Latest Political Science Data on Polarization Still Shows that Top-Two Systems Don’t Result in Less Polarization

For many years, political scientists Boris Shor and Nolan McCarty have been studying polarization in state legislatures, analyzing hundreds of thousands of bits of data. Their latest research still shows that top-two systems do not result in less polarization.

Political scientist Jack Santucci here summarizes their recent findings in an article in Medium.Com. Thanks to John Fund for the link.


Comments

Latest Political Science Data on Polarization Still Shows that Top-Two Systems Don’t Result in Less Polarization — 14 Comments

  1. Maine needs to authorize ranked choice voting for their state legislature so that there can be some data on the effects of RCV on polarization.

  2. ANY RCV studies in Cambridge, Mass city council — having commie Harvard U ???
    —-
    NOOO primaries.
    PR and AppV
    TOTSOP

  3. @ DR:

    Well, we do have data from Cambridge for the 2013 election:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Cambridge,_Massachusetts_municipal_election

    You a free to analyze the political tendancy of each candidate. Just keep in mind that in Cambridge, political “diversity” ranges from the left to the ultra-left.

    It’s amazing to think that Cambridge was once a Republican city before 1930. One of the last well known Republicans to live there is Bill Weld.

  4. So Maine’s Ranked Choice Voting only applies to some offices, not all of them? Which offices does it not apply to?

  5. T-O-T-A-L CRISIS N-O-W IN USA DUE TO ANTI-DEMOCRACY MINORITY RULE GERRYMANDER REGIMES IN —

    USA REGIME
    ALL 50 STATE REGIMES – STATE AND LOCALS.

    1/2 OR LESS VOTES X 1/2 GERRYMANDER AREAS = 1/4 OR LESS CONTROL

    — MUCH, MUCH, MUCH WORSE EXTREMIST PRIMARY MATH.

    AKIN TO NOV 1860 – APR 1861 —- FIRST CANNON SHOT AT OLDE FORT SUMTER IN SC

    >>> DOOM FOR SLAVERY VIA 750,000 DEAD >>> 13-14-15 AMDTS.

    MEDIA — TOTAL MATH MORON STUPID/IGNORANT ABOUT SUCH 25 PCT MATH.

    ALL — TRY AND WAKE UP YOUR LOCAL KNOW-IT-ALL [IE BRAIN DEAD] MEDIA. – ESP IN STATE CAPITOLS.
    ———
    PR AND APPV — PENDING SUCH CONDORCET.
    TOTSOP

  6. @Andy:

    There are specific provisions in the state constitution of Maine that expressly require plurality voting to be used in the general elections for Governor and both houses of the state legislature. There will probably be a vote on a Constitutional amendment to change that wording at an upcoming election.

  7. Camb muni council elections – about 90 pct semi-accurate

    >>> about 45 pct minority rule vs 25-30 minority rule with SMD GERRYMANDERS.

  8. I never liked the top-two voting method. Ranked choice voting is a much better method and I have been trying to get it onto the Democratic party platform.

  9. I never understood the basic premise that top-two voting method would lead to less polarizing politics.

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