[EM] Cheering for simplicity

[John B. Hodges]

>Date: Sat, 30 Aug 2003 01:52:46 -0400
>From: Dave Ketchum <davek at clarityconnect.com>
>Subject: [EM] Cheering for simplicity
>
>(snip)
>        Public elections:
>             Executive - for a single winner.  These will continue to exist,
>but we need to get past Plurality, which most of us recognize as not
>deserving to live.
>                  I see this as IMPORTANT, and that Condorcet seems to
>provide a reasonable combination of power and simplicity.
>(snip)
>        What do other countries do - their successes and failures are worth
>noting.
>        Marrying single seat and PR methods?  Tempting but:
>             ONLY if single seat stays Condorcet.
>             PR method must be suitable for that task.
>
>Is Condorcet simple?  I claim YES, especially for the voter:

(JBH) I agree that Condorcet-type methods are (or can be) "simple 
enough", and for single-seat elections they have a very persuasive 
rationale. (I repeat, IMHO single-seat methods should be used only 
where they are unavoidable; IMHO all legislative elections should be 
done by some means of PR.)

My comments re. computational loads were directed specifically 
against CPO-STV, which is an impressive method of PR conceptually but 
which I doubt will be acceptable to the public because of its 
computational complexity.

The big problem for promoters of Condorcet-type methods is the lack 
of consensus on what to do when there is no Condorcet-winner. There 
are many proposed Condorcet-type methods, each with its partisans. 
Ranked Pairs and Beatpath seem to be frontrunners, but neither has 
yet won general agreement.

My major point in the "simplicity" post was that simple systems are 
much more likely to be saleable to the public, a necessary step if 
they are ever going to be used. To do the sales job, Condorcet 
advocates IMHO need to agree on one method, and need to offer a 
persuasive rationale FOR it's way of picking a winner when there is 
no CW.

There exists an organization actively promoting IRV and STV, and 
there exists an organization for the promotion of Approval (though I 
have never heard of any activity from it.) Does there exist an 
organization for promoting some Condorcet-type method, and does said 
org actually do anything?
-- 
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John B. Hodges, jbhodges@  @usit.net
Do Justice, Love Mercy, and Be Irreverent.