[EM] Single/Multimember districts (was Re: In defence of IRV)

[robert bristow-johnson]

Certainly at the state representative level, multimember districts are not unconstitutional in Vermont.

So besides IRV vs. Condorcet, my other fight in Vermont is this:

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1f3NY4MXgnmVuO1zT_eakWht4HOmmd8Dx/view 

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CN1qD-8mkMzqckzC6XDaUC8APAJAJvth/view 

They're playing the race card in the whitest, least racially diverse state in the U.S.

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r b-j

> On 11/15/2021 4:04 PM Daniel Carrera <dcarrera at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> On Mon, Nov 15, 2021 at 2:49 PM Jan Šimbera <simbera.jan at gmail.com> wrote:
> > As an aside since the debate has broadened considerably anyway:
> > To me, a Central European, it is still quite strange how little the
> > American debate on electoral reform focuses on the option of multimember
> > constituencies (the reform of House elections from single-member
> > districts to a per-state PR method perhaps being the most obvious candidate).
> > The main argument I find for the "first show support, then negotiate"
> > paradigm is that it gives the votes more expressive power
> > AND makes the negotiation process more transparent and observable
> > for the general public.
> 
> Yeah. I think multimember precincts are a brilliant solution but my impression is that anglo-saxon countries are really stuck on the idea of single member districts (Ireland being a notable exception). The argument I've heard is that the elected official is there to represent their particular region, but I've never been persuaded by that argument. I've lived in three anglo-saxon countries (Canada, UK, US) and national politics are always national. I've never heard of an MP or member of congress actually push for a little parochial issue that is specific to their particular spot in the country. It all seems to be party-line votes regardless. If politicians are going to behave that way, then we might as well just have a system with proportional representation. I would love to see STV in more places. I think in the US specifically there are constitutional barriers to multi-member districts.
> 
> -- 
> 
> Dr. Daniel Carrera
> Postdoctoral Research Associate
> Iowa State University
> ----
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--

r b-j . _ . _ . _ . _ rbj at audioimagination.com

"Imagination is more important than knowledge."

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