Election-By-Lot As a Judicial Selection Mechanism
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
Il Sorteggio Come Metodo Di Decisione
IL SORTEGGIO COME METODO DI DECISIONE. PRINCIPI E FATTISPECIE* di Marco Mandato** SOMMARIO: 1. Premessa – 2. Il sorteggio come regola ordinaria di decisione per tutelare l’eguaglianza in 'entrata' – 3. Il sorteggio come regola decisoria residuale o eccezionale per tutelare l’eguaglianza 'sopravvenuta' – 4. Il sorteggio come regola di formazione degli organi collegiali di valutazione e controllo – 4.1. Il sorteggio come regola di formazione degli organi collegiali con funzioni giurisdizionali – 5. Conclusioni 1. Premessa l sorteggio rappresenta un metodo per assumere le decisioni nell’ambito della I giuridicità1. Il caso è considerato il metodo più democratico2 perché, in fondo, la * Contributo sottoposto a double blind peer review. ** Dottore di ricerca in Diritto pubblico, comparato e internazionale – Teoria dello Stato e Istituzioni politiche comparate, Sapienza, Università di Roma. 1 Per un inquadramento preliminare e generale sul tema, sebbene relativamente al solo Diritto pubblico, cfr. ZEI, A., L’arbitrato del caso: applicazioni del metodo del sorteggio nel Diritto pubblico, in Nomos-Le attualità nel diritto, n. 1/2017. 2 Il carattere democratico del sorteggio è stato alla base del funzionamento della democrazia ateniese nel V e nel IV secolo a. C., nella Firenze del a Venezia dal 1268 e a Firenze dal 1328. Ad Atene, l’estrazione a sorte costituiva il metodo tipico per formare la Bulé e le cariche interne alla stessa. il Presidente, competente a gestire e organizzare i lavori. Il Presidente era uno dei pritani, ossia un consigliere della tribù dirigente che veniva estratto a sorte. Terminato il turno‘, al tramonto, si procedeva nuovamente all‘estrazione di un nuovo Presidente tra i pritani delle tribù in modo che ciascuna di esse avrebbe diretto gli affari‘ secondo il turno stabilito dal caso. -
On the Distortion of Voting with Multiple Representative Candidates∗
The Thirty-Second AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AAAI-18) On the Distortion of Voting with Multiple Representative Candidates∗ Yu Cheng Shaddin Dughmi David Kempe Duke University University of Southern California University of Southern California Abstract voters and the chosen candidate in a suitable metric space (Anshelevich 2016; Anshelevich, Bhardwaj, and Postl 2015; We study positional voting rules when candidates and voters Anshelevich and Postl 2016; Goel, Krishnaswamy, and Mu- are embedded in a common metric space, and cardinal pref- erences are naturally given by distances in the metric space. nagala 2017). The underlying assumption is that the closer In a positional voting rule, each candidate receives a score a candidate is to a voter, the more similar their positions on from each ballot based on the ballot’s rank order; the candi- key questions are. Because proximity implies that the voter date with the highest total score wins the election. The cost would benefit from the candidate’s election, voters will rank of a candidate is his sum of distances to all voters, and the candidates by increasing distance, a model known as single- distortion of an election is the ratio between the cost of the peaked preferences (Black 1948; Downs 1957; Black 1958; elected candidate and the cost of the optimum candidate. We Moulin 1980; Merrill and Grofman 1999; Barbera,` Gul, consider the case when candidates are representative of the and Stacchetti 1993; Richards, Richards, and McKay 1998; population, in the sense that they are drawn i.i.d. from the Barbera` 2001). population of the voters, and analyze the expected distortion Even in the absence of strategic voting, voting systems of positional voting rules. -
A Canadian Model of Proportional Representation by Robert S. Ring A
Proportional-first-past-the-post: A Canadian model of Proportional Representation by Robert S. Ring A thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Political Science Memorial University St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador May 2014 ii Abstract For more than a decade a majority of Canadians have consistently supported the idea of proportional representation when asked, yet all attempts at electoral reform thus far have failed. Even though a majority of Canadians support proportional representation, a majority also report they are satisfied with the current electoral system (even indicating support for both in the same survey). The author seeks to reconcile these potentially conflicting desires by designing a uniquely Canadian electoral system that keeps the positive and familiar features of first-past-the- post while creating a proportional election result. The author touches on the theory of representative democracy and its relationship with proportional representation before delving into the mechanics of electoral systems. He surveys some of the major electoral system proposals and options for Canada before finally presenting his made-in-Canada solution that he believes stands a better chance at gaining approval from Canadians than past proposals. iii Acknowledgements First of foremost, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to my brilliant supervisor, Dr. Amanda Bittner, whose continuous guidance, support, and advice over the past few years has been invaluable. I am especially grateful to you for encouraging me to pursue my Master’s and write about my electoral system idea. -
Legislature by Lot: Envisioning Sortition Within a Bicameral System
