The Condorcet Paradox
A majority prefers A to B, and B to C, and C to A. Every voter was honest and nobody made a mistake.
178517 min read
Scottish economics, public choice
Duncan Black
1908 – 1991
Scottish economist, usually credited as the founder of public choice theory. His 1948 paper "On the Rationale of Group Decision-making" introduced single-peaked preferences and the median voter result, showing exactly when majority rule is safe from Condorcet cycles. His 1958 book The Theory of Committees and Elections went back to the archives and recovered the work of Condorcet, Borda and Charles Dodgson for modern economics.