influences our decisions.

Access for free at openstax.org
18.3 • Flaws in the Democratic System of Government 443

FIGURE 18.2 A Voting Cycle Given these choices, voting will struggle to produce a majority outcome. Turkey is

favored over roast beef by 2–1 and roast beef is favored over lasagna by 2–1. If turkey beats roast beef and roast

beef beats lasagna, then it might seem that turkey must beat lasagna, too. However, given these preferences,

lasagna is favored over turkey by 2–1.

The Ortega Family The Schmidt Family The Alexander Family

First Choice

Turkey

Roast beef

Lasagna

Second Choice Roast beef

Lasagna

Turkey

Third Choice

Lasagna

Turkey

Roast beef

TABLE 18.1 Circular Preferences

We call the situation in which Choice A is preferred by a majority over Choice B, Choice B is preferred by a

majority over Choice C, and Choice C is preferred by a majority over Choice A a voting cycle. It is easy to
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