Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gxg78 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-01T02:52:34.507Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Effect of Approval Balloting on Strategic Voting under Alternative Decision Rules

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 1987

Samuel Merrill III  and
Jack Nagel
Samuel Merrill III
Affiliation:
Wilkes College
Jack Nagel
Affiliation:
University of Pennsylvania
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Voting systems combine balloting methods with decision rules or procedures. Most analyses of approval voting (a balloting method) assume it will be combined with plurality rule but advocates often urge its use with more complex procedures. Because much of the case for approval balloting hinges on its encouragement of sincere voting, we ask whether it retains this advantage when combined with multistage procedures. After distinguishing five forms of sincere and insincere approval voting, we find that certain elements of multistage procedures promote departures from purely sincere strategies, including, in some instances, strictly insincere voting. However, most strategic approval voting involves truncating the approved list, including bullet-voting, which is especially likely under certain threshold rules. Coalitions also increase members' incentive to truncate. We conclude that approval balloting with plurality rule remains preferable to conventional single-vote plurality, but we urge caution and further research regarding combining approval balloting with multistage rules.

Type
Articles
Information
American Political Science Review , Volume 81 , Issue 2 , June 1987 , pp. 509 - 524
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 1987

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Arrington, Theodore S., and Brenner, Saul. 1984. Another Look at Approval Voting. Polity 17: 118–34.10.2307/3234482CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brams, Steven J., and Fishburn, Peter C.. 1978. Approval Voting. American Political Science Review 72:831–47.10.2307/1955105CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brams, Steven J., and Rshburn, Peter C.. 1983. Approval Voting. Boston: Birkhauser.Google Scholar
Brams, Steven J., and Fishburn, Peter C., 1984. A Careful Look at “Another Look at Approval Voting.” Polity 17:135–43.10.2307/3234483CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brams, Steven J., and Fishburn, Peter C.. 1985. Comment on the Problem of Strategic Voting under Approval Voting. American Political Science Review 79:816–18.10.1017/S0003055400228463CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brams, Steven J., and Sharrard, George. 1979. Analysis of Pilot Study Questions on Preference Rankings and Approval Voting. New York: New York University. Mimeo.Google Scholar
Brams, Steven J., Urken, Arnold, Sharrard, George, and Muzzio, Douglas. 1981. Results of Exit Poll of New Jersey Voters in Democratic and Republican Gubernatorial Primaries, 2 June 1981. Press release, June 17, 1981.Google Scholar
Cox, Gary W. 1981. Strategic Electoral Choice in Multi-member Districts: Approval Voting in Practice. American Journal of Political Science, 28:722–38.10.2307/2110996CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fishburn, Peter C., and Brams, Steven J.. 1981. Approval Voting, Condorcet's Principle, and Runoff Elections. Public Choice 36:89–114.10.1007/BF00163773CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gibbard, Allan. 1973. Manipulation of Voting Systems: A General Result. Econometrica 41: 587–601.10.2307/1914083CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Joslyn, Richard A. 1976. The Impact of Decision Rules in Multicandidate Campaigns: The Case of the 1972 Democratic Presidential Nomination. Public Choice 25:1–18.10.1007/BF01726327CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kellett, John, and Mott, Kenneth. 1977. Presidential Primaries: Measuring Popular Choice. Polity 11: 528–37.10.2307/3234329CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Merrill, Samuel III. 1979. Approval Voting: A “Best Buy” Method for Multicandidate Elections? Mathematics Magazine 52:98–102.Google Scholar
Merrill, Samuel III. 1981. Strategic Decisions under One-Stage Multicandidate Voting Systems. Public Choice 36:113–34.10.1007/BF00163774CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Merrill, Samuel III. 1982. Strategic Voting in Multi-candidate Elections under Uncertainty and under Risk. In Power, Voting, and Voting Power, ed. Holler, Manfred J.. Wurzburg: Physica-Verlag.Google Scholar
Nagel, Jack H. 1984. A Debut for Approval Voting. PS 17:62–65.10.2307/419123CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Niemi, Richard G. 1984. The Problem of Strategic Behavior under Approval Voting. American Political Science Review 78:952–58.10.2307/1955800CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Riker, William H. 1982. Liberalism Against Populism. San Francisco: W. H. Freeman.Google Scholar
Shepsle, Kenneth. 1972. Parties, Voters, and the Risk Environment: A Mathematical Treatment of Electoral Competition under Uncertainty. In Probability Models of Collective Decision Making, ed. Niemi, Richard G. and Weisberg, Herbert. Columbus, OH: Charles E. Merrill.Google Scholar
Snider, G. A. 1979. Assessing the Candidate Preference Function. American Journal of Political Science 23:732–54.10.2307/2110804CrossRefGoogle Scholar

A correction has been issued for this article:

Errata

Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.