principles of democracy Essay examples

5 Principles of Democracy

1) Majority Rules/ Minority Rights Public policy is determined by a majority of citizens, but the majority may not rightfully use its power to deprive minority groups of their rights. Democracy must guarantee that the majority will not abuse its power to violate the rights of minority.
Majority rule is limited to protect minority rights, because if it were unchecked it probably would be used to oppress minority rights. Unlimited majority rule in a democracy is just as dictatorial as the unchecked rule of an autocrat minority political party.

An example of majority rule with the respect of minority rights in American government would be Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka. In this case, African American children were denied the right to attend school with the white children. The courts sided with Brown and felt that separation of children according to race deprived children of their minority rights of an equal educational opportunity, even though the majority wanted to keep them separated.
2) Voluntary Consent The government gets its power from the people. Consent of the governed refers to what the US government was designed to be, and what the founders made sure they would not become. To govern with consent means that a government has the authority to govern a nation and its people so long as they made policy that best effects the wants and needs of the people. And when they do not, they are denied the privilege to govern because the people run the government and if people don’t like the government, they have the right to change it. Consent is the ability to give a permission, and to take it away. Locke argued that government’s legitimacy comes from the citizens’ allocation to the government. Citizens choose representatives and they must follow the rules and regulations made by the government and their representatives.

An example- If people don't like a senator they have the right to kick him out if enough people agree that he/she is doing a bad job

3) Equality of All Persons "All men are created equal." It does not mean that everyone is exactly the same in terms of things like mental and physical abilities or possessions. Democratic societies emphasize the principle that all people are equal. Equality means that all individuals are valued equally, have equal opportunities, and may not be discriminated against because of their race, religion, ethnic group, gender or sexual orientation. In a democracy, individuals and groups still maintain their right to have different cultures, personalities, languages and beliefs. Everyone should be equal before the courts and tribunals. They should be entitled to a fair and public hearing by knowledgeable, independent and fair tribunal established by law. If we are treated equally in society, we have same opportunity to pursue our happiness.

Examples include how not hiring a person for a job because they are African American is in violation of Equality of All Persons. Also, two people of different genders, religions, or races were convicted of the same crime, Equality of All Persons ensures that both will receive the same punishment

4) Individual Freedom The first 10 amendments to the Constitution make up the Bill of Rights. It is a freedom of the person in going and coming, security of private property, freedom of opinion and its expression, and freedom of conscience subject

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