Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Approval voting and strategy analysis: A Venetian example

  • Published:
Theory and Decision Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The author presents a historic reconstruction of the single-member constituency election system known as approval voting which was used to elect Venetian dogi for over 500 years. An interesting procedure theoretically, concurrent approval voting is the only sincere single-winner election system. Central issues concerning strategy choice under uncertainty are investigated using a contingency-dependent framework of individual behavior given prior probability distributions over decision relevant propositions. Extensions are then proposed for the use of approval procedures in modern elections and other collective decision-making situations. Finally the advantages of trichotomous preferences in decision and strategy analysis are argued.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arrow, K.: 1963,Social Choice and Individual Values, 2nd ed., Wiley, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brams, S. J. and Fishburn, P. C.: 1978, ‘Approval Voting’,American Political Science Review 72, 831–847.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brams, S. J. and Fishburn, P. C.: 1981, ‘Efficacy, Power, and Equity under Approval Voting’,Public Choice 37, 425–434.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brams, S. J. and Fishburn, P. C.: 1983, ‘America's Unfair Elections’,The Sciences, Dec.

  • Brams, S. J. and Fishburn, P. C.: 1983,Approval Voting, Birkhauser, Boston.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marquis de Condorcet: 1785,Essai sur l'application de l'analyse à la probabilité des décisions rendues à la pluralité des voix, Paris.

  • Finlay, R.: 1980,Politics in Renaissance Venice, Ernest Benn, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harsanyi, J. C.: 1986, ‘Practical Certainty and the Acceptance of Empirical Statements’, inRecent Developments in the Foundations of Utility and Risk Theory, D. Reidel, Dordrecht (to appear).

    Google Scholar 

  • Maranini, B.: 1931,La Costituzione di Venezia, Dopo la Serrata del Maggior Consiglio, Venezia.

  • da Mosto, A.: 1977,I Dogi di Venezia, Nella Vila Pubblica e Privata, Firenze.

  • Norwich, J. J.: 1983,A History of Venice, Penguin Books, Suffolk.

    Google Scholar 

  • Romanin, S.: 1912,Storia Documentata di Venezia, 2nd ed., Vol. 2, G. Fuga (ed.), Venezia.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Facoltà di Economia e Commercio Ca Foscari, Universita Degli Studi di Venezia, 30123, Venice, Italy

    Marji Lines

Authors
  1. Marji Lines
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Masculine personal pronouns are used when discussing doge elections, otherwise feminine pronouns are used.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lines, M. Approval voting and strategy analysis: A Venetian example. Theor Decis 20, 155–172 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00135090

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00135090

Keywords

Search

Navigation