Basic Principles Of Democracy

The United States of America has five basic principles which ensure the ability of the country. The basic foundations: fundamental worth, equality of all persons, majority rule minority rights, necessity of compromise, and ividual freedom. This paper reviews three of the five principles: majority rule and minority rights, individual freedom, and necessity of compromise. Two of these cases of individual freedom plus majority rule and minority rights the United States has failed to uphold. The third case on individual freedom is an undecided case at this point. The United States must not ignore these ations’ importance making judicial decision or the stability of the country is at risk.

Majority rule and minority rights is a basic foundation of democracy. A general concept of this foundation is that the popular vote will be the deciding party in most cases. Along with this concept the minority of the people will maintain certain basic human rights that will not be compromised by the popular vote. A challenge to this principle occurred when Asheville City district zoning was voted on many years ago, and unfortunately was passed. The rules and restrictions that are accompanied by zoning are phenomenal. In many cases the taxes rise depending on how property is zoned. For example, if property is zoned as commercial property the taxes are considerably higher than if property was in a residential area. Consequently the minority here is being punished. More permits must be acquired and plans must be approved before anything can be done to ones own land. Zoning was voted in by the majority, however the minority’s rights were not completely maintained. People need to maintain certain basic rights, and these rights pertain to what they may do to their property. Justification of how the government failed to honor this basic foundation.

Individual freedom is by far one of the most important foundations to a democracy’s survival. Individual freedom is difficult to define, though a general meaning is illustrated by a quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes, “The right to swing my fist ends where another man’s nose begins.” Enforcing people to wear their seat belt against their will is an example of how America has failed to secure the one of most important foundation of democracy. People should have the right to choose whether or not they wear their seat belt. The American government and the North Carolina government specifically passed a law which makes all passengers in the front seat, no matter what age, wear their safety belts.