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Andranik Tangian - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Mathematical Theory of Democracy
    2013
    Co-Authors: Andranik Tangian
    Abstract:

    The mathematical Theory of Democracy deals with selection of representatives who make decisions on behalf of the whole society. In this book, the notion of representativeness is operationalized with the index of popularity (the average percentage of the population whose opinion is represented on a number of issues) and the index of universality (the frequency of cases when the opinion of a majority is represented). These indices are applied to evaluate and study the properties of single representatives (e.g. president) and representative bodies (e.g. parliament, magistrate, cabinet, jury, coalition). To bridge representative and direct Democracy, an election method is proposed that is based not on voting but on indexing candidates with respect to the electorate’s political profile. In addition, societal and non-societal applications are considered.

  • Statistical test for the mathematical Theory of Democracy
    2012
    Co-Authors: Andranik Tangian
    Abstract:

    In der Okonomie und den anderen Sozialwissenschaften wird immer wieder versucht, komplexe Prozesse der Wirklichkeit durch numerische Modelle abzubilden - was mit Abstraktionen fur z. B. Verhaltens- und Wirkungsrelationen mehr oder weniger gut gelingt. Solche Versuche sind Gegenstand einer Vorlesungsreihe 'Mathematische Theorie der Demokratie' des Autors an der Wirtschaftswissenschaftlichen Fakultat des Karlsruhe Institut fur Technologie. Ein neues Ergebnis in diesem Bereich wird hier vorgelegt in Form eines statistischen Tests, der entscheiden soll, ob eine politische Partei oder eine Parteienkoalition reprasentativ im Sinn der Bevolkerungsmehrheit agiert. Zu diesem Zweck wird die Ubereinstimmung von Parteien- oder Koalitionspositionen mit Ergebnissen von Meinungsumfragen in der Bevolkerung verglichen, etwa zur Einfuhrung eines bundesweiten gesetzlichen Mindestlohns oder der Privatisierung des Schienenverkehrs und anderem mehr. Der Test basiert auf der Einschatzung der statistischen Signifikanz der beobachteten Ubereinstimmung (d.h. wie wahrscheinlich ist eine nur zufallige Ubereinstimmung), um die Hypothese von der Reprasentativitat der Politik zu akzeptieren oder abzulehnen. Die Studie spielt die Reprasentativitat von einzelnen Parteien sowie von Zweier- und Dreier-Koalitionen durch. Darunter ist auch die Konstellation der funf grosen deutschen Parteien und ihrer potentiell moglichen Koalitionen auf der Basis der Bundestagswahl von 2009.

  • Computational application of the mathematical Theory of Democracy to Arrow’s Impossibility Theorem (how dictatorial are Arrow’s dictators?)
    Social Choice and Welfare, 2010
    Co-Authors: Andranik Tangian
    Abstract:

    The article is based on three findings. The first one is the interrelation between Arrow’s (Social choice and individual values, Wiley, New York, 1951) social choice model and the mathematical Theory of Democracy discussed by Tangian (Aggregation and representation of preferences, Springer, Berlin, 1991; Soc Choice Welf 11(1):1–82, 1994), with the conclusion that Arrow’s dictators are less harmful than commonly supposed. The second finding is Quesada’s (Public Choice 130:395–400, 2007) estimate of their power as that of two voters, implying that Arrow’s dictators are not more powerful than a chairperson with an additional vote. The third is the model of Athenian Democracy (Tangian, Soc Choice Welf 31:537–572, 2008), where indicators of popularity and universality are applied to representatives and representative bodies. In this article, these indicators are used to computationally evaluate the representativeness/non-representativeness of Arrow’s dictators. In particular, it is shown that there always exist Arrow’s dictators who on the average share opinions of a majority, being rather representatives. The same holds for dictators selected by lot, which conforms to the practice of selecting magistrates and presidents by lot in ancient democracies and medieval Italian republics. Computational formulas are derived for finding the optimal “dictator–representatives”.

  • Evaluation of German parties and coalitions by methods of the mathematical Theory of Democracy
    European Journal of Operational Research, 2010
    Co-Authors: Andranik Tangian
    Abstract:

    Abstract The paper continues author’s studies on applications of the mathematical Theory of Democracy. Five German leading parties and their coalitions are evaluated with indices of popularity and universality to show how well they represent the electorate. The evaluation goes beyond the information on election results and uses an operational representation of party manifestos. It is shown that at the time of German parliamentary elections 2005 the most representative was the Social Democratic Party (SPD) which was however behind Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the best coalition could be the coalition SPD/Green/Left-Party which failed because of disagreement between party leaders.

  • Predicting DAX trends from Dow Jones data by methods of the mathematical Theory of Democracy
    European Journal of Operational Research, 2008
    Co-Authors: Andranik Tangian
    Abstract:

    Abstract The mathematical Theory of Democracy operates on the indices of popularity and universality which are used to find socially optimal representatives and representative bodies. Regarded mathematically, neither the ‘society’, nor its ‘representatives’ are necessarily human, so that some objects can represent the behavior of other objects. This idea is applied to predicting the DAX-trends (German stock index) from the actual Dow-Jones data; the current fluctuations of stock prices in New York are regarded as representative indicators of future stock price fluctuations in Frankfurt. In particular, it is found that American Express anticipates on the average the price ±fluctuations of 2/3 of the DAX stocks. The statistical significance of the null hypothesis that such a bias from the uncertainty 50% can occur by chance is only 3.5%.

