Re: NY Times on "statisticians' view" of election

[Thom Baguley]

Herman Rubin wrote:
> The UK has effective disenfrachisement of most of the
> members of its Liberal party.  Also, the US was definitely
> set up NOT to be "democratic"; the British democracy has
> greatly eroded the rights the people won in the Bill of
> Rights and the Petition of Right.  Democracy is two wolves
> and a sheep deciding the dinner menu.

It is true that minority parties such as the Liberal Democrats (typically
15-25% in polls) are disenfranchised by the first-pass-the-post General
election system (5-8% in terms of parliamentary seats). However, this is the
same FPTP system in the US elections (excluding the Electoral College) which
effectiviely disenfranchises Green, Libertarian, Reform etc voters. In my view
both would benefit (in terms of fairness) from a more proprtional system.

Thom


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