Which of the following are examples of a plurality? Select all that apply.(1 point)Responses370 of 435 members of Congress support a bill.370 of 435 members of Congress support a bill.51 of 100 senators support a judicial nominee.51 of 100 senators support a judicial nominee.9 of 9 Supreme Court justices support a decision.9 of 9 Supreme Court justices support a decision.1,550 of the Democrat Party’s 4,765 delegates prefer a candidate.1,550 of the Democrat Party’s 4,765 delegates prefer a candidate.205 of 538 members of the Electoral College vote for a president.205 of 538 members of the Electoral College vote for a president.2,472 of 2,472 Republican delegates support an incumbent candidate.

1 answer

A plurality refers to the largest number of votes or support when there is no majority (more than half). In this context, let’s analyze each response:

  1. 370 of 435 members of Congress support a bill. - This represents a majority (over half), so it is not a plurality.

  2. 51 of 100 senators support a judicial nominee. - This also represents a majority (more than half), so it is not a plurality.

  3. 9 of 9 Supreme Court justices support a decision. - This represents complete consensus (unanimous support), not a plurality.

  4. 1,550 of the Democrat Party’s 4,765 delegates prefer a candidate. - This does not indicate whether it is a majority or plurality. If no other candidates received more than 1,550 votes, it could be a plurality, but with the information given, we cannot definitively categorize it.

  5. 205 of 538 members of the Electoral College vote for a president. - Since there are 538 total members, if no other candidate receives more than 205 votes, this could be considered a plurality.

  6. 2,472 of 2,472 Republican delegates support an incumbent candidate. - This represents unanimity (all), not a plurality.

Based on this analysis, the potential examples of a plurality are:

  • 1,550 of the Democrat Party’s 4,765 delegates prefer a candidate. (This could potentially be a plurality, depending on the votes received by other candidates.)
  • 205 of 538 members of the Electoral College vote for a president. (This could definitely be a plurality if other candidates received fewer votes.)

If you are looking more strictly at a definition and ensuring no majorities are present, then the second indicated option, regarding the Electoral College, clearly represents a plurality situation, depending on the context.