Do anti-party reforms ironically require major-party backing?
I’m sure we will hear a lot about the RCV measures that just were on the ballot. Only in DC did one pass/cause RCV adoption (or retention).1
Read more…Author: Santucci
Why don’t some voters rank?
I just discovered several papers on the determinants of ballot invalidity (informal voting) in Australia. Two recent conversations prompted me to look for these. The overarching issue is whether an invalid ballot reflects confusion or protest voting. You can find the papers in my reference list. The answer seems to be: both but more of the latter, especially among young people dissatisfied with the party system.
Read more…Draft final essay prompt
Feel free to comment!
Schattschneider (1942: 191) expresses deep skepticism about the ability of “public opinion” to hold government accountable. He goes on to argue for more internally disciplined political parties. Please evaluate this diagnosis and prescription in view of what you have learned this semester. Success does not mean citing everything. Rather, you should cite the readings that are relevant to your argument. Please confine your answer to 750-1,500 words. The usual guidelines apply.
Racial representation and electoral-system reform in U.S. cities
Next month, Portland (OR) will announce the winners of its first elections under the single transferable vote (STV), AKA proportional ranked-choice voting. The effort to adopt this reform was, in part, an effort to make city council as diverse as the population it serves.
Will it? Or are other reforms the way to go? Time will tell, but here are some observations in the interim.
Read more…An out-of-sample test of the ‘shifting coalitions’ view of electoral reform
Portland (OR) journalist Maja Harris has an interesting post about the surfeit of candidates running in the city’s first STV elections. Does the experience so far reflect the perspective I built to understand Progressive Era adoptions of the same?
Read more…