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Why is it that approval ratings aren't used as the method of electing politicians? (upload.wikimedia.org)

submitted 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) by Lemmygradwontallowme@hexbear.net to c/askchapo@hexbear.net

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It's just a simple yes or no, whether you think at least one or more of the candidates on your ballot list shares a lot of your concerns, beliefs, et values to at least vote for them

If you don't approve any of them, just don't mark them, and write down "I don't like any of these candidates" as a reason

I don't like "first past the post" for this reason... it just perpetuates the idea of "spoiled" votes...

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[–] blobjim@hexbear.net 6 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Because there is no voting method that is better than other methods. In this method, voters who only choose their favorite candidate are rewarded for not approving of more than one candidate. So you're just back to first pst the post, or some weird variation of it with slightly different outcomes that nobody could really say is "better" or "worse" (because you can't determine "goodness" based on a bunch of stats nerd crap). Oppose electoral fetishism!

[–] Lemmygradwontallowme@hexbear.net 5 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Because there is no voting method that is better than other methods. In this method, voters who only choose their favorite candidate are rewarded for not approving of more than one candidate

How are they rewarded, in any way?

Oppose electoral fetishism!

Since when did I campaign a whole lot about electoral fetishism?... I know reformism, let alone electoral reformism on its own, isn't sufficient to rock the rotten system, but as far as I can tell, it's something to break the rhythm of western democracy

Besides, didn't the USSR use approval ratings, to some degree, for electing municipal and provincial officials?

From this youtube video "They hate the Soviets for THIS." by Держать Курс

Vtg-ohbNYiI

“It can be said that the vote was only the final part of a complex electoral process within the framework of Soviet democracy. The procedure for selecting the most worthy candidates was based on the requirements that were put forward to potential candidates, in turn, the competition was conducted not for votes, but for a certain symbolic capital.

The person who most corresponded to the ideal type of deputy, within the field of Soviet politics, received approval from both the power institutions and the population... Chelyabinsk regional Committee noted that "some city and district committees of the party, primary party organization didn't pay enough attention to the selection of individual candidates, in advance, without knowing the attitude of the staff to the recommended comrades...".

A necessary requirement for the candidates was the approval of groups, that is, they are, in fact, chose to election, and the polling day just officially confirmed their choice.”

It turns out that in the parliament you can not nominate candidates and have to choose from ready-made options. And with the Soviets, you can nominate candidates, but there will be only one candidate in the election, who was previously chosen by you. That's all.