Principles of American Constitutional Democracy

Majority rule is the idea that when a decision needs to be made, the result will be the one with which more than half of voters agree. If there are more than two options and a majority vote is not necessary, the U.S. government sides with the plurality, or the option that gets the most votes. The purpose of majority rule is to ensure that the citizens of the United States, who hold the ultimate power, are consulted on issues that affect them.

This principle applies when Americans elect the candidate in an election who earned the most votes or, in the case of a presidential election, the greatest number of Electoral College votes. On the basis of majority rule, all citizens accept election results.

However, the Founders also took into consideration minority rights, the idea that people with views that go against the majority may express those ideas without fear. The Bill of Rights was created to protect certain minority rights. A majority cannot interfere with someone’s religious beliefs because every citizen has freedom of religion. A person with beliefs different from those of the majority cannot be silenced because every citizen has freedom of speech. The balance of majority rule and minority rights allows citizens the freedom to discuss ideas without punishment. A majority could abuse the rights of a minority, but the principle of minority rights prevents this.

Individual rights are spelled out in the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights. These rights allow Americans certain freedoms with which the government may not interfere, such as freedom of speech and freedom of religion.

Another important principle of limited government is federalism. The principle of federalism states that the power of a country should be divided between the central federal government and smaller units, for example, states. The American divides power between the federal government and the state governments. This was a matter of contention when drafting the Constitution. Federalists argued for a stronger central government, while Anti-Federalists argued for a weaker federal government. Their compromises resulted in the U.S. Constitution. The federal government is in control of issues that affect the entire nation, such as foreign trade and international wars. State governments are responsible for local issues and any responsibilities not explicitly given to the federal government in the Constitution.

The Framers also crafted the necessary and proper clause, sometimes called the elastic clause, in Article I, Section 8, giving Congress the power to “make all laws which shall be necessary” to running the federal government. This means that Congress can suggest new federal laws that may be in addition to the enumerated powers, and the Supreme Court can decide if the laws are Constitutional.