[EM] Condorcet mention in a relatively mainstream context

[Closed Limelike Curves]

Foley has explicitly stated he supports proportional
representation before, including e.g. here
<https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4328642&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email>.
However, as he correctly points out, this doesn't work for Senators,
Governors, and other single-seat elections. I'd also like to point out this
really isn't how Condorcet (or approval, or anything else) really works:
people on the left and right can absolutely still win elections, so long as
they're popular in their own districts.

In other words, to win, a less-moderate candidate has to *earn it*, by
having some other quality that's more important than their ideological fit
to the electorate. *This is what makes ballot-reversal symmetry actually
important**.* (The thing EVC keeps calling the "equal vote criterion", even
though it's much more of an "equal shot criterion"). Systems that fail
reversal symmetry because they're bottom-heavy in rankings (e.g. Coombs'
rule and antiplurality) are biased toward milquetoast centrists, because
they focus on who generates opposition while ignoring positive support.
Top-heavy rules like IRV or FPP are biased toward extremists, because they
focus on support rather than opposition.

On Thu, Jun 26, 2025 at 11:21 AM Bob Richard [lists] via Election-Methods <
election-methods at lists.electorama.com> wrote:

> Edward B. (Ned) Foley is a law professor who has been promoting Condorcet
> compliance for quite a while now. For lots more, see his blog:
>
> https://edwardbfoley.substack.com/
>
> If he could have his way, legislatures would consist exclusively of
> centrists, with no representation at all for people on the right or the
> left. What he advocates is the exact opposite of proportionality. But at
> least he's explicit about that.
>
> --Bob Richard
>
> ------ Original Message ------
> From "Hahn, Paul via Election-Methods" <
> election-methods at lists.electorama.com>
> To "EM" <election-methods at lists.electorama.com>
> Date 6/26/2025 7:29:38 AM
> Subject [EM] Condorcet mention in a relatively mainstream context
>
> https://electionlawblog.org/?p=150574
>
>
>
> Thoughts?
>
>
>
> --pH
>
> ----
> Election-Methods mailing list - see https://electorama.com/em for list
> info
>
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