[EM] strategy-free Condorcet method after all!

[robert bristow-johnson]

On Nov 23, 2009, at 1:43 AM, Dave Ketchum wrote:

>
> Seems to me that cycles can occur even with sincerity - they relate  
> to conflict among three or more voter views.


sure, they "can".  but i still question the prevalence of such  
happening.  and with the other methods, particularly the two used in  
governmental elections: FPTP and IRV, the prevalence of tactical  
voting (particularly compromising) is clear.  why is there so much  
worry about a pathology that just doesn't seem to occur often enough  
to be worth it when there seems to be plenty reason to worry about  
pathologies involved with the non-Condorcet methods?

i dunno how to, other than take the raw ballot data of some existing  
IRV elections, but i would like to see how many of these municipal  
IRV elections, that if the ballots were tabulated according to  
Condorcet rules, that a cycle would occur.  i know the answer for  
Burlington 2006 and 2009 (no cycle in either case, the first case the  
IRV, Condorcet, and FPTP winner was the same person, the second case  
they were 3 different persons, a clear pathology worth worrying  
about).  what about Cambridge MA or SF, anyone know?

--

r b-j                  rbj at audioimagination.com

"Imagination is more important than knowledge."