politics-as-unusual:

“Finding the Cure for Pendulum Politics”

One of the reasons why I am fed up with American Politics is our two party system. In every election, every candidate acts like they know the needs and wants of every single person in America. Then, when those same candidates become elected officials,…

Careful with IRV. It’s a falsehood that it allows you to always vote your favorite. Voting your favorite can actually hurt you as happened to voters that chose their favorite in Burlington, VT using IRV. See here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gg3LJLlcj68 IRV only buffers against spoilers when those candidates have little support. When the candidate gains support, they can become spoilers under IRV.

You want a system that’s completely immune to vote splitting and gives third parties a more accurate measure of support? Try Approval Voting: www.approvalvoting.org No ranking. Just vote for as many as you want. Always vote your favorite. Much easier with all the perks.

Also, if you’re interested in PR systems, then you should peruse this site: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/polit/damy/articles/articles.htm

I strongly recommend the article on the history of PR in the US here: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/polit/damy/articles/Brief%20History%20of%20PR.htm

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