Majoritarianism

Majoritarianism is the principle that a majority should have authority to make collective decisions, including decisions that affect minority groups.

Majority rule: A decision rule under which the option supported by more than half of participants prevails. It is the basic procedure through which majoritarianism gives a majority decision-making power.
Consensus decision-making: A process that seeks a decision acceptable to all participants rather than one imposed by a numerical majority. It replaces majority victory with an effort to secure broad agreement.
John Locke: An English philosopher whose political writings defended government by consent and majority decision within a political community. His account of political society helped justify majority decisions as binding on a community.
Brown v. Board of Education: A 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision holding racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. The decision rejected segregation maintained by political institutions despite constitutional equality claims.
Plurality voting: An electoral system in which the candidate with the most votes wins, without needing an absolute majority. It can produce governing power for candidates supported by less than half the electorate.
Supermajority: A decision threshold higher than half of the votes cast, such as two-thirds. It requires wider support than ordinary majority rule for specified decisions.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau: A Genevan philosopher whose political theory connected legitimate lawmaking to popular sovereignty and the general will. His account of popular sovereignty shaped debates over whether majority decisions express collective self-rule.
Loving v. Virginia: A 1967 U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down state bans on interracial marriage. It shows courts protecting individual rights against laws supported by state majorities.
Constitutionalism: The principle that government authority is limited by a constitution. Constitutional limits can restrict decisions made by a majority.
Proportional representation: An electoral system that allocates seats in proportion to parties’ shares of the vote. It can give minority viewpoints representation without awarding all power to a narrow winner.

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