[EM] Can someone point me at an example of the nonmonotonicity of IRV?

[rob brown]

On Sat, Aug 9, 2008 at 11:55 AM, Kathy Dopp <kathy.dopp at gmail.com> wrote:

> Can you imagine knowingly supporting a voting system where voters have
> no idea how to rank their first choice candidate (first or last or in
> between) in order to help their first choice candidate win?!
>
> I.e. ranking one's first choice candidate LAST, may help one's first
> choice candidate win, whereas ranking one's first choice candidate
> FIRST will not.


Don't you think you are being a bit over dramatic, Kathy?

Are you aware that in going to a doctor to treat an injury, you can get in a
car accident and get injured some more?  Why would anyone go to a doctor if
doing so can actually make your health WORSE?

Just because there is a non-zero chance of harm resulting from your choice
does not mean that you should be paralyzed from making a decision.  The
potential harm (and good) needs to be balanced with the probability of the
various outcomes.  We do this sort of balancing every day, usually
subconsciously, on just about every decision we make.  By your logic, people
should have "no idea" whether to do anything.

I also think you are putting far too much emphasis on people's first choice
candidate, as if all results other than the first choice candidate winning
are equally bad.  This way of thinking seems to be a common symptom of being
accustomed to plurality and the two party system that results from it.  In
an election with many candidates, if you hurt your first choice candidate's
chances, but you help your second choice beat your least favorite, is that
really so bad?

-rob
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