Majority Rule :: Essays Papers

Majority RuleAccording to John C. Calhouns Disquisition on Government, Rousseaus ideas were wrong. Unlike Rousseau, Calhoun believes that man is more self-interested than socially interested therefore Rousseaus idea of a sovereign making a fair general interest decision obsolete. Calhoun acknowledges the situation that in whatsoever society there has to be a decision making procedure and a form of power. He then explains how that power lead naturally instal self-interest a priority. Calhoun breaks up the decision making process of voting into two different categories, numerical/absolute majority and constitutional/concurrent majority. Calhoun stresses the fact that there is a major difference between these two and that they hobonot be confounded without leading to great and fatal errors. Numerical majority is described as a majority of numbers, which does not consider the actual people who acquit up this so called majority. Mr. Calhoun insists that confounding the two majoritie s and considering numerical majority as the just majority will in fact tear apart the popular government. Instead he explicates the importance of every persons opinion, this is what is so overlooked in a majority rule, because there are more numbers does not make that a right majority. A majority is most often in make or heavily involved with its government. Calhoun explains that if a constitution is made to be easily changed to limit the powers of some departments, as well as this may seem, can cause harm. A majority that is limited by one of these provisions will find it easier to do away with these provisions because of their numbers, while the minority will not have the ability to keep the provisions. These beliefs are easily correlated with the issues of states rights during the civil war. I agree with Calhoun and his beliefs of majority. Although our nation today is prosperous this does not make the decisions of and other events in our country right. We have almost lost touc h with many groups and simply dubbed them the minority.