Chapter 18: Problem 24

What are some alternatives to a “first past the post” system that might reduce the problem of voting cycles?

Short Answer

Expert verified

Some alternatives to the "first past the post" system that might reduce the problem of voting cycles include ranked-choice voting, approval voting, cumulative voting, and the Borda count. Ranked-choice voting (instant-runoff voting) eliminates the candidate with the fewest votes in each round, redistributing their votes to the next preference on each voter's ranking until a winner emerges. Approval voting allows voters to "approve" multiple candidates, breaking ties between closely ranked candidates. Cumulative voting lets voters allocate a fixed number of points among candidates, reflecting their preference strength. The Borda count assigns points to candidates based on their rank in each voter's preference list, with the highest total points winning. These alternative systems can mitigate voting cycle issues by taking into account a broader range of voter preferences.

Step by step solution

Understand "First past the post" system

The "first past the post" system is a voting method in which the candidate with the most votes wins. This system is simplistic and easy to understand, but it's prone to issues like the voting cycle problem, where no clear winner emerges due to cyclical preferences among voters.

Alternative 1 - Ranked-choice voting

Ranked-choice voting, also known as instant-runoff voting, is an alternative voting method where voters rank the candidates in order of preference, rather than selecting just one candidate. In each round of counting, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes are transferred to the next preference on each voter's ranking. This process continues until a candidate has more than half of the active votes, resulting in a clear winner. This system tends to reduce the problem of voting cycles, as it takes into account multiple preferences and eliminates less preferred options, forcing a clear decision.

Alternative 2 - Approval voting

In approval voting, each voter can vote for as many candidates as they wish, effectively "approving" multiple choices. The candidate with the most approval votes wins. This system reduces the problem of voting cycles by allowing voters to express support for more than one candidate, thus breaking any tie between candidates that may have occurred in "first past the post" system.

Alternative 3 - Cumulative voting

Cumulative voting allows each voter to distribute a fixed number of points among the candidates, allocating more points to their preferred candidates if they wish. The candidate with the highest sum of points from all voters wins. This voting method has the potential to minimize voting cycle problems by allowing voters to express the strength of their preference for candidates, resulting in a clearer winner.

Alternative 4 - Borda count

The Borda count is a method in which each candidate is assigned points based on their rank in each individual voter's preference list. The candidate with the highest total points wins. This method reduces the risk of voting cycles as it considers the entire preference order for each voter, rather than only focusing on their top choice. By examining these alternative voting methods, it is clear that there are multiple options that could help reduce the problem of voting cycles compared to the "first past the post" system. Each alternative method has its pros and cons, but they all show potential in mitigating the voting cycle issue by taking into account wider voter preferences.