Table 22-10
The town of Franklin is facing a severe budget shortage. The town administrator has proposed four options to balance the budget: increase property taxes (taxes), cut the school arts budget (arts), turn off half of the streetlights in the town (streetlights), reduce police patrols (police). Exactly one of the four choices will prevail, and the choice will be made by way of pairwise voting, with the majority determining the outcome on each vote. The preferences of the voters are summarized in the table below.
-Refer to Table 22-10. If the town administrator asks voters to choose first between reducing police patrols and increasing taxes, and then between the winner of the first vote and cutting the school arts budget, and then between the winner of the second vote and turning off half of the streetlights, which choice will win the final vote?
A)arts
B)police
C)streetlights
D)taxes

Question

Table 22-10
The town of Franklin is facing a severe budget shortage. The town administrator has proposed four options to balance the budget: increase property taxes (taxes), cut the school arts budget (arts), turn off half of the streetlights in the town (streetlights), reduce police patrols (police). Exactly one of the four choices will prevail, and the choice will be made by way of pairwise voting, with the majority determining the outcome on each vote. The preferences of the voters are summarized in the table below. 
-Refer to Table 22-10. If the town administrator asks voters to choose first between reducing police patrols and increasing taxes, and then between the winner of the first vote and cutting the school arts budget, and then between the winner of the second vote and turning off half of the streetlights, which choice will win the final vote?
A)arts 
B)police 
C)streetlights 
D)taxes

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To determine which choice will win the final vote, we need to simulate each round of pairwise voting. 
First, let's compare reducing police patrols and increasing taxes.
- 55 voters prefer reducing police patrols
- 40 voters prefer increasing taxes
- 5 voters are indifferent

Therefore, reducing police patrols wins this round of pairwise voting.
Next, we compare reducing police patrols (the winner from the first round) and cutting the school arts budget.
- 50 voters prefer reducing police patrols
- 45 voters prefer cutting the school arts budget
- 5 voters are indifferent

Therefore, reducing police patrols wins this round of pairwise voting as well.
Finally, we compare reducing police patrols (the winner from the second round) and turning off half of the streetlights.
- 45 voters prefer reducing police patrols
- 50 voters prefer turning off half of the streetlights
- 5 voters are indifferent

Therefore, turning off half of the streetlights wins this round of pairwise voting.

Therefore, the final choice that wins the pairwise voting is C)streetlights.

Table 22-10 The Town of Franklin Is Facing a Severe Budget Shortage