[EM] Can every issue be resolved on to a 1D spectrum?

[Gervase Lam]

> Date: Fri, 21 May 2004 00:12:40 -0700
> From: Ken Johnson <kjinnovation at earthlink.net>
> Subject: [EM] Efforts to improve on CR's strategy

> A particular candidate, say candidate 1, has a set of "candidate
> position" indices CP1[1] for issue 1, CP1[2] for issue 2, etc. Each
> position index is in the range -1 to +1, with positive meaning the
> candidate is a proponent of the issue, and negative meaning an opponent.

This made me think of a general question: Each issue is being resolved on 
to a 1D spectrum.  Can every issue be resolved this way?  Or does having 
multiple dimensions (i.e. issue spectra) resolve things?

I'll partially take James Green-Armytage's example of marijuana.  The 
spectrum "ranges" from life in prison if found in possession to legalize 
it.

What if a candidate said that instead of life in prison, the offender 
would have all assets (money, property, belongings) taken away and be 
stripped of nationality (i.e. citizen of no country) resulting in 
expulsion from the country?  I have made the assumption here that no other 
country would accept the offender as a citizen nor would the person earn 
any money, or something like this!

What if a candidate said that capital punishment would be meted out on the 
first offence but then life imprisonment on the second?  What I am trying 
to think of in this case is a discontinuous bolt on to the 1D spectrum.

Not really a great examples.  But I hope somebody gets the idea.

Thanks,
Gervase.