Voting rules for setting policies; Condorcet rules

Policy Voting Notes

Setting policies with Condorcet rules, chapter contents

Stability Is Not Rigidity

Some theorists have argued recently that the political balance should be poised on a knife edge, set to change quickly because policies must evolve by trial and error. In their view, a central compromise is often 1 of the worst policies because it fails to resolve an issue's urgent decisions.

But while policy flip flops give new programs a chance to be tried, such brief, haphazard changes are not valid experiments. A balanced council should let each side test its program on the issue or constituency where it has its strongest support. Policies can evolve smoothly, although we rarely notice as it happens.

Combining agenda rules with preference ballots will require experience and judgement. Democracy needs a few groups to begin that experiment. A good synthesis would improve daily decisions by hundreds of councils.

Some legislators, particularly those accustomed to ruling majorities, may require a synthesis of agenda rules with preference ballots before they will consider ensemble elections because those lead to open majorities. They may fear an increase in deadlocks, and in killer or free-rider amendments if old rules of order are used when there is no ruling majority. Those are common problems in U.S. legislatures with open majorities.

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