Devadatta Gandhi - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

Wayne J. Norman - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • A Democratic Theory for a Democratizing World? A Re‐assessment of Popper's Political Realism
    Political Studies, 1993
    Co-Authors: Wayne J. Norman
    Abstract:

    The core of Karl Popper's Theory of Democracy is re-examined here in light of some of his most recent thoughts on the subject. His discussion of the paradox of Democracy contributes a novel – though ultimately unsuccessful – argument to current debates between right-based and goal-based theories of Democracy. His Theory is also of political interest in a world with so many emerging democracies, because he is much more concerned than most contemporary democratic theorists with the morality and politics of fragile and unstable democratic systems. Nevertheless, his provocative discussion of the dangers of democracies being voted out of existence fails to advise democrats on how to prevent such a situation or on what to do should one arise.

Alexandros Chrysis - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Theoretical Conclusions and Political Perspectives
    ‘True Democracy’ as a Prelude to Communism, 2018
    Co-Authors: Alexandros Chrysis
    Abstract:

    The concluding chapter sums up the theoretical outcome and the political effects of the pre-communist Marxian Theory of Democracy. I confirm the hypothesis that the young ‘citizen Marx’ did not confuse the end of the state with the end of politics, while admitting the influence on Marx’s Theory of Democracy exerted by the ‘paradigm’ of the Athenian polis or the Rousseauist model of the participatory or anti-parliamentarian republic, and taking into account the works of major political thinkers of our time such as Arendt and Castoriadis. Applying the Aristotelian distinction between ‘poiesis’ and ‘praxis’, I conclude that Marxian politics goes far beyond the horizon of the state. In the context of Marx’s ‘true Democracy’, politics is a life process and is an end in itself, leading to the formation of a society in which, as the communist Marx would soon argue, ‘the free development of each’ will not be a limit to but ‘the condition for the free development of all’.

  • The Republican ‘Moment’ of Marx’s Theory of Democracy: From the Critique of Politics to the Theory of the Rational State
    ‘True Democracy’ as a Prelude to Communism, 2017
    Co-Authors: Alexandros Chrysis
    Abstract:

    This chapter relates to the republican ‘moment’ of Marx’s Theory of Democracy and covers the period in which Marx developed his theoretical activity as the editor of Rheinische Zeitung (1842–43). I support the argument that Marx’s articles in Rheinische Zeitung constitute elements of Marx’s portrait, not as a liberal but as a republican theorist of Democracy. Considering the influence exerted on the republican Marx by the writings of Bauer, Ruge and Feuerbach, I draw the conclusion that the ‘republican moment’ of the Marxian Theory of Democracy denoted a crucial step towards the socialisation of politics as the equivalent of the demos’ self-determination. Thus, I conclude, Marx was preparing the ground for his defence of ‘true Democracy’, the most radical expression of his pre-communist Theory of Democracy, as conceived in his Critique of Hegel’s Theory of Right.

  • The Dialectical ‘Moment’ of Marx’s Theory of Democracy: From the Theory of the Rational State to ‘True Democracy’
    ‘True Democracy’ as a Prelude to Communism, 2017
    Co-Authors: Alexandros Chrysis
    Abstract:

    This chapter deals with Marx’s Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right as a theoretical attempt to deconstruct the Hegelian Theory and to contribute to a democratic Theory of the state. Stressing the influence of Feuerbach’s and Ruge’s writings on Marx’s political Theory, and taking special notice of the fact that Marx passionately studied the works of Machiavelli, Montesquieu and Rousseau during this period, I analyse Marx as the radical thinker who grounded his Theory of politics on the historical datum that the ‘political states’ of his time served and protected the material interests of the rich. Furthermore, pointing to the dissolution of the political state, I argue that the pre-communist Marxian Theory of Democracy reached its dialectical ‘moment’ in terms of a ‘true Democracy’ as a philosophical and political prelude to communism.

  • The Philosophical ‘Moment’ of Marx’s Theory of Democracy: From the Metaphysics of Law to the Critique of Politics
    ‘True Democracy’ as a Prelude to Communism, 2017
    Co-Authors: Alexandros Chrysis
    Abstract:

    This chapter focuses on Marx as a university student. Starting from Marx’s letter to his father (10 November 1837), I follow his journey from what he defined as the ‘metaphysics of law’ to his critique of the state. I consider both Marx’s readings of ancient Greek philosophy and his extracts from Spinoza’s Theologico-Political Treatise. Moving within the frame of the philosophical conflict between the Historical School of Law, as represented especially by Savigny, and the Hegelian Philosophy of Right, as defended by Gans, I draw attention to the impact this conflict exerted on the young Marx’s Theory of politics. Finally, taking into account Bruno Bauer’s ‘Der christliche Staat und unsere Zeit’ as a crucial document for the intellectual relation between Bauer and Marx, I conclude that, although Marx was not yet ready to compose a Theory of Democracy, he was already able to conceive the philosophical principle of autonomy, not as an a priori/normative Idea, but in close connection with the social and political milieu of his time.

Jeffrey C. Isaac - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.