Politics & Government
How Preferential Voting Shapes Intra-Party Factional Cooperation
Quick fact
In preferential voting systems like Australia's House of Representatives, candidates from the same party often direct their preferences to each other, effectively forcing factions to cooperate to survive the count. In contrast, in closed-list systems, factions may have little incentive to work together during the election.
Why this is interesting
When voters rank candidates, the fate of a politician may depend on the second or third choice of their rivals' supporters. Could this simple rule turn sworn factional enemies into allies?