PASXXX10.1177/0032329218789886Politics & SocietyGastil and Wright 789886research-article2018 Special Issue Article Politics & Society 2018, Vol. 46(3) 303 –330 Legislature by Lot: Envisioning © The Author(s) 2018 Article reuse guidelines: Sortition within a Bicameral sagepub.com/journals-permissions https://doi.org/10.1177/0032329218789886DOI: 10.1177/0032329218789886 System* journals.sagepub.com/home/pas John Gastil Pennsylvania State University Erik Olin Wright University of Wisconsin–Madison Abstract In this article, we review the intrinsic democratic flaws in electoral representation, lay out a set of principles that should guide the construction of a sortition chamber, and argue for the virtue of a bicameral system that combines sortition and elections. We show how sortition could prove inclusive, give citizens greater control of the political agenda, and make their participation more deliberative and influential. We consider various design challenges, such as the sampling method, legislative training, and deliberative procedures. We explain why pairing sortition with an elected chamber could enhance its virtues while dampening its potential vices. In our conclusion, we identify ideal settings for experimenting with sortition. Keywords bicameral legislatures, deliberation, democratic theory, elections, minipublics, participation, political equality, sortition Corresponding Author: John Gastil, Department of Communication Arts & Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, 232 Sparks Bldg., University Park, PA 16802, USA. Email: [email protected] *This special issue of Politics & Society titled “Legislature by Lot: Transformative Designs for Deliberative Governance” features a preface, an introductory anchor essay and postscript, and six articles that were presented as part of a workshop held at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, September 2017, organized by John Gastil and Erik Olin Wright. -
Dipartimento Di Scienze Politiche Curriculum in Teoria Dello Stato Ed
Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche Dottorato di Ricerca in Diritto pubblico, comparato ed internazionale Curriculum in Teoria dello Stato ed istituzioni politiche comparate Tesi di Dottorato LA DEMOCRAZIA DEL SORTEGGIO Tutor ___Dottorando Chiar.mo Prof. Fulco Lanchester Dott. Marco Mandato Ciclo XXX del Dottorato di Ricerca A.A. 2016/2017 Indice Oggetto, metodo e scopi della ricerca .......................................................................... 4 Premessa ....................................................................................................................... 6 CAPITOLO I DECISIONI, VOTAZIONI, SORTEGGIO 1. I criteri per assumere una decisione ................................................................. 9 2. Decisioni e votazioni ..................................................................................... 10 2.1. Collegi, votazioni elettive e deliberative ................................................ 13 2.2. Il principio di maggioranza nelle votazioni pubblicistiche ..................... 19 2.3. Il voto elettivo come diritto politico ........................................................ 23 3. L‘elezione come metodo, procedimento e controllo ...................................... 25 3.1. Elezioni e partecipazione democratica ................................................... 29 3.2. La partecipazione alla votazione elettiva attraverso i partiti politici ....... 33 4. Rappresentanza, rappresentanza giuridica, rappresentanza politica, rappresentanza sociologica-statistica ............................................................. -
Another Consideration in Minority Vote Dilution Remedies: Rent
Another C onsideration in Minority Vote Dilution Remedies : Rent -Seeking ALAN LOCKARD St. Lawrence University In some areas of the United States, racial and ethnic minorities have been effectively excluded from the democratic process by a variety of means, including electoral laws. In some instances, the Courts have sought to remedy this problem by imposing alternative voting methods, such as cumulative voting. I examine several voting methods with regard to their sensitivity to rent-seeking. Methods which are less sensitive to rent-seeking are preferred because they involve less social waste, and are less likely to be co- opted by special interest groups. I find that proportional representation methods, rather than semi- proportional ones, such as cumulative voting, are relatively insensitive to rent-seeking efforts, and thus preferable. I also suggest that an even less sensitive method, the proportional lottery, may be appropriate for use within deliberative bodies, where proportional representation is inapplicable and minority vote dilution otherwise remains an intractable problem. 1. INTRODUCTION When President Clinton nominated Lani Guinier to serve in the Justice Department as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, an opportunity was created for an extremely valuable public debate on the merits of alternative voting methods as solutions to vote dilution problems in the United States. After Prof. Guinier’s positions were grossly mischaracterized in the press,1 the President withdrew her nomination without permitting such a public debate to take place.2 These issues have been discussed in academic circles,3 however, 1 Bolick (1993) charges Guinier with advocating “a complex racial spoils system.” 2 Guinier (1998) recounts her experiences in this process. -
Citizens' Participation Using Sortition
