[EM] Simulation of Duverger's Law

[Kristofer Munsterhjelm]

Raph Frank wrote:
> On Fri, Oct 17, 2008 at 12:44 AM, Kevin Venzke <stepjak at yahoo.fr> wrote:
>> I think what we need to see, are IRV elections to a chamber that is
>> not parliamentary (i.e. there is no particular prize for one party getting
>> the most seats). Perhaps in that situation IRV could support more than
>> two parties.
> 
> In Ireland, the rule is that the Taoiseach (PM) needs to obtain the
> support of a majority of the Dail before he is appointed.  This seems
> pretty fair.  There is no specific incentive to obtain the most seats
> (parties can always form a coalition later).
> 
> However, it looks like in (nearly?) all other parliamentary countries,
> the rule is that the leader of the largest party is appointed.  The
> eliminates the need to form a coalition.

Isn't it the case for most parliamentary countries that the government 
needs support of the legislature to stay in power? At least here (in 
Norway), that's the case, which means that a coalition of parties decide 
to populate the government (determine who gets to be in the executive), 
and the PM is, like any other position, determined by said coalition, 
subject to the general approval of the government by the legislature.

Thus, while in majority governments, the largest party gets the PM (and 
that may happen for minority governments, too), for some minority 
governments, a smaller party of the coalition gets the PM (in exchange 
for it staying in the coalition).