2016-4 China , 中国 , 一篇文章

International Peace-Making—Creating Post-Conflict Structures of Government is published in OJPS, which is based in Wǔhàn.  See also 2015-1, 2014-11, 2013-16/13/11.

2016-3 A new book on how to form a govt.

Perfect timing!  "From Majority Rule to Inclusive Politics - Electing a Power-Sharing Coalition" (Springer; Heidelberg and Berlin) was launched in Dublin on 23rd February, three days before Ireland's most 'chaotic' election results ever - 'chaotic' that is, for those who believe in majoritarianism

So, like Spain's now, (see also 2016-10), like Belgium's a few years ago, Ireland's post-election parliament is multi-party... and hung! Hence, an Irish Times podcast, A Shock to the System, 28th Feb, on http://www.irishtimes.com/podcasts  plus an article on the matrix vote etc. on 5th, then this letter and this one on 8th and 15th March.

We also launched our new App, Decision-Maker by conducting a role-play on the thorny subject of flags on Belfast City Hall; here's the report.

2016-2, Poland

Following 3 lectures in Warsaw, this English version of an interview was also published.  (See also 2014-2.)

http://politicalcritique.org/world/2016/all-inclusive-government-peter-emerson/

2016-1, EU referendums, (British/Dutch)

If you ask the wrong question, you may get the wrong answer.  As in this press release.

The Dutch referendum on 6th April was a nonsense: those voting 'yes' were thinking about Ukraine, those voting 'no' were more concerned about the EU.

We have got to say 'yes' to something.  Decision-making should invariably be based on ballots of 3- or more- options, on which the voters say 'yes' to at least one option, or, at best, in their order of preference to more than one.  Thus can we identify the option with the highest average preference, which is, ah, the consensus option.

2015-7 UK Constitutional Convention?

openDemocracy has just published:  https://opendemocracy.net/uk/peter-emerson/inclusive-decision-making-systems-are-must-for-any-uk-constitutional-convention

It follows the piece in May on the EU in/out referendum:  https://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/peter-emerson/eu-referendum-what-is-question-though

2015-6 Defining Democracy - recent reviews

Katy Hayward has reviewed Defining Democracy in the journal, Representation:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00344893.2015.1064225

and Miloš Brunclík has done the same in Central European Political Studies:

http://www.cepsr.com/clanek.php?ID=618

2015-5 UK Labour Party leadership election

This letter was published in the Irish News, Aug 19th.  In a second letter, I predicted a result with candidates A-B-C-D getting A 60%, B 20% (not a bad guess, really), C 10% and D 10% of the 1st preferences, but if the A, C and D supporters all give B their 2nd preferences and A their 4th, then in a Borda Count election, (not A but) B would have been the most popular. 

And this second letter was in The Guardian on 14 Sept.

2015-4, SNP get PR-STV for Westminster?

A press release, calling for the SNP to get PR-STV for Westminster elections.  And The Guardian published a version of this letter on 11th May,

Most MPs were not first-past-the-post because they didn't even reach it.   Only 48.6 per cent of the MPs, 316 of them, were elected by a majority of their constituents.   Yet they now use majority voting in parliament?  See also 2015-3 and 2015-2.

2015-3 UK election, 7th May

A hung parliament might have promoted reform; the worry is that a majority government perpetuates majority rule.

Alas, there's a Tory majority.  So, instead of negotiating with the Liberals, Cameron now has to talk with his right wing. That or, like John Major on Maastricht, chat up potential allies like the DUP - who also have a price.

We distributed four press releases, the first on 7th March, next was another on 3rd May before this one on the day before polling and on the 7th itself, this finale.  In addition, openDemocracy published this:

https://opendemocracy.net/peter-emerson/if-parliament-be-hung

This letter to The Guardian - Murphy's Law of politics - was not printed.  See also 2015-2.

2015-2. UK general election, May 2015

David Cameron got the question wrong in both the 2011 FPP v AV and the Scottish referendums; "careless," as Oscar Wilde would say.  In all probability, he will soon rue the day he decided the question on the electoral system would be "FPP or AV?"  (i.e., his 1st preference or his 2nd?)  After the May general election, there will almost certainly be a hung parliament; so should there be (a minority administration), a majoriy 2- or 3-party coalition, a grand coalition, or, as in Switzerland, an all-party coalition?  

But why majority rule?  Because decisions are taken by majority vote?  If so, then again, why?  It is, after all, the most inaccurate measure of collective opinion ever invented.  Hence this article on openDemocracy:

https://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/peter-emerson/2015-general-election-in-britain-free-and-fair

And hence, too, this press release, on 7th March.