[EM] Re: A majority rule definition based on the Smith set

[MIKE OSSIPOFF]

James said:

I suggest that narrower definitions, such as the one that Mike has
formulated, are too narrow, in that it is necessary to choose one of
several viable defeat strength definitions.

I reply:

I didn't formulate the definition that says a majority is a set of voters 
consisting of more than half of the people voting in a particular election. 
That's been used for a long time, and it's the main meaning for "majority".

A set of voters consisting of more than half of the people voting in an 
election are a uniquely powerful set of voters.

For such a set of voters, certain strategy guarantees can be made, which 
couldn't be made for a smaller set of voters.

There's nothing arbitrary about defining a term for a set of voters 
consisting of more than half of the people voting in an election. Majority 
is the term that's always been used to refer to such a set of voters. That's 
true even if "majority" is also sometimes used as a replacement for 
"pairwise defeat".

Mike Ossipoff

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