[EM] proxies and confidentiality

[Abd ul-Rahman Lomax]

At 06:06 PM 3/9/2006, Jan Kok wrote:
>Selecting bottom-tier proxies by secret ballot sure seems like a messy
>problem.  Depending on the problem definition (the requirements), I'm
>not confident that there is a solution.

I don't think that it is a serious problem at all. In a secret ballot 
system, direct proxies are assigned by ballot. The voter votes for a 
proxy. (In Fractional Approval Asset Voting, the voter has one vote, 
which may be cast for one or more "candidates" -- they are really 
electoral proxies -- and if for more than one, the vote is split 
equally among them.) All this is secret. A voter may claim to a proxy 
that he or she voted for him.

And, really, the proxy should not care whether or not this is true. 
If the proxy finds it useful to directly communicate with the voter, 
fine. If not, no problem. The proxy is not required to. And the 
voter, if lying, has just wasted his time. And if telling the truth, 
will simply select someone else who is more congenial.

People seem to expect proxies to crave votes. I actually think that 
DP makes it unnecessary. Sure, many people will still crave power, 
but the people *I* find most trustworthy don't. They actually accept 
power reluctantly.