Citizens’ Participation Using Sortition A practical guide to using random selection to guarantee diverse democratic participation Citizens’ participation using sortition – A practical guide to using random selection to guarantee diverse democratic participation 2 Random selection has a long history Sortition is increasingly being used in in politics citizens’ participation processes From antiquity to the 18th century, random Random selection was only rediscovered in the selection was used in filling offices and govern- 1970s in order to organize civic participation ments in order to prevent nepotism, but also to and to randomly and representatively determine obligate citizens to serve the polity. the group of people who would deliberate on a certain issue or problem. Random selection guarantees a high Sortition is suitable for all topics degree of legitimacy on all levels The level of acceptance enjoyed by the citizens’ Random selection is particularly suitable on recommendation is significantly higher if the the national and European level if the goal is to citizens’ participation project gives all citizens involve as many population groups as possible. the same opportunity to participate, if the com- Independence is the decisive plus in emotionally position of the group of citizens is representative charged debates. and diverse, and if this conveys independence. Sortition provides for all these advantages. Advantages can only be realized Sortition requires careful preparation in combination with deliberative participation processes The selection of citizens is part of the overall participation process and requires early planning The group of selected citizens must be given on issues such as methods of sortition, deter- guidance: The organizers and/or moderators mining the sample space, and the possible use of must provide participants with sufficient infor- quotas and weighting of individual groups. -
Resolving Election Error: the Dynamic Assessment of Materiality
William & Mary Law Review Volume 54 (2012-2013) Issue 1 Article 3 November 2012 Resolving Election Error: The Dynamic Assessment of Materiality Justin Levitt Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/wmlr Part of the Civil Rights and Discrimination Commons, and the Election Law Commons Repository Citation Justin Levitt, Resolving Election Error: The Dynamic Assessment of Materiality, 54 Wm. & Mary L. Rev. 83 (2012), https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/wmlr/vol54/iss1/3 Copyright c 2012 by the authors. This article is brought to you by the William & Mary Law School Scholarship Repository. https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/wmlr RESOLVING ELECTION ERROR: THE DYNAMIC ASSESSMENT OF MATERIALITY JUSTIN LEVITT* ABSTRACT The ghosts of the 2000 presidential election will return in 2012. Photo-finish and error-laden elections recur in each cycle. When the margin of error exceeds the margin of victory, officials and courts must decide which, if any, errors to discount or excuse, knowing that the answer will likely determine the election’s winner. Yet despite widespread agreement on the likelihood of another national melt- down, neither courts nor scholars have developed consistent princi- ples for resolving the errors that cause the chaos. This Article advances such a principle, reflecting the underlying values of the electoral process. It argues that the resolution of an election error should turn on its materiality: whether the error is material to the eligibility of a voter or the determination of her ballot preference. In developing this argument, this Article offers the first trans- substantive review of materiality as a governing principle. -
The Circumstances of Sortition David Owen and Graham Smith
1 The circumstances of sortition David Owen and Graham Smith The sortition chamber proposal laid out by John Gastil and Erik Olin Wright defends extending sortition into the legislative branch of government and specifies how such a body would work. We sympathize with the motivation for this enterprise: Sortition ought to be more widely institutionalized within contemporary democratic polities. Nevertheless, reflection on the practice of antecedents of the sortition chamber—in particular its historical use in Ancient Greece and more recent application in contemporary minipublics—raises questions about its feasibility and desirability. Our critical analysis considers primarily the democratic value of the proposal to replace one half of a bicameral elected system with a sortition chamber. We also offer general considerations for situating a sortition chamber within a democratic ecology more favorable to its operation. Our central concerns with this proposal are two-fold. First, although sortition is introduced to promote political equality, there are good reasons to believe that substantive political equality will neither be realized nor adequately protected. The sortition chamber is unlikely to defend its members against social and economic power to the extent necessary for such a body to be democratically effective. Second, the proposed chamber will not be able to combine the range of functions expected, in particular the combination of agenda setting and scrutiny. Together, these weaknesses undermine the feasibility and desirability of the sortition chamber, both as a democratic institution and as a means of advancing the longer-term cause of participatory or deliberative democracy. These problems arise from a failure to appreciate how sortition has been combined with other institutional devices in historical and contemporary practices. -
How to Enhance Democracy?
