Reassessing the contribution of Condorcet's “Paradox” to modern political analysis

Introduction:

The article reassesses the impact of Condorcet's paradox in contemporary political analysis. We emphasize the importance of Condorcet's normative concerns and its subsequent contribution to the development of a more solid theory of representative democracy.

Materials and methods:

We do not attempt to provide a history of ideas nor a formal analysis on the dilemmas of collective decisions based on an aggregate of individual preferences. After discussing the paradox, we turn our attention to the classic authors who further developed the paradox and how it has been absorbed by contemporary institutionalist political science. By examining the normative literature, we not only question the traditional interpretation of Condorcet's paradox, but also reassess important research programs both theoretically and empirically.

Results:

The vote as a determining factor in the formation of the government following the collapse of the Ancien Régime demands a novel political conception, more interventionist and oriented towards social justice, hereby understood as equity. Furthermore, the mere existence of this proposition greatly expands the scope of existing empirical theories on the functioning of representative democracy.

Discussion:

The core problem of Condorcet's paradox is the challenge of reconciling diverse interests and identities in a collective political process, without compromising democratic values such as freedom, political equality, and innate rights. The representative government is not a mere formal procedure but must be designed to benefit the common good and the good of the community. Secure procedures for aggregating individual preferences are insufficient if the political process is not geared towards something transcendent, such as the common good.

Keywords
democracy; vote; positive political theory; Condorcet's Paradox; median voter