Which are true of majorities and pluralities? Select all that apply.
A. A majority is a position held by more than half of a group.
B. A plurality is a position held by more than half of a group.
C. A majority is a position held by less than half of the group but is still the most popular decision.
D. A plurality is held by less than half of the group but is still the most popular position.
A and D are correct.
A. A majority is a position held by more than half of a group.
C. A majority is a position held by less than half of the group but is still the most popular decision.
D. A plurality is held by less than half of the group but is still the most popular position.
To determine which statements are true about majorities and pluralities, we need to understand their definitions:
1. A majority is a position held by more than half of a group. This means that more than 50% of the group supports or votes for a particular position. For example, if a group of 100 people votes on a decision, a majority would be any position that receives 51 votes or more.
2. A plurality is a position held by the largest number or percentage of the group but not necessarily more than half. In other words, it is the most popular choice among the options, even if it does not reach the threshold of more than 50%. For example, if a group of 100 people votes on a decision and Option A receives 45 votes, Option B receives 30 votes, and Option C receives 25 votes, Option A would be the plurality since it has the highest number of votes, even though it does not have more than 50%.
With these definitions in mind, let's evaluate the given statements:
A. A majority is a position held by more than half of a group. This statement is correct, as explained above.
B. A plurality is a position held by more than half of a group. This statement is incorrect. Plurality does not require more than half of a group's support.
C. A majority is a position held by less than half of the group but is still the most popular decision. This statement is incorrect. A majority always represents more than half of a group.
D. A plurality is held by less than half of the group but is still the most popular position. This statement is correct. Plurality can be held by the option with the largest number of votes, even if it doesn't exceed half of the group.
Therefore, the correct statements are:
A. A majority is a position held by more than half of a group.
D. A plurality is held by less than half of the group but is still the most popular position.