Majority vs Plurality

[voodoochild]

Experts,

Powerscore book says that when we say Most A's are B ==> at least 50% of A's are B's.

Question #1 - are there any circumstances in which the above concept doesn't hold good, as in Plurality contexts?

Secondly, If I say that Joe got most votes, then in Plurality contexts, it doesn't mean that Joe got greater than 50% votes. That holds good only when there are only two candidates. It could be possible that Joe got 40% votes, and the rest went to others.

Question #2 - Is my understanding about generality/plurality accurate? I am a bit confused.


Thanks

[Dave Killoran]

Hi Voodoo,

The definition of "most" being discussed is the logical definition. So, in answer to #1, when something is referred as "most" of something (for example, Most As are Bs) then it means at least 50% + 1. However, if you see the word "most," keep in mind that it can be used as a comparative, as in, "Joe received the most votes." In that context, it just means that Joe received more votes than anyone else. Depending on the number of candidates, it could mean less than 50%.

In answer to #2, it seems as if you understand majority vs plurality.

Thanks!