Q5. Does traditional one-person-one-... [FREE SOLUTION]

Chapter 5: Q5. (page 114)

Does traditional one-person-one-vote (1p1v) majority voting allow voters to directly express differences in strengths of preference? Does quadratic voting do any better? Discuss the differences and then explain which system you prefer, and why.

Short Answer

Expert verified

No, the traditional one-person-one-vote does not allow the voters to directly express differences in strengths of preference.

Quadratic voting helps voters in expressing the strength of their preferences compared to one-person-one-vote.

Differences between quadratic and one-person-one-vote majority voting:

Quadratic Voting	One-person-one-vote Majority Voting
Express differences in strength of preference	Only reveals preference
Voters can buy votes according to their preference at the cost of the square to the number of votes purchased	No purchasing of votes
Considers marginal benefit analyses	No such consideration

The quadratic voting system will be preferred because it is more technical and efficient.

Step by step solution

Possibility of expressing the strength of preference in one-person-one-vote majority voting

The traditional one-person-one-vote (1p1v) majority allows voters to reveal their preference in yes or no. It gives each individual a chance to express favor or disfavor for the public good. For example, one-person-one-vote majority voting for electing the representatives allows voters to express their consent for a particular candidate only once.

It does not allow voters to express the strength of their preference as one individual gets only one chance to express their preference in yes or no.

Expressing strength of preference in quadratic voting

The quadratic voting comes into play for expressing the strength of preference. An individual can vote more than once to express their preference dominantly. The voters purchase votes according to their preference and cast their votes.

For example, the quadratic voting system for the selection of Senate bill 85 out of 107 bills in the legislative assembly of US allowed the members to cast nine votes on one bill and three votes on another bill or five votes each on four different bills.

Differences between traditional one-person-one-vote and quadratic voting

The following are the differences between the two types of voting:

The government decides for the winning side in majority voting, provided each voter can cast a vote only once to reveal his preference. In contrast, majority voting allows the voters to vote multiple times, showing the concentration of their votes.
In quadratic voting, people purchase extra votes to express the strength of their preference. The cost of each vote increases with the square of the number of votes. The majority voting does not include any such facility.
People purchase votes till the marginal benefit exceeds marginal cost. The majority voting does not take into account technicalities like marginal analyses.

The quadratic system is more technical as it considers marginal analyses for social benefit and allows the voters to express the strength of their preference, and there is less scope for inefficiencies. Therefore, you will prefer a quadratic voting system.