Someone at EM (when he was more honest?) said that the chicken dilemma is voting-systems' most intractable problem.
But others here say or imply that it won't be a problem. Sure, if you're a committed advocate of Beatpath, and if Beatpath is vulnerable to chicken dilemma, then you're going to have strong incentive to believe that there won't be a chicken dilemma, even with vulnerable methods. I mean, Beatpath and RP are so perfect when FBC isn't needed, and when there isn't a chicken dilemma, you oh so strongly need to believe that ther won't be one. Now, I'm not saying that there are no groups that, if they were a mutual majority, wouldn't have chicken dilemma (but I' not saying that that there are). What we surely can all agree on is that at least _some_ groups of people would have chicken dilemma. ...due to dishonesty, fickleness, distrust, antagonism, perceived enmity, etc. Ok, that's enough to say that there will be chicken dilemma in our public political elections. So much for that question. I'll even be more specific. I've been told that I shouldn't be specific. The progressives, as a group, have plenty of mutuial antagonism, animosty, anger, distrust, and perceived enmity among eachother, as a group. So, say we were using a voting system vulnerable to chicken dilemma, and say the progressves, together, have a mutual majority. Would they be able to benefit from their mutual majority? They woudn't have a chance. ...unless they used good anti-defection strategy. That's a lot to ask. So it's for the progressives that I want freedom from chicken dilemma. Oh, what's that? We should't say that? Yeah, I've been criticized for emphsizing voting system reform for progressives, instead of for Democrats and Republicans too :-) You want to assure Democrats that a (or your?) voting system reform would help the Democrats, and you want to assure the Republicans that it would help the Republicans. Well, feel free to try that scam if you want to, if lying doesn't bother your conscience. With better voting system, the Republocrats would be all finished. In fact, without the Republocrats already having voted out of office, there won't ever _be_ a better voting system. So, will getting rid of the chicken dilemma benefit anyone other than the progressives? Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. Michael Ossipoff ---- Election-Methods mailing list - see http://electorama.com/em for list info