[EM] Re: Chris--Your Range-Voting comments

[MIKE OSSIPOFF]

CB: "Majority Favourite" refers to a candidate who is the favourite of
the majority. It is about nothing else except making
that candidate win, not just some other candidate lose.

I reply:

Excuse me, but did I say otherwilse? The Majority Favorite Criterion, as 
currently used, is as I stated it, and, as you said, refers to who wins, not 
who loses.

You continued:

So then the
short version would be:

"If  a majority prefers candidate x to any other candidate, then x must
win".


I reply:

Yes, and I pointed out to you that no method meets it.

You continued:

A long, votes-related version might say:

"If the voting method  asks or requires the voters to specify one
candidate as favourite, or  to provide sufficient information
so that  the unique favourites of all those voters who have one can be
inferred from the ballots (and not  give the voters
any zero-information incentive to do anything else);  then if a majority
of voters prefer candidate x to any other candidate
and vote sincerely then x must win."

I reply:

I doubt that that will catch on. In any case, it isn't the Majority Favorite 
Criterion. But you could offer it as an alternative version. As I said, 
Approval meets the Majorityl Favorite Criterion as usually defined.

YOu continued:

Obviously if the method doesn't collect enough information to infer the
voters' favourites, then it can't  meet MF.

I reply:

No, if a method didn't allow us to indicate a favorite, then it would pass, 
because you couldn't write a failure example.

In any case, Approval _does_ let you vote X over everyone else, by voting 
only for X.


CB: Approval definitely fails Majority Favourite  (and  also ML), for
the very simple reason that the ballot doesn't
ask the voter  "Who is your favourite?", but rather  "Which candidates
do you approve?"  or  "Rate the candidates on a
scale of 0,1".

I reply:

No, Chris, that doesn't make Approval fail that criterion. Whether asked or 
not, you can vote X over everyone byv voting only for X. In any case, the 
criterion requires only that if a majority do so (whether or not the method 
allows it) that candidate must win. Approval passes that criterion as 
usually defined.



You continued:

It is perhaps debatable where the line between "majority-rule methods"
and  others should be drawn,  but  complying with
May's criterion, Majority Favourite  and  Majority Loser are certainly
bare minimum requirements.

I Reply:

You're certainly entitled to define majority rule methods as you wish.

Don't worry so much about 2-candidate elections. That isn't really the 
problem, you know.

_________________________________________________________________
Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today - it's FREE! 
http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/