IMD Student Asia Korkmaz Speaks at Ruhlman Conference

The Ruhlman Conference, held annually at Wellesley College, is dedicated to student research. It celebrates student achievement, fosters collaboration among student and faculty scholars, and enhances the intellectual life of the college.

At this year’s Ruhlman Conference, IMD student Asia Korkmaz will speak about voting in Michigan . Here is an abstract of her presentation:

In Michigan, residents can pass laws without needing the votes of the congress or the governor. By gathering a certain number of signatures, Michiganders have de-drawn voting districts, legalized recreational marijuana, banned affirmative action in public higher education, and stripped the governor of their ability to enforce public health measures like mask mandates. In recent years Michigan lawmakers have used initiatives to pass legislation that would have otherwise been vetoed. The initiative can be a powerful tool for direct democracy, which is why it is important to make a mathematical inquiry into how the initiative process works and how it can be used to truly express the will of the people. At the Ruhlman Conference, Asia Korkmaz will analyze the initiative process as a social choice function, assess its strengths and weaknesses, and consider the implications of how it is used in Michigan today. They will conclude that Michigan’s initiative process can be effective in producing democratic voting outcomes, but can also be appropriated by a powerful minority and become a proxy for partisan gridlock.