tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post1801352032916518559..comments2024-02-15T04:42:41.606+00:00Comments on James' Empty Blog: British "too stupid to rank their preferences"James Annanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04318741813895533700noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-38093699659363594852011-05-09T04:46:37.205+01:002011-05-09T04:46:37.205+01:00Well the multi-member constituencies help with pro...Well the multi-member constituencies help with proportionality - I'm not really convinced either way, I have never had reason to request the services of my local MP.James Annanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04318741813895533700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-33823460904872108202011-05-08T16:52:16.678+01:002011-05-08T16:52:16.678+01:00In British Columbia we had a referendum on this. ...In British Columbia we had a referendum on this. Actually more than one. Something like 65% "Yes" was required to institute the change, but more than 50% ensured that there would be another referendum. In the end, the STV (AV) side was poorly supported both financially and rhetorically and it lost thoroughly. One part of the problem was that they tried to institute some other things besides just allowing the ranking to matter. They also linked this one change, which was relatively easily supportable, to an increase in the size of ridings so that multiple representatives are elected for each (WHY?!).<br />http://www.cbc.ca/canada/bcvotes2009/story/2009/03/26/bcv-stv-referendum.htmlSteve Lhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11808202186253600821noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-3668675787555299772011-05-03T12:11:59.877+01:002011-05-03T12:11:59.877+01:00look at the Australian experience, where there are...<i>look at the Australian experience, where there are some truly bizarre outcomes</i><br /><br />Would that be something like one party getting 41% of the vote and winning 63% of the Commons? Or is that what you think is a fair thing?<br /><br /><i>For instance, imagine you hate both Labour and Conservative, so rank them last and second-to-last. But if they're the largest parties in your electorate, your vote inevitably gets given to one of them</i><br /><br />I think you'll find the proposal in the UK is for optional preferences--so you'd vote for all of your favorite fringe parties and then stop. You don't have to vote for the major parties if you don't want.Davohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16034877887635507909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-58910406222258181482011-05-01T23:39:36.540+01:002011-05-01T23:39:36.540+01:00I think it can only be because minority winners an...I think it can only be because minority winners and the need for tactical voting are so deeply engrained in the UK system that people don't see UK outcomes as truly bizarre, most of the time. Currently, voters who prefer minor parties already transfer their votes to other parties, but they have to do this a priori on a basis of guesswork (ie who they expect to come 1st/2nd) rather than this happening simply and automatically through honestly expressed preferences.James Annanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04318741813895533700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-29343142865996804552011-05-01T23:15:34.563+01:002011-05-01T23:15:34.563+01:00It's actually not that simple - look at the Au...It's actually not that simple - look at the Australian experience, where there are some truly bizarre outcomes. In effect the transferable vote system is anti-proportional, because the votes for minor parties are invariably transferred to one of the major parties. For instance, imagine you hate both Labour and Conservative, so rank them last and second-to-last. But if they're the largest parties in your electorate, your vote inevitably gets given to one of them, with equal value to someone who ranked them first. Indeed, in Australia it was set up precisely in order to cement the dominance of the major 2 parties.William Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13285679538054366979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9959776.post-85113089563248879702011-05-01T14:17:56.132+01:002011-05-01T14:17:56.132+01:00We could go on empirical evidence. Are Australian...We could go on empirical evidence. Are Australians smarter than the British.<br /><br />Anon(1)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com