Question

I was thinking of the democracy-theoretic reason for the function here or on Reddit (the main examples I can think of at the moment), but then I remembered:

1.When we vote for political officers, we tally upvotes only; it's not like the US president, for example, is decided by a ratio of upvotes to downvotes. Or, then, I've never heard of actual negative political voting (the notion is discussed in the linked SEP article, granted, but the Wikipedia article on disapproval voting seems to list only one obscure historical example in this vein, a temporary measure in the USSR).
2.The thumbs-up/thumbs-down imagery on Reddit (or implicit elsewhere) hearkens back to Roman gladiator fights, doesn't it? Not the most inspiring tradition to base a practice on.

Answer 1

When we vote for political officers, we tally upvotes only; it's not like the US president, for example, is decided by a ratio of upvotes to downvotes. The thumbs-up/thumbs-down imagery on Reddit (or implicit elsewhere) hearkens back to Roman gladiator fights, which may not be the most inspiring tradition to base a democratic practice on.

Step-by-step explanation:

The democratic process in voting for political officers typically involves counting upvotes only, and the winner is determined by the total number of positive votes rather than a ratio of upvotes to downvotes. Unlike platforms like Reddit, where the thumbs-up/thumbs-down system is reminiscent of Roman gladiator fights, political elections don't incorporate a negative voting mechanism. While the concept of negative political voting is discussed in academic circles, it is not a prevalent practice in modern democracies, as evidenced by the lack of examples in major political systems.

The choice to base democratic processes on a binary approval system, without considering disapproval votes, raises questions about the comprehensiveness and representativeness of the decision-making process. The symbolism associated with thumbs-up/thumbs-down, rooted in a historical tradition of life-and-death contests, may not align with the ideals of a democratic society, where diverse opinions and nuanced considerations are essential. This prompts reflection on the need for more inclusive and reflective democratic practices that capture the complexity of public sentiment and foster a more meaningful engagement with governance.