Well, they are ALL random. It is RANDOM that I got the genes I got that shaped my personality the way they did. It is RANDOM that I happened to have the upbringing I got. Everything that affects my preferences is random.
Also, understand that utilities in these simulations were based both on randomness, AND on random positions on ISSUES. That is, take a plane (two-dimensional issue space) and put some dots on it to represent candidates, as well as lots of dots to represent voters of various stripes (one axis can be stance on abortion, and perhaps another can be position on taxes...the possibilities are endless, and you can use as many dimensions as you want). Now assign the utilities based on ideological difference (or "distance" in the graphical sense). What we find is that the results from using extremely realistic distributions of ideology, even based on real results of large-scale politics quizzes (with tens of thousands of participants) don't vary much from just picking random utilities. Hence your point has been fairly soundly refuted. But just to be on the safe side, these utility calculations were done with both random utilities, and utilities based on positions on various issues.
So your comment doesn't really make any sense upon closer inspection.
But I welcome any more articulate criticism you may have.
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timeasmymeasure
Re: Supermajority vote?
Date: 2007-01-23 05:46 am (UTC)Also, understand that utilities in these simulations were based both on randomness, AND on random positions on ISSUES. That is, take a plane (two-dimensional issue space) and put some dots on it to represent candidates, as well as lots of dots to represent voters of various stripes (one axis can be stance on abortion, and perhaps another can be position on taxes...the possibilities are endless, and you can use as many dimensions as you want). Now assign the utilities based on ideological difference (or "distance" in the graphical sense). What we find is that the results from using extremely realistic distributions of ideology, even based on real results of large-scale politics quizzes (with tens of thousands of participants) don't vary much from just picking random utilities. Hence your point has been fairly soundly refuted. But just to be on the safe side, these utility calculations were done with both random utilities, and utilities based on positions on various issues.
So your comment doesn't really make any sense upon closer inspection.
But I welcome any more articulate criticism you may have.