Majoritarianism is a political philosophy or agenda which asserts that a majority (sometimes categorized by religion, language or some other identifying factor) of the population is entitled to a certain degree of primacy in society, and has the right to make decisions that affect the society. Under a majoritarian political structure the majority has a single restriction—it is not allowed to exclude any minority from future participation in the democratic process. به خاطر اعمال تخریبی یک کاربر مشخص AOLØŒ ویکی‌پدیا معمولاً proxyهای AOL را می‌بندد. متأسفانه ممکن است تعداد زیادی از کاربران AOL از یک خادم proxy واحد استفاده کنند، Ùˆ در نتیجه کاربران بی‌تقصیر AOL معمولاً ندانسته بسته می‌شوند. از دردسر ایجاد شده عذر می‌خواهیم. اگر این اتفاق برای شما افتاد، لطفاً به یکی از مدیران از یک نشانی پست الکترونیک AOL پیغام بفرستید. حتماً نشانی IPÛŒ را در فوق داده شده ذکر کنید. بازگشت به صفحهٔ اصلی. گرفته شده از «http://fa. ... A majority is a subset of a group that is more than half of the entire group. ...

Majority rule (a concept closely aligned with majoritarianism) is defined as the rule that requires more than half of a polity's members who cast a vote to agree in order for the whole polity to make a decision on the measure being voted on. More broadly, the term is used in discussions regarding the principles of majority rule and the protection of individual and minority rights.

Majoritarianism is sometimes pejoratively called ochlocracy (commonly stated as mob rule) or tyranny of the majority by its opponents. Look up pejorative on Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Ochlocracy (Greek: οχλοκρατια; Latin: ochlocratia) is government by mob or a disorganized mass of people. ... Majoritarianism (often also called majority rule) is a political philosophy or agenda which asserts that a majority (sometimes categorized by religion, language or some other identifying factor) of the population is entitled to a certain degree of primacy in society, and has the right to make decisions that affect the...

Concept in depth

Advocates of majoritarianism argue that majority decision making is intrinsically democratic and that any restriction on majority decision making is intrinsically undemocratic. If democracy is restricted by a constitution which cannot be changed by a simple majority decision then yesterday's majority is being given more weight than today's; if it is restricted by some small group, such as aristocrats, judges, priests, soldiers or philosophers, then society becomes an oligarchy. The only restriction acceptable in a majoritarianism system is that a current majority has no right to prevent a different majority emerging in the future (this could happen, for example, if a minority persuades enough of the majority to change its position). In particular, a majority cannot exclude a minority from future participation in the democratic process. It should be noted, as it's often a subject of misunderstanding, that majoritarianism does not prohibit a decision being made by representatives as long as this decision is made via majority rule, as it can be altered at any time by any different majority emerging in the future. A majority is a subset of a group that is more than half of the entire group. ... Aristocracy is a form of government in which rulership is in the hands of an upper class known as aristocrats. ... A judge or justice is an official who presides over a court. ... Roman Catholic priest LCDR Allen R. Kuss (USN) aboard USS Enterprise A priest or priestess is a holy man or woman who takes an officiating role in worship of any religion, with the distinguishing characteristic of offering sacrifices. ... A soldier is a person who has enlisted with, or has been conscripted into, the armed forces of a sovereign country and has undergone training and received equipment (such as a uniform and weapon) to defend that country or its interests. ... A philosopher is a person who thinks deeply regarding people, society, the world, and/or the universe. ... Oligarchy is a political regime where most or all political power effectively rests with a small segment of society (typically the most powerful, whether by wealth, family, military strength, ruthlessness, or political influence). ...

History and legacy

Accurate majority rule (by using polls in order to define accurately what the majority really wants today and make every decision based on that majority will) has never been tried as a political system in human history, with the exception of the majoritarian system which had been used in Athenian democracy and some other ancient Greek city-states. However, some argue that none of those Greek city-states were perfect with respect to accurate majority rule, and most of the time due to technical reasons: an aggressive minority (mob) with the help of aristocrats overcame the accurate majority will. Additionally, most of the famous ancient philosophers staunchly opposed majoritarianism, because desicions based on the will of the uneducated and/or uninformed 'masses' are not necessarily wise or just. Plato is a prime example with his Republic, which describes a societal model based on a tripartite class structure . The speakers platform in the Pnyx, the meeting ground of the assembly where all the great political struggles of Athens were fought out during the Golden Age. Here Athenian statesmen stood to speak, such as Pericles and Aristides in the 5th century BC and Demosthenes and Aeschines in the... Ancient Greece is the term used to describe the Greek-speaking world in ancient times. ... A city-state is a region controlled exclusively by a city. ... Plato Plato (Greek: Πλάτων Plátōn) (ca. ...

