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Assumptions underlying unanimity rule and majority rule

5 important questions on Assumptions underlying unanimity rule and majority rule

Condorcet’s jury theorem

The probability P that the group makes the correct decision using simple majority rule approaches one as n becomes large.

Assumptions Condorcet's jury theorem

1. Decisiveness: Juries (or courts) are required to always arrive at a decision.2. The voters/decision makers share the criteria that define/characterise a correct decision

Assumptions underlying unanimity rule

Politics is a positive-sum game

•Only unanimity rule solves the problem how it could ever be justified that people should accept a violation of their right not to be harmed if those who commit or support that violation happen to be the majority.

Assumptions underlying proposed justifications for majority rule

Politics is a zero-sum game

Saving transaction costs

Even if you think politics is a positive-sum game:
“However, majority rule saves transaction costs and can be beneficial for all in the long run, provided that all get their fair share of harm from issues in which they are part of the minority

Wicksell’s “new principle” of taxation for the provision of public goods

Starting assumption: all should benefit from collective (political) action. Hence: public goods should be financed by separate tax schemes that should be adopted with unanimity. (Otherwise, there is no guarantee that all tax payers will experience net benefit.)

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

Ethics Class notes

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