Question

Suppose there is an election for Soft Drink Commissioner. The field consists of one candidate from the Pepsi party and four from the Coca-Cola party. This would seem to indicate a strong preference for Coca-Cola among the voting population, but the Pepsi candidate ends up winning in a landslide. Why does this happen?

a. Due to voter suppression
b. Due to the majority voting system
c. Due to a flawed voting process
d. Due to strategic voting

Answer 1

The Pepsi candidate wins in a landslide because the four Coca-Cola candidates split the vote among Coca-Cola supporters, allowing the consolidated Pepsi voters to secure a majority.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the hypothetical election for Soft Drink Commissioner, the Pepsi candidate winning in a landslide despite being outnumbered by Coca-Cola party candidates can be explained due to strategic voting. This phenomenon occurs when multiple candidates from the same party split the vote among their supporters. In this case, the four Coca-Cola candidates compete with each other for votes from Coca-Cola supporters, diluting the strength of their combined voter base.

Consequently, Pepsi voters, having only one candidate to rally behind, can more effectively consolidate their votes, leading to a landslide victory for the Pepsi party candidate even if they represent a minority preference overall. This demonstrates a scenario where the majority's will is not satisfied due to the vote being divided among similar choices.