1. SO, WHAT IS DEMOCRACY ANYWAY?
The de Borda Institute .
♯deborda
Even if only 50% + 1

2. “A or B?” or “X, yes-or-no?”
50% + 1… …the winner wins everything and the loser gets nothing.
Yugoslavia

3. “All the wars in the former Yugoslavia started with a referendum.”
Oslobodjenje,
Sarajevo’s famous newspaper,
Electoral systems. Often hopelessly inaccurate.
Brexit. 4 options. Only 1 vote.

4. Brexit
The UK in the… like... EU Austria EEA (European Economic Area) Norway Customs Union Turkey WTO (World Trade Organisation) Others
Remain or leave? Other majority votes.

5. Brexit
The UK in the… EU (remain-or-leave?) yes-or-no? EEA (European Economic Area) ? Customs Union ? WTO (World Trade Organisation) ?
Today, decision-making.
Mum and dad.
Majority voting. As in Brexit. Answer = question. Napoleon

6. Three referendums: Napoléon to be… 1800 Consul 99 % 1802 Consul for Life 99 % 1804 Emperor 99 %
L’état, c’est quoi?
Lenin

7. . .Majoritarianism or bolshevism?
Lenin All-Russian Congress of Social Democrats, voted ‘for’ 49 % 17 voted ‘against’ 44 % 3 abstained 8 %
Hitler

8. ‘democratic dictator’ ..
Three referendums: 1934 Hitler as Chancellor 88 % 1936 Hitler as Führer 98 % ________ 1938 Anschluss 99 %
Iran

9. Referendums in Iran And now, preferential voting Pluralist democracy…
A B C…

10. 9 voters choosing a barrel of drink A ale, B beer or C cider
1st Preference
2nd Preference
3rd Preference
4 = A C B

11. A ale, B beer or C cider Ale Cider Beer 9 voters 4 voters 3 voters
1st Preference
Ale
2nd Preference
Cider
3rd Preference
Beer
3 = B C A

12. A ale, B beer or C cider Ale Beer Cider 9 voters 4 voters 3 voters
1st Preference
Ale
Beer
2nd Preference
Cider
3rd Preference
2 = C B A

13. A ale, B beer or C cider Ale Beer Cider 9 voters 4 voters 3 voters
1st Preference
Ale
Beer
Cider
2nd Preference
3rd Preference
Overall, divisive, mixed, consensus

14. A ale, B beer or C cider Ale Beer Cider 9 voters 4 voters 3 voters
1st Preference
Ale
Beer
Cider
2nd Preference
3rd Preference
Plurality

15. Result: A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, so A wins.
Plurality Vote
9 voters
4 voters
3 voters
2 voters
1st Preference A B C
2nd Preference
3rd Preference
Result: A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, so A wins.
Two round system

16. Two-round system
9 voters
4 voters
3 voters
2 voters
1st Preference A B C
2nd Preference
3rd Preference
Result: st round, A = 4, B = 3, C = nd round, A = 4, B = so B wins.
Points system

17. Points system A = 12 B = 9 C = 6 C = 8 B = 4 A = 3 A = 2
9 voters
4 voters
3 voters
2 voters
1st Preference = 3 points
A = 12
B = 9
C = 6
2nd Preference = 2 points
C = 8
B = 4
3rd Preference = 1 point
A = 3
A = 2
Result: A = = B = = C = = so C wins.
Totally democratic results

18. The ‘totally democratic’ winner!
Voting Systems
The
Winner
Plurality voting
ALE - A
Two-round system
BEER - B
Points system
CIDER - C
Once upon a time…
The House of Lords

19. A B C D E

20. A fairy tale: the British House of Lords
Elected Appointed
A % %
B % %
C % %
D % %
E % %
Lord J

21. Lord J’s set of A- B- C- D- E preferences Preferences: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th ….... Lord J : – 1 points
Lady K

22. Two sets of A- B- C- D- E preferences Preferences: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th ….... Lord J : – 1 points Lady K : – 1 points
Lady L

23. Three sets of A- B- C- D- E preferences Preferences: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th ….... Lord J : – 1 points Lady K : – 1 points Lady L : – 1 points
Good Lord – Lord M

24. Good Lord! .. Lord M’s 1st , 2nd , 3rd, 4th, 5th preferences are B, D, A, E, C A – 3rd, B – 1st, C – 5th, D – 2nd and E – 4th
62% elected, 38% appointed
The fairy tale ends

25. The collective will of all three: J, K and L Lord J : – 1 points Lady K : – 1 points Lady L : – 1 points TOTAL: – 3 points
Brexit

26. A multi-option vote?
The UK in the… EU 48 % EEA (European Economic Area) x % Customs Union y % WTO (World Trade Organisation) z % x + y + z = 52 %
Preferential voting

27. Preferential points voting
If you vote for only 1 option,
your favourite gets 1 point.
If vote for 2 options 27

28. Preferential points voting
If you vote for only 1 option,
your favourite gets 1 point.
If you vote for 2 options,
your favourite gets 2 points
(and your 2nd choice gets 1 point).
So on 4 options 28

29. A 4-option preferential ballot
If you vote for:
Number of options
1 option
2 options
3 options
4 options
your 1st preference gets:
1 pt
2 pts
3 pts
4 pts
your 2nd preference gets: -
your 3rd preference gets:
your 4th preference gets:
So, to conclude, majority voting is divisive..
BBC 29

30. Majority rule Parliament The People Opposition Government
Inclusive democracy:
average = non-majoritarian

31. Preferential voting - a catalyst of consensus
Parliament
The People
Government
Majority voting divisive. Majority rule conflict. Bizarrely…
BBC
By all means, majority. New Zealand.

32. Majority votes in
national parliaments, the UN Security Council, etc.; Referendums in… …Catalonia, Kashmir, Kurdistan, Northern Ireland, Quebec, Scotland, Taiwan, Xīnjiāng…
So what is democracy? Gandhi

33. So, what is democracy anyway?
Majoritarianism: majority voting and majority rule. Consensus: preferential decision-making and all-party power-sharing. The de Borda Institute ♯deborda