But elections do not measure public opinion in a neutral way. They restrict the choices available and reward popularity over nuance. Under these conditions, alternatives struggle to appear no matter how many people might quietly prefer them.
A voter is presented with a slate of candidates but only a few have very narrow selection of options is provided to voters,
deflect blame (“you chose it”)
The fact that people have an preference between a small set of options
People may have a strong preference between option A and option B, even if they dislike both. They will still pick one when given the narrow choice, but that choice is later treated as an expression of their true preference.
This is often the case with the two parties. A popular argument holds that Democrats and Republicans must reflect people’s Individual Will because they keep winning elections. If a better alternative existed, it would emerge.
Most people understand, at least intuitively, that simply stating what they want does not determine what happens. Outcomes depend on power, numbers, and feasibility. As a result, people adjust what they express to match what they believe is achievable. This behavior shows up in everyday life, but it becomes especially damaging in elections. Voters learn to vote not for what they want, but for what they think can win.
It is often argued that the two major parties must reflect the public’s true preferences because they keep winning elections. If a better alternative existed, the argument goes, it would naturally rise to the top. But elections do not measure public opinion in a neutral way. They restrict the choices available and reward popularity over nuance. Under these conditions, alternatives struggle to appear no matter how many people might quietly prefer them.
The result is that voters can express their individual will only through a narrow filter. They are given very few meaningful options, and those options are bundled into simple contests for popularity. What emerges from this process is not a clear picture of what people want, but a distorted signal shaped by fear, strategy, and limited choice.
They are shaped by systemic pressures and limited choice sets, both of which narrow the scope of consideration. Thus people can only express their individual will through a narrow filter. Specifically, being given few meaningful choices and turning the expression of Individual Will into a popularity contest.