[EM] Toy election model: 2D IQ (ideology/quality) model

[Kathy Dopp]

On Sun, Nov 6, 2011 at 5:36 PM, Jameson Quinn <jameson.quinn at gmail.com> wrote:
> The point of this model is not to accurately reflect reality, but to
> demonstrate how easy it is to get some simple, yet perhaps counterintuitive,
> results. That's why I repeatedly called the model a "toy".
> In this case, what I demonstrated in my previous message almost certainly
> generalizes to more-realistic numbers of dimensions and distributions of
> voters. To wit:
> 1. The pairwise winner is not necessarily the utility winner, even for
> honest voters in a smooth distribution with symmetrically-shaped preference
> functions.

Are you saying the Condorcet winner is not necessarily the utility winner?

> 3. It is therefore reasonable to hope for a voting system that tends to
> elect centrists, but slightly less so than a Condorcet system.

Why would utility be considered more important than centrist?  Or would it?


-- 

Kathy Dopp
http://electionmathematics.org
Town of Colonie, NY 12304
"One of the best ways to keep any conversation civil is to support the
discussion with true facts."
"Renewable energy is homeland security."

Fundamentals of Verifiable Elections
http://kathydopp.com/wordpress/?p=174

View some of my research on my SSRN Author page:
http://ssrn.com/author=1451051