Although strict majority rule has never been tried in human history, majoritarianism (as a theory), similar to democracy, has often been used as a pretext by sizable or aggressive minorities to politically oppress other smaller (or civically inactive) minorities, or even sometimes a civically inactive majority (see Richard Nixon's reference to "Silent Majority"). Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. ... Silent Majority is a term used by the U.S. President Richard Nixon in a 1969 speech. ...

This agenda is most frequently encountered in the realm of religion: In essentially all Western nations, for instance, Christmas Day—and in some countries, other important dates in the Christian calendar as well—are recognized as legal holidays; plus a particular denomination may be designated as the state religion and receive financial backing from the government (examples include the Church of England in the United Kingdom and the Lutheran Church in the Scandinavian countries). Virtually all countries also have one or more official languages, often to the exclusion of some minority group or groups within that country who do not speak the language or languages so designated. In most cases, those decisions have not been made using a majoritarian referendum, and even in the rare case when a referendum has been used, a new majority is not allowed to emerge at any time and repeal it. The term Western world or the West can have multiple meanings depending on its context. ... Joseph and Mary with baby Jesus, at the first Christmas Christmas (literally, the Mass of Christ) is a holiday in the Christian calendar, usually observed on December 25, which celebrates the birth of Jesus. ... As a noun, Christian is an appellation and moniker deriving from the appellation Christ, which many people associate exclusively with Jesus of Nazareth. ... A state religion (also called an established church or state church) is a religious body or creed officially endorsed by the state. ... The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, and acts as the mother and senior branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, as well as a founding member of the Porvoo Communion. ... The Lutheran movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity by the original definition. ... Scandinavia, Fennoscandia, and the Kola Peninsula. ... A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite is a direct ass vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ...

Reform and backlash

In recent times—especially beginning in the 1960s—some forms of majoritarianism have come under intense attack from liberal reformers in many countries: in 1963, the United States Supreme Court declared that school-led prayer in the nation's public schools was unconstitutional, and since then many localities have sought to limit, or even prohibit, religious displays on public property. Speakers of languages other than English have also won broader rights in the United States, as legal documents, including those pertaining to voting, have been made available in other languages, particularly Spanish. The movement toward greater consideration for the rights of minorities within a society is often referred to as multiculturalism. The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ... This article discusses liberalism as a major political ideology as it developed and stands currently. ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C., (large image) The Supreme Court of the United States, located in Washington, D.C., is the highest court (see supreme court) in the United States; that is, it has ultimate judicial authority within the United States... Maria Magdalene in prayer. ... The term public school has different meanings: In Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and most other English-speaking nations, a public school is a school which is financed and run by the government and does not charge tuition fees. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... It has been suggested that ballot be merged into this article or section. ... Multiculturalism is the public policy for managing cultural diversity in a multiethnic society, officially stressing mutual respect and tolerance for cultural differences within a countrys borders. ...

This has provoked a backlash from some advocates of majoritarianism, who lament the Balkanization of society they claim has resulted from the gains made by the multicultural agenda; these concerns were articulated in a 1972 book, The Dispossessed Majority, written by Wilmot Robertson. Multiculturalists, in turn, have accused majoritarians of racism and/or xenophobia, a charge which most of them deny. Balkanization is a geopolitical term originally used to describe the process of fragmentation or division of a region into smaller regions that are often hostile or non-cooperative with each other. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year that started on a Tuesday. ... It has been suggested that Scientific racism be merged into this article or section. ... Xenophobia denotes a phobic attitude toward strangers or of the unknown and comes from the Greek words ξένος (xenos), meaning foreigner, stranger, and φόβος (phobos), meaning fear. ...

Majoritarianism in the United States

In contemporary America, the leading mainstream majoritarian political forces include the social democrats (such as leftist political parties and leftists within the Democratic Party) and the "social puritans" (such as the Christian Right and the English-only movement). Social democracy is a political ideology emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from supporters of Marxism who believed that the transition to a socialist society could be achieved through democratic evolutionary rather than revolutionary means. ... The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view. ... It has been suggested that Democratic presidents be merged into this article or section. ... Christian Right is a term collectively referring to a spectrum of conservative Christian political and social movements and organizations characterized by their strong support of social values they deem traditional in the United States and other western countries. ... An English-only movement refers to political movements for establishing the English language as the only official language in the United States. ...

Majoritarianism is primarily opposed by the Libertarians and to a lesser extent liberals and free-market conservatives. The Libertarian Party is a United States political party created in 1971. ... A free market is an idealized market, where all economic decisions and actions by individuals regarding transfer of money, goods, and services are voluntary, and are therefore devoid of coercion and theft (some definitions of coercion are inclusive of theft). Colloquially and loosely, a free market economy is an economy... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ...

See also

• List of politics-related topics

• Absolute majority
• Consensus decision-making
• Consensus democracy
• Meritocracy
• Minoritarianism (Minority rule)
• Simple majority