CR == Approval? Re: [EM] Re: Election-methods digest, Vol 1 #517 - 3 msgs

[Ernest Prabhakar]

> So, I think we have a pretty solid handle on the nature of the 
> differences between optimal CR and approval strategy.  I'm comfortable 
> with the statement, "CR is strategically equivalent to Approval, for 
> an individual voter in a large election".  Can you sum it up in a more 
> clever or succinct way than that?

I guess that's true (though I'd drop the ',').

I still prefer the succinct statement:
	 "The optimal strategy for CR is equivalent to that for Approval."

For a longer version, I'd say:
	 "The optimal strategy for CR is equivalent to that for Approval,
	 but in situations with detailed information and large voting power
	 the effective strategies might differ."

But, perhaps I'm answering a different question than you are.

Cheers,
-- Ernie P.


On Feb 27, 2004, at 1:03 AM, Adam Tarr wrote:

> I wrote and Ernest Prabhakar responded:
>
>>>> (I) 40% chance:
>>>> A: 101,000
>>>> B: 102,000
>>>> C: 104,000
>>>>
>>>> (II) 60% chance:
>>>> A: 100,000
>>>> B: 104,000
>>>> C: 105,000
>>>
>>> Then the optimal strategy is to give B 5 points if the preference 
>>> gap between C and B is at least twice as big as the preference gap 
>>> between A and B, and one point if it is not.
>>
>> Sure, for an individual voter.  But let me pose a question for you.
>> Say I was the party chieftain for the X party, and my 1,000 loyal 
>> followers (who all prefer A > B > C) ask me how they should vote.
>> Given the above expected breakdown from other voters, would it not 
>> make sense for me to ask all my followers to vote 5:3:1? (or 
>> something similar, I haven't done the calculation)
>
> I would say yes, it would make sense for your 1000 vote block to cote 
> that way.  By upping your effective voting power by a factor of 1000, 
> you've once again made it so that the act of voting changes your 
> expected utility.
>
> So, I think we have a pretty solid handle on the nature of the 
> differences between optimal CR and approval strategy.  I'm comfortable 
> with the statement, "CR is strategically equivalent to Approval, for 
> an individual voter in a large election".  Can you sum it up in a more 
> clever or succinct way than that?
>
> -Adam
>
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> info
>
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