City Commissioner Mingus Mapps, a former poli-sci professor, thinks Measure 26-228 is wrong for Portland. Thirteen local political scientists disagree.
As has been the case throughout this whole process, there's a distinct tradeoff made by the charter commission and it's completely evident here in these interviews. Mapps explicitly talks about accountability. The charter commission and the professors talk about "representation" and NOT accountability. This is because accountability is absolutely attenuated by multimember districts they deploy for "representation."
Mathematically, proportional representation means an individual voter must wield fewer votes than positions up for election. And so, with fewer votes, and without clear head-to-head up-or-down votes on individual incumbent councilmembers, voters cannot get clean direct accountability through elections.
I am an accountability voter. I truly believe that's my job as a voter and the purpose of elections. And it's why I'm a no vote on this proposal.
As has been the case throughout this whole process, there's a distinct tradeoff made by the charter commission and it's completely evident here in these interviews. Mapps explicitly talks about accountability. The charter commission and the professors talk about "representation" and NOT accountability. This is because accountability is absolutely attenuated by multimember districts they deploy for "representation."
Mathematically, proportional representation means an individual voter must wield fewer votes than positions up for election. And so, with fewer votes, and without clear head-to-head up-or-down votes on individual incumbent councilmembers, voters cannot get clean direct accountability through elections.
I am an accountability voter. I truly believe that's my job as a voter and the purpose of elections. And it's why I'm a no vote on this proposal.