[EM] Record activity on the EM list?

[James Gilmour]

There is only one real issue in elections: representation of the voters.

If in a single winner partisan election the voters vote 51% for A and 49% for B, we have a major problem in representation.

But if the voters vote in the same way (51% to 49%) in a two-member election, any sensible voting system will give one seat to A and
one seat to B.

Compared to that difference in providing "representation of the voters", all the other differences between single-winner and
multi-winner elections are trivial.

James

> -----Original Message-----
> From: election-methods-bounces at lists.electorama.com 
> [mailto:election-methods-bounces at lists.electorama.com] On 
> Behalf Of Juho Laatu
> Sent: Thursday, August 04, 2011 7:07 AM
> To: EM list
> Subject: Re: [EM] Record activity on the EM list?
> 
> 
> Yes, there are areas where single-winner methods are more 
> challenging. For example multi-winner STV works better than 
> single-winner STV, and it is easier to collect sincere 
> ratings in multi-winner methods than in single-winner 
> methods. On the other hand the field of study may be wider in 
> multi-winenr methods (a bit like N is more complicated than 
> 1). In multi-winner methods we may have some additional 
> aspects to study and solve like proportionality, geographical 
> proportionality and the computational complexity related 
> problems tend to cause problems. Individual problems may thus 
> be more numerous in multi-winner methods although some 
> individual problems may be more challenging in single-winner methods.
> 
> Juho
> 
> 
> 
> On 3.8.2011, at 19.35, James Gilmour wrote:
> 
> > Juho Laatu  > Sent: Wednesday, August 03, 2011 6:04 AM
> >> Multi-winner methods are, if possible, even more complicated
> >> than single-winner methods. 
> > 
> > I disagree.  It is much easier to obtain a "satisfactory" 
> > (representative, acceptable) outcome for a multi-winner 
> election than 
> > it is to obtain a "satisfactory" (representative, 
> acceptable) outcome 
> > for a single-winner election.  Choosing a method to elect the 
> > candidate who best represents the voters in a single-winner 
> election 
> > is the most difficult challenge in electoral science.  As 
> soon as you 
> > elect two or more candidates together, many of the problems 
> disappear.
> > 
> > James Gilmour
> > 
> > 
> > ----
> > Election-Methods mailing list - see 
> http://electorama.com/em for list 
> > info
> 
> ----
> Election-Methods mailing list - see http://electorama.com/em 
> for list info
>