Individuals and the Rule of the Majority
A recent discovery of Randall Holcombe's book, "From Liberty to Democracy" (2002) opened by eyes anew to the contrast between the contemporary view of government and its origins in the American journey. This brief post serves to get us started in exploring liberty and freedom.
Words Jumping Off the Page:
"The founders did not intend for government policy to be democratic."
"But the role of the government itself was to undertake those activities explicitly enumerated in the Constitution, not to further the will of the majority."
"When the nation was founded, the federal government was viewed as a protector of individual rights, but by the end of the twentieth century, the federal government was viewed as a collective decision-making institution to implement the will of the majority and to protect and further the economic interests of its citizens. The idea of limits on the government's power has been completely eroded. Even the fundamental idea of equal protection under the law has been subordinated to the will of the majority."
