POLS281

Social Science (SS)

The United States is one of the least democratic republics in the world today. Anti-majoritarian institutions – such as the U.S. Senate, which assigns two seats to each state regardless of population, the Senate filibuster and cloture rules, the Electoral College, extreme political gerrymandering, and the country's first-past-the-post, winner-take-all election system – impede majority rule. Democratic theorists agree that certain limits on majority rule are necessary to protect the rights of the minority and prevent the "tyranny of the majority." The problem with America's anti-majoritarian institutions is that they entrench minority rule, which makes it very difficult for majorities to advance their shared political interests democratically. This "tyranny of the minority" is dangerous because it undermines the legitimacy of the American system of government. This course investigates the causes and consequences of America's democracy deficit and offers remedies for forging a more perfect Union in the form of a majoritarian political system for the 21st century. No Prerequisites.