Final answer:
A small special interest group can win in majority voting by being better organized and more motivated than the general public. They can influence legislators to enact policies from which they benefit at the expense of others, often using resources for intensive lobbying. This leads to scenarios like pork-barrel spending, where benefits are concentrated among a few while costs are dispersed.
Step-by-step explanation:
A small special interest group can win in a situation of majority voting by exercising disproportionate influence relative to its size. This can occur because such a group is often well organized, focuses on specific issues, and is highly motivated. An example would be an environmental regulation that imposes heavy costs on a few large companies. The costs on each company may be significant, whereas the benefits to the general public, although substantial in total, might be relatively small per person.
This discrepancy in motivation can tilt policy in favor of the special interest group, as they lobby more fiercely against the costs they will incur than the public will lobby for the benefits they receive. Additionally, special interest groups often have more resources to dedicate to lobbying efforts, giving them an advantage over the dispersed majority.
The phenomena of pork-barrel spending and specific tax breaks support this, as they often provide concentrated benefits to small groups while distributing the costs among a much larger population that may not even be aware they are bearing them.