[EM] Influence of a single vote (was Voting strategy etc.)

[Michael Allan]

> Juho Laatu wrote:
> > Do you mean that one individual vote
> > practically never changes the result
> > of a large election?
> >
> > One can see this from two viewpoints.
> > 1) can I change the result
> > 2) can I and similar minded people
> >   together change the result
 
Raph Frank wrote:
> Well, you only control yourself.
 
For perspective: The influence of an individual vote on the results is
expected to be different between private and public systems.  The
actual influence of a private vote is usually exactly zero.  I guess
it depends a little on the voting method, but it's almost always zero
in FPTP.

On the other hand, the influence of a public vote is usually positive,
though incalculable.  It is incalculable because the weight of a
public expression per se cannot be felt in a strictly subjective,
individual context.  It can only be felt in an inter-subjective,
social context.

Juho, you're perhaps making the opposite mistake?  You look at private
voting from an inter-subjective persepective.  I don't think that's
valid.  The vote itself can have no influence on the behaviour of
other voters.  It typically has no influence at all, except on the
voter herself.  So it's purely subjective.

(What's also interesting is the objective perspective of manipulation.
 But that means looking at the influence of money and power, and not
 votes per se.)

-- 
Michael Allan

Toronto, 647-436-4521
http://zelea.com/