THE CORE

Fruits & Votes is the Web-log of Matthew S. Shugart ("MSS"), Professor of Political Science, University of California, Davis.

Perspectives on electoral systems, constitutional design, and policy around the world, based primarily on my research interests.

Also experiences with growing many varieties of fruit (always organic) and other personal interests. Please see the Mission Statement for more. (There is also an explanation of the banner.)

Other "planters" have been invited to contribute. Please check the "Planted by" line to see the author of the post you are reading.

Join the conversation. Comments are always open. Except, that is, when Word Press mysteriously shuts them down, which happens with distressing frequency.

Core principles:

Henry Droop on the "moderate non-partisan section"

Madison on "dangers from abroad" and "the fetters... on liberty"

The Head Orchardist's other sites:

PRESERVED FRUIT

Dikes and Votes: Consensus government and flood control

The 2008 candidates on political reform

More fundamental than the climate

The radical middle in US democracy

Re-sizing the House

If the USA had PR

MMP and dual candidacy

Canada's dysfunctional electoral system

The Hamas sweep: The electoral system did it

orchard blocks
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  • FRUITS
  • VOTES
  • wide open spaces
    • 08 March 2007
    Northern Ireland results watch

    Planted by MSS
    Planted in: Ireland; STV; VOTES

    The comment thread includes interesting discussion of the results. Thanks, propagators!

    At the BBC’s Vote 07 site, it is possible to see live updates from the count centers. Click on any district and there are regular updates on the rounds of counting. STV in action!

    See also the Northern Ireland Electoral Office.

    In addition, I am elevating from the comments the following information provided by Wilf Day:

    According to the predictions assembled at Northern Ireland Elections, the seats to watch as most likely to change hands are Lagan Valley, South Antrim, South Belfast and East Londonderry.

    Propagation: Seeds & scions (7)

    07 March 2007
    Election in Northern Ireland

    Planted by MSS
    Planted in: Ireland; STV; VOTES

    It’s election day in Northern Ireland, a member of that small set of STV jurisdictions. The elections are an important step in consolidating the territory’s peace process. As The Independent notes, a “phenomenon which is viewed as a sign of normalisation is the fact that bread-and-butter issues, such as unpopular plans for new water taxes, have played a prominent part in the campaign.”

    Propagation: Seeds & scions (1)

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    AMERICAN POLITICAL REFORM

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    CONSTITUTIONS

    PROPAGATION
    Recent comments.

  • BC election 2013 (8)
    • Chris: The federal Liberal party hate the Conservatives more than they hate the NDP. They think Trudeau fil will get them a majority government,...
    • Ed: Its been explained to me that BC politics seems complicated, but is actually pretty simple: everyone gangs up against the NDP, but the...
    • MSS: I am struck by the degree of malapportionmen t in BC. For instance, the Peace River South winner’s 46.4% was only 3,904 votes, whereas...
    • MSS: The Green Party won the Oak Bay-Gordon Head seat, with 40.1%. It was not close, with incumbent Liberal Ida Chong having only 29.7% and the NDP...
    • MSS: I guess this is why they still have actual elections with actual voters casting actual ballots! How could the pollsters be so wrong?
    • Vasi: Well that was surprising! Once again, the polls in a Canadian election were off, and the incumbents do much better than expected.
    • Tom Round: BC: where a 39% sub-plurality is enough to elect a government for five years (absolute majority of seats, no upper house) but a 57%...
    • JD: Oh, how different (and more interesting) things would have been had STV been approved…
  • Does STV have anything to do with absence of “free votes” in Ireland? (10)
    • JD: Tom, I’m not sure I understand why primaries the secret ballot. Alan, how is that different from a (closed) primary?
    • Alan: I’m not a fan of primaries, for the reasons Tom states. I am a fan of requiring parties to nominate candidates by a ballot of all party...
    • Tom Round: It would indeed be ironic if one reason discouraging parties from allowing free votes was an electoral system that could enable voters...
    • MSS: And, yes, the larger irish parties do publish recommended rankings, and rotate them in different areas of the constituency. (The small parties...
    • MSS: Very interesting on Japan. Doug, yes, of course it depends on party organization and, in particular, how they select candidates and run...
  • Final MMP Review report is out (11)
    • Suaprazzodi: Perhaps they should put the amended version of MMP to a referendum. They should ask questions like do you want the list percentage...

