The Marquis de Condorcet goes to Bern

Abstract

'Condorcet cycles' (or 'paradoxes of cyclical majorities') are an empirically rare phenomenon. A referendum in the Swiss canton of Bern on 28 November 2004 presents a rare occurrence. This study presents a new multi-option referendum procedure that makes Condorcet cycles visible, and it argues that in this case, the paradox might have resulted from strategic voting patterns. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2009.