Lotteries make indivisible objects and obligations divisible and fair

Evidence

It has been a device to make indivisible objects divisible, or incommensurate objects homogeneous. Their “expected values” are divisible by lottery when the objects themselves are not. We flip coins to see who gets the object, and play “double or nothing” when we cannot make change. We can divide the obligation of citizenship equally by selecting draftees through a lottery, when we want a fraction of the eligibles for a long period of service rather than all of them for a short one. — Thomas C. Schelling, The Strategy of Conflict, 387

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines randomization’s role as dividing indivisible goods — the core mechanism for the draft lottery and double-or-nothing.
• XREF: connects to: Partial randomization can turn a conflict-addled game into a profitable equilibrium — Thomas C. Schelling, The Strategy of Conflict, 747; Inductive legal generalization produces workable probabilities rather than absolute truths. — Ruggero J. Aldisert, Agatha D. Aldisert, Logic for Lawyers- A Guide to Clear…, 339

Broader Connections

• Partial randomization can turn a conflict-addled game into a profitable equilibrium #expands (0.78) — Thomas C. Schelling, The Strategy of Conflict, 747
• Inductive legal generalization produces workable probabilities rather than absolute truths. #expands (0.75) — Ruggero J. Aldisert, Agatha D. Aldisert, Logic for Lawyers- A Guide to Clear…, 339