    • CROSS-POLLINATION

    FRUITS

    morn_blms_corralito.jpg

    The Fruit Blog (Fruit & fruit breeding)
    Daley's Fruit Tree Blog
    Orchards Forever
    The Orchard Keeper
    The Ethicurean
    The Jew and the Carrot
    Small farms ("real people & real food")
    Life begins at 30 (Farmers markets, etc.)
    Banana
    Festival of Trees
    Rare Fruit News Online
    Cloudforest Cafe


    VOTES

    bulgaria_protest copy

    Comparative democracy

    Psephos (Adam Carr's data archive)
    Electoral Panorama
    World Elections
    African Elections Database
    M. Herrera's Electoral Calendar
    Electoral Geography (Data archive)
    Michael Gallagher's data archive
    Election Finance (Blog, data archive)
    IFES
    Election Law (Rick Hasen)
    VoteLaw (Edward Still)
    Ballot Access News

    Electoral and Political Reform

    The FairVote Blog (US)
    Make my vote count (UK)
    Wilf Day (Canada)
    democraticSPACE (Canada)
    Citizens Assembly Blog (dormant)


    POLITOLOGY

    Blogs of political analysis

    PoliBlog
    Arms and Influence (dormant)
    Outside the Beltway
    Political Science Weblog (abstracts)
    Ideological Cartography (Adam Bonica)
    Frontloading HQ (Josh Putnam)
    FiveThirtyEight
    Vote View (Keith Poole)
    The Monkey Cage
    A Plain Blog About Politics (Jonathan Bernstein)
    Political Arithmetik (dormant)
    Polls & Votes
    Pollster.com
    Polysigh
    Reflective Pundit
    Rustbelt Intellectual
    Simon Jackman
    The semi-presidential one
    Josep Colomer
    Chapel Hill Treehouse (dormant)
    Political Behavior (dormant)
    Dart-Throwing Chimp
    Countries at the Crossroads (Freedom House blog)
    Jacob T. Levy

    REGIONAL ANALYSIS

    Canada

    The Mace
    ThreeHundredEight
    Crawl Across the Ocean
    Idealistic Pragmatist

    Europe

    Centre for European Politics
    Dr Sean's Diary
    A Fistful of Euros
    Political Reform (Ireland)
    UK Polling Report
    British Politics & Policy (LSE)

    Latin America

    Bloggings by boz
    Two Weeks Notice

    S.W. Asia & E. Mediterranean & N. Africa

    Informed Comment Global Affairs
    Lisa Goldman
    Michael J. Totten
    Yaacov Lozowick
    Marc Lynch (@FP)
    Ahwa Talk

    Africa

    La Constitution en Afrique

    E. Asia

    Frozen Garlic (Taiwan elections)

    New Zealand

    Kiwiblog
    No Right Turn

    OTHER SOCIAL SCIENCE BLOGS

    Crooked Timber
    Statistical Modeling
    Social Science Statistics
    Cold Spring Shops
    Marginal Revolution
    Brad DeLong
    Greg Mankiw

    SUN & MOON

    CURRENT MOON

    NEWS

    ABC

    BBC

    CBC

    Democracy Now!

    Deutsche Welle

    El Tiempo

    Guardian

    Haaretz

    Hindustan Times

    The Independent

    Irish Times

    NZ Stuff

    RFE/RL

    ORGANIZATIONS

    About/disclaimer

    California Rare Fruit Growers

    Center for Voting and Democracy

    Californians for Electoral Reform

    Society for American Baseball Research

    Link TV

    SCION EXCHANGE

    Bloggers who link or comment here (if not listed elsewhere on this page)

    Afbau Ost
    Alex Speaks
    Bloggings by boz
    Jacob Christensen
    Cinerati
    Global Voices
    Kids Prefer Cheese
    MF Blog
    The Moderate Voice
    Pronto
    The Reaction
    Rodger A. Payne's Blog
    Round Objects
    Signifying Nothing
    Southerly Buster
    Jon Swift
    Two Weeks Notice
    We move to Canada
    Davka
    Frustrated Progressive

    HARVESTS

    If by my laws you walk, and my commands you keep, and observe them,
    then I will give-forth your rains in their set-time,
    so that the earth gives-forth its yield
    and the trees of the field give-forth their fruit.
    --Vayikra 26: 3-4

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    ORCHARD SERVICES

    F&V time: This blog's date function is so set as to start a new day at approximately local sunset. (Why, if we have "day" and "night," should a new "day" start in the middle of the night?)

    FRUITS: Support your local, organic growers; and, plant vines and fig trees and pomegranates for the generations to come...

    VOTES: For democratization and full representation, for environmental sustainability, social justice, and peace, always sincerely...

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