Today in class we learned about three different types of
ways to evaluate votes. Weighted voting is a system where different voter’s
votes are worth different amounts. A dictator is a voter who has the only vote that
counts. A dummy is a voter who’s vote does not count. A weighted voting system
has a quota. That is the number of votes needed to win or pass a motion and the
weights of all the votes in the system. Dictators have all the power and
dummies have none. There is also a power index.
A power index assigns a number to each voter that measures the amount of
power that voter has in that system.
In 1961, In Southern Rhodesia they used the weighted voting
system called cross voting. This system used two types of voters; A rolls and B rolls. The A rolls were made up
of individuals with European decent that lived in the African country. The B rolls were made up of Native Africans.
There were sixty-five total parliamentary seats. At the conclusion of the election despite
there being more Native Africans in Rhodesia the A rolls elected fifty out of
sixty-six parliamentary seats. There were also a special group of voters. They
were one thousand tribal leaders. They elected eight seats. In despite of the
huge population of Native Rhodesians, they were left with the remainder of the
few parliamentary seats.
This is an example of weighted voting because the A rolls
votes disproportionately weighed more than the B rolls. The tribal leader’s
votes also outweighed the B rolls. Do you think this is a fair system of
voting?
This style of voting is probably my favorite. I mean where else can you so loosely call people a dummy or a dictator. Awesome
ReplyDeleteThis voting method seems unfair to me because the native population only got a minority of the seats. A rolls and B rolls based on race should be eliminated and everyone’s vote should count the same.
ReplyDeleteThis voting method in my opinion is terrible. It devalues the voice of each individual constitutent that is not a dictator. Furthemore it has been used historically too many times for discriminatory practices and laughs in the face of true democracy. This is an example of democratic colonialism in place.
ReplyDeleteI do not think it is fair at all in my opinion, However I do like the weighted voting system we learned about. I believe this is a way we should go about voting. I like how the power index works also within the method.
ReplyDelete