PinnedAbout the authorWho I am and why you should follow and subscribe — So hi. I’m Tomas McIntee. I’m a mathematician and social scientist with a doctorate from UC-Irvine and several lower-level degrees from Appalachian State University (master’s in math, bachelors’ in physics, math, philosophy & religion). I’m fueled by coffee and curiosity. It happens that I think a lot — and carefully…About Me2 min readAbout Me2 min read
Jan 19Member-onlyA short history of D&D and open gamingWhat’s going on with Wizards of the Coast and the Open Gaming License? — Right now, there’s an enormous ongoing controversy linked to Wizards of the Coast, the Open Gaming License, and copyright. …Ogl12 min readOgl12 min read
Nov 28, 2022Member-onlyRanked Choice Voting in the 2022 ElectionsThe good, the bad, and the ugly in voting reform news in the US midterms — This cycle saw an increase in the use of the systems widely known in the United States as ranked choice voting (RCV). RCV was on the winning side of several referendums in this cycle, including one on the state level in Nevada and several at the municipal level. …Electoral Reform6 min readElectoral Reform6 min read
Nov 22, 2022Member-onlyDemocrats lost the House because they won fewer votesThe bad takes will circulate for a while. Ignore them. — I’ve just read an article claiming that independent redistricting commissions cost the Democrats the House this cycle, and calling for Democrats to abolish independent redistricting commissions in states they control in order to carry out blatant partisan gerrymandering. I’m sure this article isn’t alone or isolated; I’ve been reading and…Electoral Reform5 min readElectoral Reform5 min read
Published in Basic Voting Theory·May 17, 2022Proportional representationPragmatic reform and mathematical complication — Most political scientists interested in electoral reform are big fans of something called proportional representation. What is proportional representation? What can proportional representation do to improve the democratic processes that create your government? What are some examples of proportional representation in action? What are the limitations of proportional representation?Basic Voting Theory10 min readBasic Voting Theory10 min read
Published in Basic Voting Theory·Apr 9, 2022The Condorcet MethodOr rather, methods. — One of the people who arguably founded the modern field of voting theory was Marie Jean Antoine Nicolas de Caritat, better known by his title of Marquis de Condorcet. He was a mathematician and political philosopher, whose more political work eventually brought his life to an untimely end in 1794. …Voting Theory6 min readVoting Theory6 min read
Published in Electoral University Press·Nov 28, 2021Member-onlyThe extra “senator” electorsIn the American presidential election system, each state is entitled to a number of electors in the Electoral College equal to its total Congressional representation, including its two Senators. …Electoral College8 min readElectoral College8 min read
Nov 27, 2021Member-onlyWhere did all the good Medium pieces go?They aren’t showing up in my feed very much. — People I follow on Medium have been writing good follow-on articles to the ones I’ve seen before. People I don’t follow on Medium have also been writing about topics I’m interested in. I’ve given Medium a lot of data for me as a reader! I’ve clapped, I’ve commented, I’ve followed……Medium3 min readMedium3 min read
Published in Basic Voting Theory·Nov 25, 2021STAR votingA voting system in profile — The other voting systems I’ve discussed in this series so far have been well-known in voting theory circles for at least half a century. The STAR voting system is a newcomer. To the best of my knowledge, the system was invented in 2014 by election reform activists, under the name…Basic Voting Theory9 min readBasic Voting Theory9 min read
Nov 20, 2021Member-onlyThe 2021 NC congressional mapA nonpartisan analysis of a partisan gerrymander — Here is the newly-passed North Carolina congressional district map. It is a partisan gerrymander. I can tell this at a glance without having to consult the estimated election results. North Carolina has a long history of gerrymandering (by both parties), including the previous map. The basic red flags to be…Gerrymandering5 min readGerrymandering5 min read