What is democracy? Towards a global democracy Democratic allocation of money Original voting systems E-democracy References How to enhance democracy? Adrien Fabre Paris School of Economics 11/2015 Adrien Fabre How to enhance democracy? What is democracy? Towards a global democracy Democratic allocation of money Original voting systems E-democracy References Contents 1 What is democracy? 2 Towards a global democracy 3 Democratic allocation of money 4 Original voting systems 5 E-democracy Adrien Fabre How to enhance democracy? What is democracy? Towards a global democracy Democratic allocation of money Original voting systems E-democracy References Denitions Democracy is a political regime such that : - the necessary conditions for well-being are insured for all - each person has the same power of decision on issues that matter for them, where the necessary conditions for well-being are the ability to have access to: - drinkable water, food, health-care - a healthy environment, security, housing - attention, an education, information Adrien Fabre How to enhance democracy? What is democracy? Towards a global democracy Subsidiarity Democratic allocation of money Some insights for a global governance Original voting systems What could a global governance enact? E-democracy References Denition Subsidiarity is the idea that a central authority should have a subsidiary function, performing only those tasks which cannot be performed eectively at a more immediate or local level. Subsidiarity principle reveals us that some stakes must be decided at the international scale, notably: ght and adaptation to the climate change regulation of nancial markets and the monetary system allocation of non renewable resources ght of poverty Adrien Fabre How to enhance democracy? What is democracy? Towards a global democracy Subsidiarity Democratic allocation of money Some insights for a global governance Original voting systems What could a global governance enact? E-democracy References A global governance should be inclusive, i.e. -
The Lottery As a Democratic Institution
28 cy li Po Public In s Studie THE LOTTERY AS A DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTION GIL DELANNOI OLIVER DOWLEN PETER STONE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH University of Dublin SCIENCES PO PARIS Trinity College THE LOTTERY AS A DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTION THE LOttERY AS A DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTION Gil Delannoi Sciences Po Paris 98 Rue De L’Université 75007 Paris, France +33-1-45-49-50-64 [email protected] Oliver Dowlen School of Politics and International Relations Queen Mary, University of London Mile End Road London E1 4NS, United Kingdom [email protected] Peter Stone Political Science Department 3 College Green Trinity College Dublin 2, Ireland +353-1-896-2491 [email protected] 3 CONTENts THE LOTTERY AS A DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTION CONTENTS The Lottery as a Democratic Institution ...................................................................................... 3 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 5 Background ..................................................................................................................................... 7 Summary of Findings .................................................................................................................... 9 Attendees ...................................................................................................................................... 10 Part 1: What Can Lotteries Contribute to Politics? ................................................................... 12 Part -
Sortition and Politics from Radical to Deliberative Democracy – and Back?
chapter 15 Sortition and Politics From Radical to Deliberative Democracy – and Back? Yves Sintomer 1 Introduction1 On December 11, 2004, after nearly 12 months of deliberation, a Citizen As- sembly, selected by lot from the citizens of British Columbia in Canada, pre- sented its Final Report on Electoral Change to the B.C. Legislature. It proposed to change the electoral system by introducing more proportionality (replac- ing the existing electoral system, the so- called First- Past- the- Post, with a new Single- Transferable Vote system).2 This recommendation was then put to the electorate- at- large in a referendum held concurrently with the 2005 provincial election (in order to come into force, the proposed reform had to win at least 60 per cent of the votes cast throughout the province and at least 50 per cent in 60 per cent of its constituencies. Although it was approved in nearly all the constituencies, the reform received only 57.69 per cent of the votes at the pro- vincial level; the electoral law was therefore not altered in the end). This process seems to have been only one of the most advanced of thou- sands of similar experimental uses of sortition in politics during the last three decades. According to many of the supporters of these deliberative instru- ments, the return of this technique in politics, after centuries of eclipse, im- plies that some of the ideals of ancient democracies are coming back. James Fishkin, who invented the deliberative poll, one such new deliberative devices, describes it as a “neo- Athenian solution” and even argues that “the key infir- mities in modern democracy can find a constructive response in modern re- finements and improvements in the two essential components of the ancient Athenian solution— random sampling and deliberation”.3 Lyn Carson and Bri- an Martin, two of the most convincing advocates of political sortition, express a similar opinion: 1 Translated from the French by Patrick Camiller and Sarah- Louise Raillard.