3 ms·

If it's also tied to open primary system it tends to make right wing places more left and left wing places more moderate. Otherwise you get a pyramid of contro

If it's also tied to open primary system it tends to make right wing places more left and left wing places more moderate. Otherwise you get a pyramid of control that drives towards extremes. Historically, let's say dems = 51% of voters, everyone votes party line. Dems have a primary, and someone (usually pretty far left) motivates base and gets 30% of primary vote and wins primary with most votes. Let's assume a 10% of dem's vote in primaries. So you have 10% * 50% * 30% = 1.5% of voters voting for the primary winner. They then go onto a matchup in general, but because it's a dem district, they win there as well (republicans usually also pick someone further right). So 1.5% of more extreme / activist voters end up really deciding, because by the time you get to general there is no more competition.

gipp 5y ago
NY primaries are closed, but themselves now use RCV, and have much higher turnout than that, since they are usually the de facto general election.
dane-pgp 5y ago
This "pyramid of control" observation is extremely under-appreciated. We are living in a time of extreme polarization and division, not just between parties but within them, as societies try to deal with an increasingly complex world where shifting battlefronts no longer align with traditional ideological boundaries, all while we're being mesmerized by the novel psychological environment that social media creates. Even if the "pyramid of control" doesn't drive parties towards extremes, it perhaps drives them towards memes; that is, simplistic but clear ideas that stand out among the noise. Unfortunately, while that might be enough to create a coherent identity for a party, it doesn't do anything to guarantee that the party has any sort of broad support from the population, which further alienates people from politics.

gipp 5y ago

NY primaries are closed, but themselves now use RCV, and have much higher turnout than that, since they are usually the de facto general election.

dane-pgp 5y ago

This "pyramid of control" observation is extremely under-appreciated. We are living in a time of extreme polarization and division, not just between parties but within them, as societies try to deal with an increasingly complex world where shifting battlefronts no longer align with traditional ideological boundaries, all while we're being mesmerized by the novel psychological environment that social media creates. Even if the "pyramid of control" doesn't drive parties towards extremes, it perhaps drives them towards memes; that is, simplistic but clear ideas that stand out among the noise. Unfortunately, while that might be enough to create a coherent identity for a party, it doesn't do anything to guarantee that the party has any sort of broad support from the population, which further alienates people from politics.