Suppose everyone in a town votes that they prefer to spend the budget on improved public transportation systems over public parks. According to the criterion of independence of irrelevant alternatives, if a third option not likely to win, like building a new public zoo, is included in the vote, the preference for public transportation spending should _______.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The criterion of independence of irrelevant alternatives suggests that if an option (in this case, building a new public zoo) is added to a vote and is not likely to win, it should not affect the outcome of the original preference (improved public transportation systems over public parks). This means the community's preference for spending on public transportation should stay the same despite the introduction of a new, less favored option.

Suppose Everyone in a Town Votes That They Prefer to Spend