[EM] Fwd: The Global Fight For Electoral Justice: A Primer

[Erik Moeller via Election-Methods]

On Tue, Dec 27, 2016 at 9:23 PM, Someone <fdpk69p6uq at snkmail.com> wrot
> I know IRV is bad, but is STV bad, since it's only for multi-winner
> elections?

I don't think STV is a bad system, just a complicated one. I do worry,
as I mentioned in my original post, that this helps make it very
susceptible to repeal, since it's been repealed in all US cities that
have used it except one:

http://www.jacksantucci.com/docs/papers/repeal_dec2016.pdf
https://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/polit/damy/articles/Brief%20History%20of%20PR.htm
https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001157823
http://archive.fairvote.org/library/history/true_experiences.htm

My sense is that US debate is dominated by the IRV->STV path, even
though single-vote MMP is a pretty straightforward upgrade path for
legislatures, and super-easy for voters. I've found the Canadian
reports from their many aborted electoral reform efforts the most
useful in my exploration of the subject. I recommend checking out this
report by Louis Massicotte that came out of the Quebec reform
discussions, one of the most rigorous examinations of compensatory
voting systems, which also concluded with a recommendation for
single-vote MMP:

https://www.institutions-democratiques.gouv.qc.ca/publications/mode_scrutin_rapport_en.pdf

Cheers,

Erik