[EM] Electoral Experimentation

[David L Wetzell]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Richard Fobes <ElectionMethods at VoteFair.org>
To: election-methods at electorama.com
Cc:
Date: Wed, 14 Dec 2011 23:26:59 -0800
Subject: [EM] Electoral experimentation
On 12/14/2011 12:59 PM, David L Wetzell wrote:

> if we push hard for the use of American Proportional Representation
> it'll give third parties a better chance to win seats and they will
> prove great labs for experimentation with electoral reform.
>
> This is also a good reason to strategically support IRV, since we can
> trust that with changes, there'll be more scope for experimentation and
> consideration of multiple alternatives to FPTP.
>
> dlw
>

I doubt that electoral experimentation would follow the adoption of any new
election method.

Why?  Consider that elected representatives tend to defend whatever
election method they got elected under.  So if "American Proportional
Representation" -- or any other method -- were used by a third party to
elect its leaders, the elected representatives would be unlikely to support
experimenting with other election methods.

dlw: Within the third parties themselves, there'd need to be used
single-winner elections to determine their candidates/leaders/positions.
 In these regards, there'd be great scope for experimentation with
single-winner election rules, especially since they'd have no commitment to
a particular single-winner election rule.

It's analogous to a door to a treasure room that gets closed and locked
after the first people pass through.  People who gain access to power
naturally want to preserve whatever electoral system got them elected.

dlw: Third parties (in a 2 party dominated system) aren't so much about
getting into power as making democracy work, turning over the center....

Richard Fobes
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.electorama.com/pipermail/election-methods-electorama.com/attachments/20111215/82a29c79/attachment-0004.htm>