Studying Social Tendencies: Is the Will of the Majority Being Replaced by the Tyranny of the Minority in the United States?

Abstract

Constitutions are not carved in stone for a reason. They reflect the times when they were drafted; the political, social, economic, and ethical panorama in existence when they were written. However, these factors change over time, often at an increasingly faster pace. One could argue that the last decade in the U.S. reflects a period of political upheaval unparalleled in the nation’s history. One crucial consequence of this is the growth in anti-democratic tendencies that some feel has already ushered in minority rule, whereby the political landscape and the country’s laws no longer are in tune with the wishes of the majority. The Electoral College is the most evident “culprit” here, although it is not alone: systematic gerrymandering and voter suppression, and a Supreme Court and federal court system that for the most part reflect ultra-conservative principles, along with a strict, “originalist” interpretation of the Constitution, are conspiring to exploit the anti-democratic potential of the electoral system in the U.S.  This article will consider these features in more detail.