A new axiomatic approach to the impartial nomination problem

Abstract In this paper we introduce a new set of axioms that characterize uniform random dictatorship (URD) as a randomized impartial nomination rule. Unlike earlier work we use a variable population model which allows us to employ axioms that reflect consistency and proportionality–axioms that ensure that the rule behaves well with respect to the combinatorial structure of the nomination profile. Earlier work characterizing URD employed strong symmetry axioms and so it is surprising that our axioms characterize the same rule.