On the rule of k names

The rule of k names can be described as follows: given a set of candidates for o¢ ce, a committee chooses k members from this set by voting, and makes a list with their names. Then a single individual from outside the committee selects one of the listed names for the o¢ ce. Di¤erent variants of this method have been used since the distant past and are still used today in many countries and for di¤erent types of choices. After documenting this widespread use by means of actual examples, we provide a theoretical analysis. We concentrate on the plausible outcomes induced by the rule of k names when the agents involved act strategically. Our analysis shows how the parameter k, the screening rule and the nature of candidacies act as a means to balance the power of the committee with that of the chooser.