The Allure of IRV

[Joe Weinstein]

Mike has well made the case that, compared with other reform methods, 
Approval solves at least 80% of the problems at next to 0% of the cost.

By comparison, the great unwashed public - like me not all that long ago - 
will be baffled and dismayed to learn that not only do various rank methods 
exist, including Borda and Condorcet, but that the latter is not really a 
single superior method at all but is instead a plethora of methods.  Their 
only obvious common feature is that IF there is a Condorcet Winner (CW) THEN 
she/he will be the electoral winner.

So, in case (as may well have been true for the 2000 US Pres election) there 
is no CW, you then need a 'completion' method - which opens up the debate 
all over again.  IRVites might argue for IRV-completion.  I would have to 
argue for Approval-completion.  In any case, the case gets too complicated.

Moreover, on what grounds is the CW necessarily to be preferred to the 
Approval winner?  Some examples illustrate otherwise.

Joe Weinstein
Long Beach, CA USA



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