Majority Rule and Minority Rights

Definition

Majority rule and minority rights refer to an essential principle in democracy that ensures decisions are made by numerical majority but without suppression or neglecting minority interests or rights.

Analogy

Imagine you're deciding on what movie to watch with your friends. Most want to watch Action but some prefer Comedy. You go with Action (majority rule) but ensure next time you'll watch Comedy (minority rights).

Related terms

Direct Democracy: A form of government where citizens vote directly on laws and policies rather than through representatives.

Pluralism: A theory that politics and decision making are located mostly in governmental framework, but many non-governmental groups use their resources to exert influence.

Civil Liberties: These are basic freedoms guaranteed under U.S Constitution such as freedom speech or religion.