Under a plurality system in the United States, which statement is true?

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

Answer: (B)

In a plurality (first-past-the-post) system with single-member districts, the winner in each district is the candidate who gets more votes than any other, even if that total isn’t a majority. To gain power across the legislature or the nation, a party must win many districts. That creates a strong incentive to appeal to a broad range of voters across different regions and groups, leading to broad-based coalitions. This dynamic is captured by the idea that parties under this system tend to be broad-based in order to win widespread support.

That’s why the statement about every party needing to be a broad-based coalition is the best fit. The other options don’t align with how plurality systems tend to shape party competition: these systems often produce two dominant parties rather than a highly competitive multi-party scene; ideology tends to be moderated as parties appeal to broad coalitions; and claims about lower electoral corruption compared to Europe aren’t a defining consequence of the voting method.