Optimal apportionment

This paper presents an argument in favor of the degressive propor-tionality principlein apportionment problems. The core of the argument is that each individual derives utility from the fact that the collective decision matches her own will with some frequency, with marginal utility being decreasing with respect to this frequency. Then classical utilitarian-ism at the social level recommends decision rules which exhibit degressive proportionality. Application is done to the case of the 27 states of th