Designing referenda: An economist's pessimistic perspective

A-Tier
Journal: Journal of Economic Theory
Year: 2021
Volume: 191
Issue: C

Score contribution per author:

4.022 = (α=2.01 / 1 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Recently, a trend has developed around the world for referenda to be used to determine binary social decisions. In a couple of setups, we prove impossibility results of the following form: a binary social goal can be achieved via a referendum if and only if it is dictatorial. Hence, our results challenge the conventional wisdom in social choice theory that social decisions are permissive in two-outcome environments (May's Theorem).

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:jetheo:v:191:y:2021:i:c:s0022053120301265
Journal Field
Theory
Author Count
1
Added to Database
2026-01-29