Liberal democracy combines majority rule with the protection of minority rights. Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt wrote last year in the Journal of Democracy that while some institutions which limit the power of electoral majorities are essential to liberal democracy, others are not only unnecessary but may even distort political competition.
In our latest issue, Michael Meyer-Resende cautions against dismissing valid approaches to representation and governance: Voting systems that work in Germany or India, after all, may be less well-suited to the United Kingdom or United States. Levitsky and Ziblatt, however, remind us that political systems are designed to solve problems, not exacerbate them. Yet in some democracies today, winner-take-all systems are empowering authoritarian minorities and undermining democratic legitimacy.
Read their exchange and the essay that sparked the debate, free for a limited time.
When Should the Majority Rule?
With illiberal forces ascendant across the globe, protecting individual liberties and the democratic process is crucial. But when institutions empower minority groups over the majority, can democracy survive?
Steven Levitsky and Daniel ZiblattWhat Institutions Truly Subvert Democracy?
Authoritarians often abuse electoral systems and institutional power to thwart majority will. But the basic principles of democracy—political participation, fundamental rights, and the rule of law—can take shape in more than one way.
Michael Meyer-ResendeGuarding Against Minority Rule
While attending to the risk of majoritarian abuse, we must also guard against institutions that empower—and even entrench—authoritarian minorities.
Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt
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