Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point

by Steven Levitsky

Second, those who win elections should govern. Legislative majorities should be able to pass regular laws—provided, of course, that such laws do not violate civil liberties or undermine the democratic process. From a democratic standpoint, supermajority rules that allow a parliamentary minority to permanently block regular, lawful legislation backed by the majority are difficult to defend. Supermajority rules like the Senate filibuster are often cast either as essential safeguards for minority rights or as mechanisms for compromise and consensus building. But such rules provide partisan minorities with a powerful weapon: a veto. When such vetoes extend beyond the protection of civil liberties or the democratic process itself, they allow legislative minorities to impose their preferences on the majority.