothing in the definition of democracy that requires this. 
>Perhaps having grown up with IRV, the IRV-style majority feels 'right'
>or 'traditional' or 'democratic' to you, but a more historical view of
>democracy would probably consider IRV to be 'undemocratic'.

I don't think IRV is all that democratic.  The arguments for Approval over
IRV are fairly persuasive.  On the whole, I'm persuaded.  But, if you (or
anyone else) actually prefer Approval over Condorcet, then I'd be really
interested in seeing the arguments.  The few I have seen that actually
compare the two certainly caught my attention.  Despite the fact that it is
perhaps the most interesting division on this mailing list, people haven't
been particularly willing to come down on either side.  And, lets face it,
some of the Condorcet advocates will be much better at defending their
position than I.