EDGE: HOW DEMOCRACY WORKS - Page 5

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In a many-party system, the voters are more likely to be happy with the choice of candidates, because they can find a candidate that is close to their own position. Unfortunately, the voters are less likely to be happy with the result of the election, because it will not necessarily choose the Best candidate. This situation is even worse when there are many viable candidates.

In a multiple party vote, each voter will be able to choose a candidate with opinions close to his or her own, but the candidate who gets elected will be the one that has the broadest constituency, not the one who best represents the will of the all the voters. Because the worst candidates pick up the outliers, it is relatively easy for a very bad candidate to win.

Let's go back to the case of only two parties.

If the candidates are willing to be flexible, then either candidate can gain votes by moving toward the Best Position. The Best Position is where an equal number of voters are to the left and to the right. A candidate in the Best Position is unbeatable. A candidate in the Best Position also does the best job of making the voters happy, or at least making them less unhappy than they would be otherwise.


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