Review Goals

This page lists democratic goals for election and policy-making rules, to review topics on the main pages. (Mathematical goals appeared in the supplementary math pages.)

The #1 goal is the greatest happiness for the greatest number of voters.
The best means are broadly-popular, centrally-balanced policies.
To enact inclusive, well-centered and moderate policies,
councils need diverse reps, central reps, and valid procedures.

The diverse reps form an inclusive and balanced council.
The central reps form a balance point for council majorities.
The policy procedure finds the one bill a majority supports over any other.

We can create a new type of democracy between adversarial and consensual: Multi-winner rules to elect reps or fund proposals give each group their fair share of power without letting a minority block action. Policy decisions by ensemble councils using Condorcet's Pairwise rule also may follow a less adversarial path than winner take all.

Steering Analogy

When choosing a voting rule, a new Mercedes costs little more than an old jalopy. That price is a bargan when the votes steer important budgets or policies. Each dollar spent to count ballots may steer $10,000 in taxes.
Does your car have an 1890 "steering tiller" or a new, power-steering wheel? Does your organization have an 1890 voting rule or a new, balanced and centered rule?
Today's drivers need the skill to use power steering -- but they do not need the skill to build a car or the math and logic to engineer one. Same with voters and voting rules.
A group may test drive a new rule in a survey, or by turning into a "committee of the whole" to vote, tally and report its result for adoption by the usual rules.

Steps Toward Accurate Democracy
1) Organize voters, with	Movable Votes.
2) Represent everyone, with	Full Representation.
3) Center majorities, with	Ensemble Councils.
4) Resist manipulation, with	Clear Legislative Votes.
5) Empower everyone, with	Fair-share Spending.

Strengthen Democracy: Expand the popular base of power.

In a one-winner contest, the best rules raise the number of votes the winner needs from a plurality to a majority, increasing the winner's mandate.

In a multi-winner contest, the best rules raise the total votes needed to fill all the council seats, increasing the mandate for the council's majority.

Voting for	Old rules	New rules
Chairperson	the plurality	a majority
Council	pluralities	over three quarters
Budget	a few power blocs	all members
Policy	a one-sided majority	the over-all majority

The best legislative rules follow the patterns of the best electoral rules.

The best voting rules are fast, easy and fair. They organize big groups backing popular choices.

Some Ethical Goals

Pop Quiz: Name the best voting rule to satisfy each goal.

Elections:

Give voters real choices of candidates who can win,
  by electing fair shares of reps from all major groups.
  That encourages a wide variety of candidates,
  discussion of issues, and voter turnout.

Ensure minority rights to voting and representation.

Reduce the numbers of wasted votes and districts
with noncompetitive "safe seats".
Reduce campaign hysteria and regional polarization.

Reduce the effects of spoilers, gerrymanders and
unequal campaign funding.

Legislation:

Give fair representation to all major groups, so the
council may enact laws with real majorities.

Select a central moderator with wide appeal to be
the swing voter in between interest-group advocates.

Reduce chances and effects of manipulation.
Detach poison-pill and free-rider amendments.
Reduce policy deadlocks and upheavals.

Give all reps equal funds for projects and agencies.
And make each rep's spending visible to her voters.

In this era dominated by corporations and economic consciousness, it is important to be aware that our quality of life depends in part on the quality of our democracy.

Three Propositions for Accurate Democracy

Democracy's greatest risk may come from inside: from systems that work poorly. Teach your friends and colleagues:

Accurate representation selects central and diverse reps.
Accurate legislation enacts the one policy that beats all others.
Accurate democracy gives power in proportion to popularity.

Many people are excited to learn that democracy does not have to mean winner take all. Instead it can lead to everyone having their fair share of representation and power. It is easy and it works.

Accurate Democracy
Electoral Systems	Legislative Systems
Chair	Reps	Council	Policy	Projects	Budgets	Advance Review Print Software Printouts Income To Do U.S. Reforms Future rules Thanks Voting Glossary Resources