[EM] very simple email poll

[raphfrk at netscape.net]

  From: heitzig-j at web.de
  > Consider a situation with three options A,B,C

> and only two voters, whose 

> ratings* are as follows:

>

> voter 1: A 100, C 50, B 0

> voter 2: B 100, C 50, A 0

> 

> Now please answer these three questions with "yes" or "no":

> 

> 1. Is C socially preferable to A? ___



Yes.



C has the same inherent utility, but also has 

additional utility due to being less likely to cause

social friction due to protests or other public disorder.



> 2. Is tossing a coin to decide between A and B socially preferable to A? ___



Probably yes.  



By giving B some chance at winning, there is less likelihood of social

friction being generated.  B's supporters will know that they fairly

lost and also that they could win at the next election.



OTOH, A and B are equal, so tossing a coin just adds randomness 

to the process.  Since risk can be cheaply created, there will always

be an oversupply of risk.  If a government is based on coin tosses, 

the markets will be hit with a random forcing every election.

That will happen anyway though.



> 3. Is C socially preferable to tossing a coin to decide between A and B? ___



Yes.  C is better than A or B and is thus better to a random choice 

of A or B.

     Raphfrk
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