The plurality electoral system in the United States means that which of the following is true?

• A. The party system will be competitive
• B. Every party must be a broad-based coalition
• C. Politics will be more ideological than it would otherwise be
• D. The risk of electoral corruption is less than in Europe

Answer: (B)

Plularity, or first-past-the-post, in single-member districts rewards the candidate who can attract the largest share of voters in each district, even if that share isn’t a majority. Because winning a seat requires broad appeal across many districts, political parties tend to become broad-based coalitions that can appeal to a wide range of voters and win across diverse regions and issues. That makes it more likely that parties function as large, catch-all coalitions rather than small, ideologically narrow groups. So the statement that every party must be a broad-based coalition captures the practical effect of this electoral setup.

The other ideas don’t fit as well: plurality systems generally foster two major parties and less incentive for niche parties, so politics isn’t necessarily more competitive in terms of many strong parties; parties often adopt broader, less ideological platforms to win across districts; and corruption risk is not inherently lower in Europe because of the voting method.