Asks Quote by Kenneth Arrow
“One way of looking at Impossibility Theorem is that we proposed some criteria for what a good system should be: what is it you want from a voting system, and impose some conditions. And then ask: can you have a voting system that guarantees that?”
About This Quote
Source Book: Social Choice and Individual Values, 1951
The theorem shows no voting system can meet all fairness criteria simultaneously, highlighting trade‑offs in design.
In simple terms: No perfect voting system exists.
Key Takeaway
Accept compromises in voting design.
Themes
fairness
democracy
tradeoffs
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- election reform
- policy design
- constitutional drafting
Key Concepts
Arrow's theorem
social choice
criteria
limitations
Questions to Reflect On
- Which criteria are most important for your context?
- How do you balance fairness with practicality?
A Different Perspective
Real‑world voting systems must prioritize some criteria over others.
![“In my [Impossibility] theorem I'm assuming that the information is a ranking. Each voter can say of any two candidates, I prefer this one to this one. So then we have essentially a ranking. It's a list saying this is my first choice. This is my second choice. Each voter, in principle, could be…” quote by Kenneth Arrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9eb/kenneth-arrow-14948_asks_in-my-impossibility-theorem-i-m-assuming_2448414.jpg){kind=icon}
![“There's only one problem that bothers me. And that's something my theorem [ of Impossibility] really doesn't cover. In my theorem I was assuming people vote sincerely. The trouble with methods where you have three or four classes, I think if people vote sincerely they may well be very…” quote by Kenneth Arrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/151/kenneth-arrow-14948_assuming_there-s-only-one-problem-that-bothers-me_1913180.jpg){kind=icon}
![“This bill [Immigration Reform and Control act of 1986] is a gamble, a riverboat gamble. There is no guarantee that employer sanctions will work or that amnesty will work. We are headed into uncharted waters.” quote by Charles Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2f1/charles-schumer-10224_amnesty_this-bill-immigration-reform-and-control_175207.jpg)
