6. IRV promotes government stability

Stability in government, which fairly reflects changes in voter attitudes, is beneficial for both civil society and commerce. Plurality voting systems are subject to extreme swings in government even if there is no change in public sentiment, depending on the number and mix of candidates in a race. If a majority of the voters are of persuasion a, and there is only one candidate who advocates a, that candidate will win. But if in the next election there are two or more candidates advocating a, a candidate who advocates b, who is intensely disapproved of by the majority of voters, can win under plurality rules. IRV, like all majoritarian systems, is, of course, also subject to swings, but only if the public attitude itself shifts, or if the population is nearly evenly divided between two competing camps. Any voting system, such as Vermont’s, that allows the minority to defeat the majority is subject to undemocratic and wild swings in government. This is a strong argument in favor of adopting IRV.