Majority Rule and Minority Rights

Majority rule can often lead to tyranny because of the pursuit of the majorities’ interests; however, with the Supreme Court and its interpretation of the Constitution, minority groups are often able to rule over the unjust majority. Majority rule is essential in a democracy and having limits does not contradict the majority’s power. The principles of majority rule can be upheld while the rights of minorities are protected as long as justice is maintained through the checks on majority factions and justified court rulings.

Though the government wants majority rule to be upheld, majority factions are often proved dangerous due to the fact that they may strip the rights of minorities. In Federalist No. 10, Madison states, “When a majority is included in a faction, the form of popular government, on the other hand, enables it to sacrifice to its ruling passion or interest both the public good and the rights of other citizens” to explain how the existence of large factions can be detrimental to the public good (72). In Chapter 1 of On Liberty, Mill states, “….‘the tyranny of the majority’ is now generally included among the evils against which society requires to be on its guard” to signify how the principle of majority rule can lead to the “tyranny of the majority”, also known as when the power of the majority oppresses a minority group (96). Both Mill and Madison introduce how the concept of a majority rule can harm the interests of the people outside the “majority”. A more concise example is given in Martin Luther King’s letter from Birmingham Jail; in his letter, King describes the atrocities the African Americans face on a daily basis due to the majority opinion that African Americans are not of equal standing as the whites. K...

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.... San Diego: University Readers, 2011. 75-78. Print.

King Jr., Martin Luther. “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” 1963. In Dimensions of Culture 2: Justice. Ed. Valerie Hartouni, Robert Horwitz and John Skrentny. San Diego: University Readers, 2011. 13-20. Print.

Madison, James. “The Federalist No. 10.” 1787. In Dimensions of Culture 2: Justice. Ed. Valerie Hartouni, Robert Horwitz and John Skrentny. San Diego: University Readers, 2011. 71-74. Print.

Mill, John Stuart. “Chapter 1: Introductory from On Liberty.” 1859. In Dimensions of Culture 2: Justice. Ed. Valerie Hartouni, Robert Horwitz and John Skrentny. San Diego: University Readers, 2011. 95-100. Print.

Plessy v. Ferguson. 163 U.S. 537 U.S. Supreme Court. 1896. Rpt. In Dimensions of Culture 2: Justice. Ed. Valerie Hartouni, Robert Horwitz and John Skrentny. San Diego: University Readers, 2011. 175-185. Print.