[EM] False distinction between single and multi-member systems,,

[Richard Lung]

False distinction between single and multi-member systems

There is no rational reason why single-member constituencies should be 
treated separately from multi-member constituencies, as the 
Anglo-American political system does.

There is the political reason that career politics prefers monopolies. 
Among academics, it is a question of whether the politics is put before 
the science of political science. A certain American body of that 
persuasion chooses so-called approval voting for its election system. As 
this is essentially cumulative voting by another name, it is just enough 
to assert a token independence from the time honored first past the 
post, electoral system, without emerging from the 19^th century with 
anything approaching electoral originality.

However, the supposed distinction between single and multi member 
systems rests on the fact that only the latter are capable of 
proportional elections. This is true but it does not preclude the 
possibility of election system, that consistently applies to both single 
and multi-member systems.

In that case, singling-out single-member systems for special treatment 
is just a matter of personal preference or prejudice, for monopolistic 
representation, that has neither logical justification, nor the 
justification of democratic competition.

A crude manifestation of this personal preference or prejudice for 
monopoly is the falsifying of the name of Thomas Hare and his system, by 
associating it with instant run-off voting (IRV).

This is excused by falsely assuming a continuity between IRV and STV. 
But the latter is a proportional election, and the former is an 
eliminative count. IRV is hardly an election at all, unless some 
candidate happens to have an over-all majority.

Users of STV often say as much as that IRV is a second-best to STV for 
single-member systems. But they do not claim that conventional STV can 
be used in single-member systems.

The point is that it is possible to invent an STV system, that can be 
consistently used in single-member as well as multi-member systems. I 
know, I have invented it! It is not misunderstood because it is 
difficult but because it is different, lack of familiarity rather than 
lack of intelligence, being the problem.

Regards,

Richard Lung.

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