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Plurality Voting: the statistical laws of democracy in Brazil

Luis E. Araripe·Raimundo N. Costa Filho·Hans J. Herrmann·Jose S. Andrade Jr
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Abstract

We explore the statistical laws behind the plurality voting system by investigating the election results for mayor held in Brazil in 2004. Our analysis indicate that the vote partition among mayor candidates of the same city tends to be "polarized" between two candidates, a phenomenon that can be closely described by means of a simple fragmentation model. Complex concepts like "government continuity" and "useful vote" can be identified and even statistically quantified through our approach.

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Luis E. Araripe, Raimundo N. Costa Filho, Hans J. Herrmann, Jose S. Andrade Jr. 2006-03-31. Plurality Voting: the statistical laws of democracy in Brazil. https://doi.org/10.1142/s0129183106010200

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