We consider here applications of OR/MS to the representation and electoral processes. We follow the narrower definition of politics denoting the theory and practice of managing political affairs in a party sense (Webster's, 1951). In particular we will consider applications to:
apportionment
districting
voting methods and logistics, and
promotion of candidates.
APPORTIONMENT
This is the process of equitably assigning a fixed number of legislators to a lesser number of political subdivisions. In the United States, 435 congressional districts must be apportioned to 50 states with each state receiving at least one district. The method of rounding to an integer solution will influence the political result.
Balinski and Young (1982)have provided an exceptional mathematical analysis of the issue along with a historical, nontechnical exposition. In 1791, following the first U.S. census, Jefferson and Hamilton proposed alternate methods for apportionment, the “method of greatest divisors”...
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© 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers
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Hess, S.W., Wong-Martinez, C.G. (2001). Politics . In: Gass, S.I., Harris, C.M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Operations Research and Management Science. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-0611-X_766
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-0611-X_766
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