Majority Judgment vs. Majority Rule

The validity of majority rule in an election with but two candidates — and so also of Condorcet consistency — is challenged. Axioms based on evaluating candidates — paralleling those of K. O. May characterizing majority rule for two candidates based on comparing candidates — lead to another method, majority judgment, that is unique in agreeing with the majority rule on pairs of “polarized” candidates. It is a practical method that accommodates any number of candidates, avoids both the Condorcet and Arrow paradoxes, and best resists strategic manipulation. It may also be viewed as a “solution” to Dahl’s (reformulated) intensity problem in that an intense minority sometimes defeats an apathetic majority.

 

Joint work with Michel Balinski