VOTING PARADOX: The observation that voting by a relatively small group of people might generate a intransitive or inconsistent ranking of three or more alternatives, creating a paradox of rankings. The preferences of rational individuals are generally assumed to transitive and consistent, that is, if a person prefers A to B and B to C, then the person also prefers A to C. However, the preferences of group of voters might not be consistent. That is, as a group, voters might prefer A to B and B to C, but then prefer C to A. This is not only paradoxical and confusing, it also can be inefficient.

     See also | public choice | majority rule | super majority rule | unanimity rule | plurality rule | logrolling | explicit logrolling | implicit logrolling | Tiebout hypothesis | principal-agent problem | principle of the median voter |

VOTING PARADOX, AmosWEB GLOSS*arama, http://www.AmosWEB.com, AmosWEB LLC, 2000-2025. [Accessed: July 18, 2025].

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The psychological desires which make life just a little more enjoyable, but which are not biological necessities for life. Psychological wants are often contrasted with physiological needs that make life more enjoyable, but are not essential for existence.

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