ABSTRACT
One would like to think of majority rule voting as reflecting the will of the people, and it does so, imperfectly. It is indispensable in bringing forth leaders and law-makers who can be expected to serve some notion of the common good, in enabling citizens to choose among candidates, and in keeping the dictator at bay. But majority rule voting is less than fully efficient, and is at times irrational. The well-known stories – or voting paradigms – to be retold in this chapter illustrate the irrationality as well as the virtues of majority rule voting and help to explain the rules and customs within which voting takes place.
