Final answer:
A voting cycle occurs when each choice is both preferred to some alternative and not preferred to another alternative, resulting in a deadlock where a majority-approved choice cannot be identified.
Step-by-step explanation:
A voting cycle occurs when, in a situation with at least three choices, choice A is preferred by a majority vote to choice B, choice B is preferred by a majority vote to choice C, and choice C is preferred by a majority vote to choice A.
This creates a deadlock where it is impossible to identify a majority-approved choice. One reason for this is due to cyclic preferences, where each choice is both preferred to some alternative and not preferred to another alternative.