[Election-Methods] Partisan Politics + Candidate selection

[Abd ul-Rahman Lomax]

At 01:49 PM 6/6/2008, James Gilmour wrote:
>You MAY find it interesting to see what was said about candidate 
>selection in a different but similar political system.  The
>Electoral Reform Society asked an independent Commission to look at 
>this whole topic.  You'll find the report (published 2003, PDF
>222 KB) here:
>  http://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/downloads/Candidate%20Report.pdf
>
>James

While that report is interesting, the approach is radically 
different, and "selection" for Mansbridge has a quite different 
meaning. She is writing about two different approaches to 
representation, a "selection model," where, in the image she uses, 
the voter notices someone else walking down the same road, apparently 
going to the same place, and asks this person to represent him or 
her. I.e., voters voting for someone whom they expect will naturally 
want to do the same things as the voter.

The alternative model, the "sanctions model," is one where the 
elected official is viewed as seeking to maintain office and will, 
pursuing this goal, attempt to please as many voters as possible, 
with the voters monitoring performance and "sanctioning" failure to 
function in a pleasing manner.

She notes the advantages and disadvantages of each model.....