III. Necessary Conditions for Democracy

Who Said it? “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” “Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.”

Kennedy Video

A. Consent of the Governed People must freely agree to have a government One of the most important ideas found in the Constitution Found in the Preamble “We the people”

Jean-Jacques Rousseau – Enlightenment philosopher The Social Contract (1762) – All citizens have the same innate rights Only legitimate governments are those that protect individual rights King receives powers from the “general will” [of the people] and not God

B. Political Equality Equality of opportunity Equality before the law “One person, one vote” – Equal political unit Everyone must have an equal right to participate

Question: Does everyone have to participate to make democracies successful? Need not be universal Must be roughly representive – “reflective”

C. Majority Rule – Minority Rights Majority Rule – Decisions made by more than half of the people must be accepted by all – Really seen in the House of Representatives –All Americans must accept election results Minority Rights – Respected and given an opportunity to voice their opinions – Really seen in the Senate

Primary Source – James Madison– June 8, 1789 “The greatest danger lies, namely that which possesses the highest prerogative of power. But this is not found in either the executive or legislative departments of Government, but in the body of the people, operating by the majority against the minority.”

Endo v. United States During WWII 100,000 Japanese Americans were sent to relocation camps Caused by fear and racist beliefs Found that it was against the law to fire and relocate Japanese Americans

Japanese Interment Camps

Civil War and Majority Rule Secession was illegal according to Lincoln Would lead to an endless splintering of authority Disgruntled minorities could chose to seceded all the time

Primary Source – Abraham Lincoln – 1861 “Plainly, the central idea of secession, is the essence of anarchy.”

D. Need for Compromise Compromise – Blending and adjusting competing views of interest Each side is forced to give up something Essential part of democratic process Most U.S. laws are a product of compromise

E. Inclusion Government should include equal rights to all citizens Right to act and express yourself as long as you do not violate other’s rights

Oliver Wendell Holmes “The right to swing my fist ends where the other man’s nose begins”