The Absence Of A True Political Majority
ecthompsonmd
June 16, 2008
A basic concept of democracy is “majority rules.” We accept that whoever gets the most votes in an election wins. (Except, strangely, in elections for President.) It seems only fair. It is difficult to define the word majority so it retains real meaning. A majority is arbitrary and fluid. A winning coalition in one election may flop in the next. And elected legislative majorities are in fact elected by what turns out to be a minority of the people. These conditions, while contributing to the incoherence and illogic of political life, provide hope and opportunity for politically committed individuals. When most
