What is a People? A Problem with Democracy.?

Question

Democracy is "majority rule: the doctrine that the numerical majority of an organized group can make decisions binding on the whole group."

Democracy means that the government is controlled by "the people."

However, what is a people? It is the entire human population or just a subset of the human population? If it is a subset of the human population then what do you use to distinguish "peoples."

For example, suppose most people in Texas wanted to separate into a separate country. Would this be democratic? Most Texans want it, but most Americans may not. What makes Americans as a whole more of a "people" than Texans?

Answer 1

Democracy is, as you stated, government by the people; the 'people' being that set of humans who are being governed.
Democracy presupposes (incorrectly) that there will be 100% participation in the decision process.
This does not happen.
Democracy inevitably results in non-representitave government.a government of the many by the FEW, equivalent to despotism.

A republic is a system in which representatives are elected by the democratic majority and who are _supposed_ to listen to and act upon the wishes of their constituents.

This does not happen very often.

Texas cannot secede from the U.S.A. because ??
I would think that it would cause a miniature war if Texas tries to do that. I am in favor of state's rights, so I think that Texas, New Hampshire, Maine, or any state should be able to secede if the population at large desires this.

The people of the U.S.A. as a whole are not more of a people that the citizens of Texas, it's just that Texas is a state of the union under the constitution.

Answer 2

Actually the Texans are more of a unit than Americans as a whole. Since there are over 900 million Americans in 37 individual nations, Americans have in common the 'western world' culture, and that's about it. Texans on the other hand because it is a much smaller place have a lot more in common with each other. By it's very nature the larger a group becomes the more disparate as well.

Answer 3

One error in your reasoning is that in a democracy the government is not controlled by the people, the government is the people. It is an important distinction.

By the use of the phrase "a people" that is in itself a seclusive selection of individuals. The things used to segregate "peoples" is borders, language, and culture. When a collection of individuals share those three things, they are a people.

It would be a democratic and autonomous action on behalf of the Texans when they voted to leave the union. However, the majority of America would have the right to exercise the will of the American people to act against Texas because before its separation Texans are still Americans.

A good piece of reference to this matter of reciprocity and person hood is the Crito. I recommend it to any budding political mind.

Answer 4

Well, the United States is actually a republic. The people elect people to represent them and make decisions for the country.