Should the Majority rule America or the Minority?

Question

And who is ruling it now? I think it is the minority. I thought a domocracy meant that the majority is suppose to rule????

Answer 1

The majority governs, but not at the expense of the minority. At least that's the way it's supposed to work.

Answer 2

When Benjamin Franklin came out of the Constitutional Convention in 1797, as the story goes, he was asked by a woman who was sitting there, Mr. Franklin, what have you given us? This quote is in the front of many copies of the Constitution. His answer was, a republic, madam, if you can keep it, a republic.
But I thought we have a democracy. I don't know if we cite that Pledge of Allegiance just from rote and never think about what it says. But you remember those words in there, the republic for which it stands, not the democracy, but the republic for which it stands. What is the difference between a republic and a democracy and why did Benjamin Franklin make a point of telling this lady, a republic, madam, if you can keep it?
Let me give you a couple of examples of a democracy that will help you understand why he didn't say that they had given us a democracy. An example of a democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what they are going to have for dinner. You may smile a little because you know that if two wolves and a lamb are voting on what you are going to have for dinner, it is not going to be clover.
Another sample, and this is a very sad example, but if you think about it, this is really an apt example of a democracy, and that is a lynch mob. Because, clearly, in a lynch mob the will of the majority is being expressed, and that is what people say democracy is, that the majority rules.
So what is a republic? There is an incident in our history that helps me understand the difference between a republic and a democracy, and this happened during the Truman administration. The steel mills were going on strike, our economy was already in trouble, and it was going to be in bigger trouble if that strike occurred. Then we did some manufacturing, and we made some steel, and it mattered. Today, it probably wouldn't matter, because so little manufacturing in steel is made here, but it mattered then.
Harry Truman in his take-charge style issued an executive order, one of only two, by the way, that the Supreme Court has set aside. What he said in that executive order was that he nationalized the steel mills that made the steel mill workers civil servants, employees of the government. As employees to the government, they couldn't strike.
That was a very popular action that had very high approval from the American people. In a democracy, that
would have been just fine. But the Supreme Court met in an emergency session and, in effect, what they said, Mr. President, no matter how popular that is, you cannot do it because it violates the Constitution.
You see, the fundamental difference between a democracy and a republic is a rule of law. In a democracy, what the majority wants prevails. In a republic, it is a rule of law that prevails

Source(s):
Then the last half of that statement, if you can keep it, I wonder what was in Benjamin Franklin's head, in his mind. Was he concerned about threats from outside our country? We were a long ocean away with sailing ships from any potential enemy. I doubt that his concern was a threat from without. I think that he was more concerned about a threat from within, a republic, madam, if you can keep it.

Answer 3

Our country is a democracy while our government is a republic. "We the People" are the democracy and the republic consists of three branches of government: Executive, Legislative and Judicial. The government is designed so that there are checks and balances and order to keep either a majority or minority from having too much control. No group, whether a minority or the majority is to be tyrannized by a corrupt government. Are you ready for the revolution?

Answer 4

Well that depends.
If you are liberal in the minority the cry is you have to respect the minority vote.
However when liberals are in the majority the cry is marjority rules and ingore the minority vote.

We are a repubic for that very reason.

In that case you believe in majority rule than gay marriage people should pack their bags and go home because they keep losing in the popular vote.

Answer 5

We are a republic, which means that the majority has the vote, but it cannot do certain things, regardless of the vote. The Constitution and Bill of Rights, for example, limit what the majority can impose.

By the way, what you think is the majority is strongly influenced by who you associate with. It's perspective.

Answer 6

How about the majority with respect for the minority?That's the way it should be

Answer 7

The majority does rule, the majority that bother to vote that is - that's why it's a democracy. They can't telekinetically connect to everyone to see what their opinions are; you have to drag your lazy butt out of bed and go vote. That's the problem. The majority seems to be to lazy to vote.

Answer 8

The proposed Constitution is, in strictness, neither a national nor a federal constitution; but a composition of both. - James Madison

Answer 9

Oh. Poo. Everyone thinks 'they' are the 'majority' and they are the correct one. Jeffery Dahmer propably thought he was the correct one. He, I am sure, thought there were more people like him out there, and just did not understand why everyone was not a child molesting, serial-killing cannibal. After all, he felt that way, so EVERYONE should...

Answer 10

America is a democracy. In a democracy majority rules. It has been that way and so far still is.