Mathematically Driven Voter Decisions: Using the RAS PC^3 Model to elect Ghana’s next president

Dr. Chuba Okadigbo asserted: "If you are emotionally attached to your tribe, religion, or political leanings to the point that truth and justice become secondary considerations, your education is useless. Your exposure is useless. If you cannot reason beyond petty sentiments, you are a liability to mankind."

Every year, our academic institutions graduate thousands of individuals who are expected to be ambassadors of change in their workplaces and communities. However, I often question whether these objectives are being met. Yes, we have produced educated individuals, but how enlightened are they? How capable are they of making independent, informed decisions?

I have longed for a time when young people would transition from simply being educated to becoming truly enlightened—shaping their own futures with clarity and reason. Refusing to remain a mere wishful thinker, I have developed a mathematical model aimed at helping voters—especially young people—make data-driven decisions in the upcoming elections.

This model offers a structured, objective way to evaluate presidential candidates based on four critical criteria: Policy, Competence, Credibility, and Character which I refer to as the Ras PC^3 Model.

Below is a step-by-step explanation of how the model works:

Step 1: Equation
Vote Score (VS)=(WP×P)+(WCo×Co)+(WCr×Cr)+(WCa×Ca)

Where:

• VS = Total Vote Score for the candidate.
• P = Score for Policy (how well their policy proposals align with voters' interests).
• Co = Score for Competence (the ability to deliver on promises and manage the economy, governance, etc.).
• Cr = Score for Credibility (trustworthiness, truthfulness, and consistency).
• Ca = Score for Character (integrity, ethical behavior, and empathy).

Each of these components is multiplied by a weight:

• WP = Weight for Policy.
• WCo = Weight for Competence.
• WCr = Weight for Credibility.
• WCa = Weight for Character.

Step 2: Assign Weights
Decide the importance of each component by assigning a weight. For instance:

• Policy (P) could have a weight of 40% or 0.40.
• Competence (C_o) could have a weight of 30% or 0.30.
• Credibility (C_r) could have a weight of 15% or 0.15.
• Character (C_a) could have a weight of 15% or 0.15.

The sum of the weights should equal 1:
WP+WCo+WCr+WCa=1
Step 3: Score Each Component
For each candidate, voters can score them on a scale (e.g., 1 to 10) for each of the components:

• Policy: Rate the candidate’s policies on how practical, relevant, and impactful they are.
• Competence: Rate the candidate’s past performance and ability to govern effectively.
• Credibility: Rate how trustworthy the candidate is based on their past statements and actions.
• Character: Rate the candidate’s personal integrity, ethical behavior, and empathy toward the public.

Step 4: Calculate the Total Score

Once the voters assign scores to each component, they can plug those scores into the equation and calculate the Vote Score (VS) for each candidate.

Example for Candidate A:

• Policy score: 8/10.
• Competence score: 7/10.
• Credibility score: 6/10.
• Character score: 7/10.

Using the weights:
VSA=(0.40×8)+(0.30×7)+(0.15×6)+(0.15×7)

VSA=3.2+2.1+0.9+1.05=7.25
The candidate with the highest VS among evaluated candidates would be the most suitable based on the RAS PC³ Model.

Step 5: Adjustments
You can adjust:

• The scale (e.g., 1 to 5 or 1 to 100).
• The weights, depending on the political climate (e.g., you may increase Competence weight during times of economic crisis).

While this model may not encompass every aspect of electing a presidential candidate, it provides a valuable tool for the electorate, particularly young voters, to make informed and independent decisions, thereby enabling them to choose the most suitable candidate.

God Bless Our Homeland Ghana and Make our Nation Great and Strong.

By: Richmond Anane-Simon
Youth and Change Activist