Final answer:
Major political parties often adopt moderate stances to appeal to the median voter, consistent with the median voter theory. Rational ignorance suggests that voters may not fully inform themselves on every issue due to the high costs versus the low impact of one vote, often relying on party affiliation for decision-making.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question addresses how the strategies of major political parties are consistent with the concepts of the median voter theory and rational ignorance. Major political parties often adopt moderate platform positions in order to appeal to the median voter, who is typically not ideologically extreme. This approach is in line with the median voter theory, which posits that politicians will try to match policies to what pleases the median voter preferences in order to maximize their chances of winning elections.
Additionally, the concept of rational ignorance explains why individuals might not vote or become fully informed on all issues given the high costs in time and effort versus the perceived low impact one vote might have. This is particularly relevant in a two-party system, as voters faced with the costs of becoming informed might simply use party affiliation as a heuristic for decision-making, rather than deeply analyzing every candidate's platform.