Unit 5: Legislatures

Question 1

Set up.

Answer 1

n odd individuals
all vote
decision making by majority rule
Simple case: 1-D policy space, SPPs, legislator who is median voter x(m) will win (MVT)

Question 2

What are the three decision making regimes?

Answer 2

1) Pure majority rule
2) Closed-rule committee
3) Open-rule committee

Question 3

What is the pure majority rule?

Answer 3

Status quo (x(0)) exists. Any legislator can propose a motion; this is pitted against x(0) or previously winning motion. This procedure continues until no new proposals, or a proposal to end the matter wins!

Question 4

What is a closed-rule committee?

Answer 4

Committee is appointed. They decide if the status quo policy needs to change; this is known as gate-keeping agenda power. If yes, the gates are opened, and then:

1) Committee make proposal (monopoly power proposal)
2) All legislators vote on the proposal, but NO AMENDMENTS ARE ALLOWED (take-it or leave-it offer)

Question 5

What is an open-rule committee?

Answer 5

As above, except the last step allows wider (parent) legislature to make amendments tf one the committee opens the gate, they concede their monopoly power!

Question 6

Explain what result a pure majority rule will lead to?

Answer 6

A proposal closer to the median voter than the status quo/previous winner will be accepted, others will be rejected

Therefore, there will be strong centripetal tendencies (MV will always win), and no conservative bias(?) see diagram in notes

Question 7

Closed-rule committee: what does the decision to open the gates depend on?

Answer 7

x(c) - position of the committee’s median voter
x(m) - position of legislatures median voter
x(0) - position of status quo

Question 8

Closed-rule committee: what happens in case 1) x(0)<=x(m)<=x(c)? (use diagram to show answer too)

Answer 8

Committee and legislature want to move the policy in the same direction
Depending on distance between the 3 policy points, committee can propose different policies.
The Outcome will be between(/at) x(m) and x(0)’

(check this, bit unsure)

Question 9

Closed-rule committee: what happens in case 1) x(m)<=x(c)<=x(m)? (use diagram to show answer too)

Answer 9

The position of the committee’s median voter is in the winset of the parent legislature (compared to status quo) therefore they will open the gates, propose their preferred policy and win!

Question 10

Closed-rule committee: what happens in case 1) x(m)<=x(0)<=x(c)? (use diagram to show answer too)

Answer 10

Committee and parent legislature want to move in opposite directions, therefore if the gates are opened the only reasonable proposal is x(0), if gate opening is free may open and propose x(0), if not will leave closed and x(0) will remain

(may propose x(0) bc. may gain political ground or smt from having a proposal accepted)

Question 11

Open-rule committee: what happens in case 1) x(0)<=x(m)<=x(c)? (use diagram to show answer too)

Answer 11

x(m) is preferred by the committee therefore they open the gates opened -> x(m)

Question 12

Open-rule committee: what happens in case 1) x(0)<=x(c)<=x(m)? (use diagram to show answer too)

Answer 12

Depends if x(c) is more or less than 1/2 way between x(m) and x(0) (ie. if x(c) is closer to x(0) than x(m) they won’t open gates and vice versa) -> x(m) if gates opened, x(0) if closed

Question 13

Open-rule committee: what happens in case 1) x(m)<=x(0)<=x(c)? (use diagram to show answer too)

Answer 13

Opposite policy directions tf won’t open gates therefore will remain at x(0)

Question 14

Explain how one can extend the analysis of 1-D legislature to 2-D?

Answer 14

Unless radially distributed will not be able to obtain an outcome for the Pure Majority Regime (McKelvey Chaos Theorem)

BUT by changing the procedure so that the new motion can be made but the change can concern only one dimension at a time

Question 15

Who is the winner when doing 2-D legislature?

Answer 15

The multidimensional median voter

Question 16

Draw diagram showing the multidimensional legislature?

Answer 16

see notes, also check can explain it!

Question 17

Open-rule committee 2D result?

Answer 17

Likely to face the same cyclical outcome as in pure majority regime, tf is likely gates may remain closed (i think???)

Question 18

Closed-rule committee 2D result?

Answer 18

When the agenda setter has monopoly power, the outcome will be clearer: it will be influenced by the agenda setter but limited by majority preferences (dont really get this ngl)