Voting system criterion
Okay kiddo, so imagine you and your friends want to choose a nice place to have lunch. You all have different opinions about what would be the best option. Now, how do you make a decision?
There are many ways you could do it, but let’s focus on two methods:
- You could simply ask everyone to say their favorite option and then go with the most popular choice.
- You could ask everyone to rank all the options from the one they like the most to the one they like the least, and then use some kind of math to figure out which option would be the best compromise for everyone.
The first method is called a “plurality” voting system. It’s simple and fast, but it has some problems. For example, if there are three options and two of them are very similar but the third one is very different, the third one might win even though most people would be happier with one of the similar options.
The second method is called a “ranked choice” voting system or a “preferential” voting system. It takes a little more time and effort, but it can be fairer and give better results. It also allows people to vote for who they really want, even if they don’t think that person has a good chance of winning.
There are other criteria that people think are important for a good voting system, like:
- “majority” criterion: If more than half of the voters prefer one option, that option should win.
- “independence of irrelevant alternatives” criterion: Adding or removing an option that is not a top choice for anyone should not change the result.
- “monotonicity” criterion: If more people prefer one option and nobody changes their rankings, that option should still win.
- “condorcet winner” criterion: If there is an option that would win in a one-on-one matchup against every other option, that option should win overall.
These criteria might sound complicated, but they help us figure out which voting system is best for different situations. It’s important to use a good system so that everyone’s voice is heard and we can make good decisions together.
There are many ways you could do it, but let’s focus on two methods:
- You could simply ask everyone to say their favorite option and then go with the most popular choice.
- You could ask everyone to rank all the options from the one they like the most to the one they like the least, and then use some kind of math to figure out which option would be the best compromise for everyone.
The first method is called a “plurality” voting system. It’s simple and fast, but it has some problems. For example, if there are three options and two of them are very similar but the third one is very different, the third one might win even though most people would be happier with one of the similar options.
The second method is called a “ranked choice” voting system or a “preferential” voting system. It takes a little more time and effort, but it can be fairer and give better results. It also allows people to vote for who they really want, even if they don’t think that person has a good chance of winning.
There are other criteria that people think are important for a good voting system, like:
- “majority” criterion: If more than half of the voters prefer one option, that option should win.
- “independence of irrelevant alternatives” criterion: Adding or removing an option that is not a top choice for anyone should not change the result.
- “monotonicity” criterion: If more people prefer one option and nobody changes their rankings, that option should still win.
- “condorcet winner” criterion: If there is an option that would win in a one-on-one matchup against every other option, that option should win overall.
These criteria might sound complicated, but they help us figure out which voting system is best for different situations. It’s important to use a good system so that everyone’s voice is heard and we can make good decisions together.
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