election methods and reform

[wli]

Some of the issues regarding representation appear systemic to me, not merely a consequence of fraud. For instance, the "spoiler effect" is devastating, and discourages third parties. Similar comments hold regarding Congress.

There are methods for mitigating these effects, for instance, Schulze/Cloneproof Schwartz Sequential Droppign (CSSD) or Tideman/ranked pairs (RP). My consideration of these leads me to believe that it would be wise to adopt some of these methods in order to better ensure adequate representation. Cardinal weighted pairs (CWP) also appears reasonable. ON EDIT: link fixed

I believe that CSDD or RP may be useful when used state-by-state for Senate seats and nationally for the President. I also believe proportional representation should be used for the House of Representatives. The questions that occur to me are "How aware are people of these issues about deciding the outcomes of elections?" and "What sorts of methods do they favor?"

For instance, should election methods be arranged to prevent gerrymandering? Is making third party participation safe against the "spoiler effect" desirable? What kinds of concerns are there about the way votes are now interpreted? Will compromising and burying strategies doom CSSD and/or RP?