A voter's preferences are single-peaked if
A) Her net benefit from an activity increases with the activity's level until her ideal is reached and declines thereafter
B) Her total benefit from an activity increases with the activity's level until her ideal is reached and declines thereafter
C) Her net benefit from an activity decreases with the activity's level until her ideal is reached and declines thereafter
D) Her total benefit from an activity decreases with the activity's level until her ideal is reached and declines thereafter

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Single-peaked preferences refer to a situation where a voter's net benefit from an activity increases as the activity's level increases until a certain point, after which the net benefit declines. This creates a single peak in the voter's preference curve, where the optimal level of the activity is located. Option A correctly describes this pattern of preferences. Option B is incorrect because the voter's net benefit, not the total benefit, is what matters for determining single-peaked preferences. Option C and D describe patterns of preferences that are not single-peaked.

A Voter's Preferences Are Single-Peaked If