I think that the $20 million dollar price is too high. Consider that the
Green Party strategy was to get 5% of the vote and get about $12 million
in matching funds in 2004. Since Nader would probably swing the election
to Bush, why didn't the Democrats bribe the Greens or Nader with $12
million not to run? They could also have bribed him to run in Democratic
states, so the Nader vote wouldn't hurt Gore. Of course, there is the
risk that Nader wouldn't swing the vote to Bush, so the bribe offer would
depend on Democrats risk-adversion.
To introduce myself, I am a graduate student in economics and natural
resources at UM Ann Arbor. Politically I'm a libertarian influenced by
David Friedman's Machinery of Freedom. I'm also a free market
environmentalist. When I'm not studying, I'm an activist for pro-liberty
causes: pro-technological freedom, pro-marijuana law reform, promoting
classical liberial ideas, going to the Washtenaw County Libertarian Party
meetings, running for office, etc.
Tim Maull
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tim Maull M.A. [EMAIL PROTECTED] 2037 Dana Building
Graduate Student 430 East University Ave.
Department of Economics University of Michigan
and School of Natural Resources and the Environment Ann Arbor, MI
Graduate Research Assistant 48109-1115
Huron and Raisin River Watershed Rehabilitation Decision Support System
On Fri, 1 Dec 2000, jsamples wrote:
> I have a related query. The framers of the American Constitution were
> concerned about corruption in the election of the President. That was one
> reason they didn't let Congress elect the President. Now we have landed in a
> situation where the electoral vote will be very close and the incentive to
> purchase the vote of a "faithless" elector will be enormous. I guessed that
> $20 million would be a small price for an electoral vote that led to the
> presidency. Challenged to justify that estimate, I could not; it was just a
> guess. Two questions:
>
> 1. How might we price an electoral vote for this presidential election?
>
> 2. Would an auction of all electoral votes yet a better outcome than our
> current system?
>
>
> John Samples
> Cato Institute
>
