Why can KARP reductions be used to define completeness for complexity classes in the polynomial hierachy?
Suppose that $f$ is the polynomial reduction between $L'$ and $L$, i.e. $x \in L' \Leftrightarrow f(x) \in L$. If $L \in \Sigma_k^p$ then $y\in L \Leftrightarrow \exists z_1 \forall z_2 \ldots M(y, z_1, \ldots z_k) = 1$. Then $$x\in L \Leftrightarrow f(x) \in L \Leftrightarrow \exists z_1 \forall z_2 \ldots M(f(x), z_1, \ldots z_k) = 1 \Leftrightarrow \exists z_1 \forall z_2 \ldots P(x, z_1, \ldots z_k) = 1$$  $P$ first computes $f$, then applies $M$, so it's polynomial.