Proportional Representation (Was Re: la revolution)

[Enrique Diaz-Alvarez]

Paul Henry Rosenberg wrote:
> 
> Enrique Diaz-Alvarez wrote:
> 
>
> > If the US moved to a PR system, a seat in congress
> > would still require to extract one to 20 million
> > dollars from donors.
> 
> Not necessarily.  Under a PR system, someone with strong foundations in
> a movement can more easily be elected without having to compromise those
> foundations.  They don't have to try to reach & persuade 50%+1 of
> anybody.  All they have to do is cross a much lower threashold.  (The
> formula for election is (1/N)+1: 50%+1 for a 1-seat race, 10%+1 for a
> 9-seat race.)  Money is conceivably far less of a factor under such an
> arrangement--provided people take advantage of the opportunity that's
> there.

I am not sure I follow. If the US had districts with 10 representatives,
then one would only need to obtain 10% of the vote to get a seat, but
the number of potential voters one has to reach is 10 times greater, no?
The number of necessary votes per seat is the same, and I don't see how
the campaign expenditure per necessary voter changes.

I substantially agree with everything else you say.
-- 
Enrique Diaz-Alvarez            Office # (607) 255 5034	
Electrical Engineering          Home #   (607) 758 8962
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