Majority rule

Majority rule is a decision-making principle in which an option supported by more than half of the relevant votes prevails. It is used in elections and collective decisions.

Simple majority: A threshold requiring more than half of votes cast for a proposal to pass. This is the basic threshold that gives majority rule its defining meaning.
Plurality voting: A voting rule in which the option with the most votes wins, even without more than half. Plurality can select a winner that majority rule would reject.
Parliamentary procedure: A set of rules for conducting meetings and deciding motions through deliberation and voting. Legislatures and assemblies use procedural rules to determine when a majority decision is binding.
Tyranny of the majority: The use of majority power to impose policies that unjustly harm or exclude minority groups. Majority rule can produce this danger when no rights or institutional limits protect minorities.
Absolute majority: A threshold requiring more than half of all eligible members or voters, rather than only votes cast. It differs from a simple majority when abstentions or absences count toward the denominator.
Consensus decision-making: A group decision process that seeks an outcome acceptable to all participants or nearly all. Consensus prioritizes broad acceptability rather than a bare numerical majority.
Electoral system: The rules that translate votes into elected offices or representative bodies. Majority rule operates within electoral systems that define ballots, districts, and winners.
Minority rights: Legal and political protections that prevent majorities from denying basic rights to less powerful groups. These protections constrain what a majority may legitimately decide.
Quorum: The minimum participation required for a meeting or vote to conduct valid business. A majority decision may be valid only if enough members participate.
Supermajority rule: A decision rule requiring support above a specified threshold greater than half. Higher thresholds protect against decisions made by a narrow majority.

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