Awesome cataloging of lessons learned. “‘Problem plus solution,’ that is the formula for successful political reform.” resonated with me. Unfortunately good ideas don’t win on their merits alone. Their merits must meet a specific and prevalent need.
When I helped switch my university’s student government elections to ranked-choice voting, the biggest element in our favor was recently bungled run-off elections that had to be thrown out, necessitating a *third* vote for student president.
People were justifiably annoyed having to vote, vote in a runoff, and vote yet again. We emphasized that ranked-choice voting would have no run-offs and the change passed in a landslide. I think, honestly, the other benefits of ranked-choice voting didn’t play much of a role.
Problem of too many elections recently + solution of ranked-choice voting means no more run-offs = successful reform.
We’re lucky the run-off elections were mishandled in some sense. It’s important to recognize and seize on political opportunities.
"There is no greater army than an idea whose time has come." How true!
But for an idea's time to come, much lesser armies need to survive many battles for many years. This is a fine historical review of an exemplary political reform movement, FairVote; the leader of its "army", Rob Richie; and its many efforts - rarely won but never defeated - over the past 30 years. Has the proportional representation/ranked-choice voting idea finally come to this country? Alas, it's not over yet but it is looking encouraging.
"That seemed like a great target because it had used proportional representation to elect its city council from 1927 until 1957, until the election of two black councilors led to a racist-tinged repeal."
That was the "excuse" used in the South. In other states it was the supposed threat of electing a communist. Hopefully, the "age" of proportional representation is returning to save democracy in the U.S.A.
Awesome cataloging of lessons learned. “‘Problem plus solution,’ that is the formula for successful political reform.” resonated with me. Unfortunately good ideas don’t win on their merits alone. Their merits must meet a specific and prevalent need.
When I helped switch my university’s student government elections to ranked-choice voting, the biggest element in our favor was recently bungled run-off elections that had to be thrown out, necessitating a *third* vote for student president.
People were justifiably annoyed having to vote, vote in a runoff, and vote yet again. We emphasized that ranked-choice voting would have no run-offs and the change passed in a landslide. I think, honestly, the other benefits of ranked-choice voting didn’t play much of a role.
Problem of too many elections recently + solution of ranked-choice voting means no more run-offs = successful reform.
We’re lucky the run-off elections were mishandled in some sense. It’s important to recognize and seize on political opportunities.
"There is no greater army than an idea whose time has come." How true!
But for an idea's time to come, much lesser armies need to survive many battles for many years. This is a fine historical review of an exemplary political reform movement, FairVote; the leader of its "army", Rob Richie; and its many efforts - rarely won but never defeated - over the past 30 years. Has the proportional representation/ranked-choice voting idea finally come to this country? Alas, it's not over yet but it is looking encouraging.
"That seemed like a great target because it had used proportional representation to elect its city council from 1927 until 1957, until the election of two black councilors led to a racist-tinged repeal."
That was the "excuse" used in the South. In other states it was the supposed threat of electing a communist. Hopefully, the "age" of proportional representation is returning to save democracy in the U.S.A.