I find the conclusion that the US would be better off with some form of proportional representation pretty compelling actually, and I don’t think it’s so implausible that it would make a positive difference.
The difference it makes in Europe (compared to the UK for example) seems to be that the smaller parties with agendas the median voter doesn’t care much about still get a voice in parliament. It’s worth it for the Greens or the Pirate party to campaign for another 1% of the vote, because they get another 1% of the seats, instead of nothing.
It should be a better marketplace of ideas; although a few major parties still keep most of the power, they have more incentive to accommodate or adopt new ideas. I suppose the presence of the minor parties increases the visibility of multiple policy axes, forcing the major parties to compete for the median voter along each axis.
Having said that, it still isn’t very relevant to the thrust of the post, so the decision to footnote it was probably correct.
I find the conclusion that the US would be better off with some form of proportional representation pretty compelling actually, and I don’t think it’s so implausible that it would make a positive difference.
The difference it makes in Europe (compared to the UK for example) seems to be that the smaller parties with agendas the median voter doesn’t care much about still get a voice in parliament. It’s worth it for the Greens or the Pirate party to campaign for another 1% of the vote, because they get another 1% of the seats, instead of nothing.
It should be a better marketplace of ideas; although a few major parties still keep most of the power, they have more incentive to accommodate or adopt new ideas. I suppose the presence of the minor parties increases the visibility of multiple policy axes, forcing the major parties to compete for the median voter along each axis.
Having said that, it still isn’t very relevant to the thrust of the post, so the decision to footnote it was probably correct.