美國在台協會

All democracies are systems in which citizens freely make political decisions by majority rule. But rule by the majority is not necessarily democratic: No one, for example, would call a system fair or just that permitted 51 percent of the population to oppress the remaining 49 percent in the name of the majority. In a democratic society, majority rule must be coupled with guarantees of individual human rights that, in turn, serve to protect the rights of minorities–whether ethnic, religious, or political, or simply the losers in the debate over a piece of controversial legislation. The rights of minorities do not depend upon the goodwill of the majority and cannot be eliminated by majority vote. The rights of minorities are protected because democratic laws and institutions protect the rights of all citizens.

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  1. shinichi Post author

    What Is Democracy?

    Defining Democracy

    American Institute in Taiwan 美國在台協會

    http://www.ait.org.tw/infousa/zhtw/docs/whatsdem/whatdm2.htm

    CONTENTS

    Introduction
    Defining Democracy
    Rights
    The Rule of Law
    Elections
    The Culture of Democracy
    Democratic Government
    Politics, Economics, and Pluralism

    Editor: Howard Cincotta
    Internet Editor/Designer: Barbara Morgan
    Illustrations: Robert Banks
    Photos: Scheré Johnson

    The staff is indebted to the following individuals and organizations, whose advice and papers were instrumental in organizing and shaping many of the ideas presented in the text:
    Eric Chenoweth
    John P. Crisp, Jr.
    Matthew Gandal
    Chester E. Finn, Jr.
    Andrew Forsaith
    John O. Frank
    Diane Ravitch
    Theodore Rebarber
    Educational Excellence Network
    American Federation of Teachers’ Education for Democracy/International

    This site is produced and maintained by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Information Programs.

    Links to other internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views contained therein.

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