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Voting with rubber bands, weights, and strings

Author

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  • Cervone, Davide P.
  • Dai, Ronghua
  • Gnoutcheff, Daniel
  • Lanterman, Grant
  • Mackenzie, Andrew
  • Morse, Ari
  • Srivastava, Nikhil
  • Zwicker, William S.

Abstract

We introduce some new voting rules based on a spatial version of the median known as the mediancentre, or Fermat-Weber point. Voting rules based on the mean include many that are familiar: the Borda Count, Kemeny rule, approval voting, etc. (see Zwicker (2008a,b)). These mean rules can be implemented by “voting machines” (interactive simulations of physical mechanisms) that use ideal rubber bands to achieve an equilibrium among the competing preferences of the voters. One consequence is that in any such rule, a voter who is further from consensus exerts a stronger tug on the election outcome, because her rubber band is more stretched.

Suggested Citation

  • Cervone, Davide P. & Dai, Ronghua & Gnoutcheff, Daniel & Lanterman, Grant & Mackenzie, Andrew & Morse, Ari & Srivastava, Nikhil & Zwicker, William S., 2012. "Voting with rubber bands, weights, and strings," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 64(1), pages 11-27.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:matsoc:v:64:y:2012:i:1:p:11-27
    DOI: 10.1016/j.mathsocsci.2011.08.003
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Richard Lee Brady & Christopher P. Chambers, 2017. "A spatial analogue of May’s Theorem," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 49(3), pages 657-669, December.
    3. Houy, Nicolas & Zwicker, William S., 2014. "The geometry of voting power: Weighted voting and hyper-ellipsoids," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 7-16.
    4. Hun Chung & John Duggan, 2018. "Directional equilibria," Journal of Theoretical Politics, , vol. 30(3), pages 272-305, July.
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    6. Brady, Richard L. & Chambers, Christopher P., 2015. "Spatial implementation," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 200-205.
    7. Benjamin Hadjibeyli & Mark C. Wilson, 2019. "Distance rationalization of anonymous and homogeneous voting rules," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 52(3), pages 559-583, March.

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