Protection Of Minorities Essay
One key of democracy is the inclusion and protection of minorities. The United States constitution does a great job of protecting this right. By ensuring the factions that are present in American government are controlled, the United States Constitution is ensuring that there cannot be a tyranny of the majority. One way the United States Constitution protects the rights of minorities is through the First Amendment. The First Amendment protects the basic rights of the American people. Protecting the right to protest allows minority groups, such as African Americans in the 1960s, to protest laws that excluded them from full participation in society. The impact of peaceful protest, which is protected under the First Amendment, can be seen in various
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court decisions like Browder v. Gayle. Browder v. Gayle dealt with the Montgomery bus law. After many African Americans in the area used the right of peaceful protest, the court case was heard, and the law was declared unconstitutional (Browder v. Gayle). The First Amendment also protects free speech. This allows minority groups to speak for themselves. If minority groups can speak for themselves it allows them the power to inform the elected officials what they think about the policies they are putting in place. Because public opinion serves as opinion dikes minorities are able to indirectly control the policies that public officers are creating. Another way that people see the protection of minorities is through the arguments presented
Barthe 2 by James Madison through the Federalist Papers.
In the Federalist Papers, Federalist Number 10 states that factions in America are destined to be created and are bad for society, especially minorities. Factions are bad for minorities because factions are groups of people with a common interest adverse to the rights of others. The United States Constitution protects minorities from factions by breaking them up. Factions are broken up by extending the sphere. Extending the sphere creates more diversity, more qualified representatives, and more choices for representatives. By creating more diversity, the United States Constitution allows more ideas to be entered into American politics. This will help to ensure the protection of minorities. Minorities are also protected because the larger the sphere, the larger the population of qualified representatives. The larger the population of qualified representatives, the larger the chance that the representatives will act in a manner that includes minorities when making their decisions. Extending the sphere helps the United States Constitution to protects the ability for more than just one person to run for office. Because there are more people to possibly elect, corrupt politicians are easier to eliminate. There are many ways that citizens see how minorities are protected. For example, in modern politics the United States Constitution protects minorities via Brown v. the Board of Education. Brown v. the Board of Education insured
that all children regardless of race, will be given the opportunity for an equal education. At the time this decision was made, the Plessy decision was debated among many states about the segregation of people of different races. The Supreme Court at the time of Brown v. Board of Education concluded that “in the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place”. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. . ." (History of Brown v. Board of Education). By ensuring that all children in schools will be entitled to the same educational environment, this decision helped to protect and include minorities in America.
Another way that the United States Constitution protects democracy is that everyone in
Barthe 3
America has equal power. What is meant by this is that everyone in America has the ability to participate and impact government. The most direct way that a person can influence American government is through voting. Everyone’s right to vote is protected by the fifteenth, nineteenth, twenty-third, and twenty-sixth Amendments. This insures that it is not just one group making the decisions for the entire nation. Everyone in America is also equal because no one person’s vote has more influence than any other’s. One man equals one vote no matter who that man is. People in America are also guaranteed the right to vote for whomever they want as long as they meet the requirements established in the United States Constitution. If someone in America wants to run for Congress, they only have to meet three criteria: age, citizenship, and residency. As long as the aforementioned criteria is met nothing can stop them from running for Congress as established by Powell v. McCormack (Powell v. McCormack). Another way Americans are equal is the ability to choose who they want to vote for. Most elections in America have more than one candidate on the ballot. This allows for the freedom of choice. By allowing choice, the United States Constitution allows for all opinions to have a representative on the ballot. Voting in America also demonstrates the way that Americans have the right to information and choices when they vote. As election time approaches, Americans are guaranteed the right to information. Because all Americans are allowed the right to information, all Americans are equal in the regards to make an educated decision. A modern example of how everyone in America is equal in regards to voting is the Help America Vote Act of 2002. This act helps to ensure that poll works have to distribute provisional ballots if the registration of the voter is in question. This ensures that everyone in America’s right to vote is protected if they registered (Help America Vote Act of 2002, HAVA).
court decisions like Browder v. Gayle. Browder v. Gayle dealt with the Montgomery bus law. After many African Americans in the area used the right of peaceful protest, the court case was heard, and the law was declared unconstitutional (Browder v. Gayle). The First Amendment also protects free speech. This allows minority groups to speak for themselves. If minority groups can speak for themselves it allows them the power to inform the elected officials what they think about the policies they are putting in place. Because public opinion serves as opinion dikes minorities are able to indirectly control the policies that public officers are creating. Another way that people see the protection of minorities is through the arguments presented
Barthe 2 by James Madison through the Federalist Papers.
In the Federalist Papers, Federalist Number 10 states that factions in America are destined to be created and are bad for society, especially minorities. Factions are bad for minorities because factions are groups of people with a common interest adverse to the rights of others. The United States Constitution protects minorities from factions by breaking them up. Factions are broken up by extending the sphere. Extending the sphere creates more diversity, more qualified representatives, and more choices for representatives. By creating more diversity, the United States Constitution allows more ideas to be entered into American politics. This will help to ensure the protection of minorities. Minorities are also protected because the larger the sphere, the larger the population of qualified representatives. The larger the population of qualified representatives, the larger the chance that the representatives will act in a manner that includes minorities when making their decisions. Extending the sphere helps the United States Constitution to protects the ability for more than just one person to run for office. Because there are more people to possibly elect, corrupt politicians are easier to eliminate. There are many ways that citizens see how minorities are protected. For example, in modern politics the United States Constitution protects minorities via Brown v. the Board of Education. Brown v. the Board of Education insured
that all children regardless of race, will be given the opportunity for an equal education. At the time this decision was made, the Plessy decision was debated among many states about the segregation of people of different races. The Supreme Court at the time of Brown v. Board of Education concluded that “in the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place”. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. . ." (History of Brown v. Board of Education). By ensuring that all children in schools will be entitled to the same educational environment, this decision helped to protect and include minorities in America.
Another way that the United States Constitution protects democracy is that everyone in
Barthe 3
America has equal power. What is meant by this is that everyone in America has the ability to participate and impact government. The most direct way that a person can influence American government is through voting. Everyone’s right to vote is protected by the fifteenth, nineteenth, twenty-third, and twenty-sixth Amendments. This insures that it is not just one group making the decisions for the entire nation. Everyone in America is also equal because no one person’s vote has more influence than any other’s. One man equals one vote no matter who that man is. People in America are also guaranteed the right to vote for whomever they want as long as they meet the requirements established in the United States Constitution. If someone in America wants to run for Congress, they only have to meet three criteria: age, citizenship, and residency. As long as the aforementioned criteria is met nothing can stop them from running for Congress as established by Powell v. McCormack (Powell v. McCormack). Another way Americans are equal is the ability to choose who they want to vote for. Most elections in America have more than one candidate on the ballot. This allows for the freedom of choice. By allowing choice, the United States Constitution allows for all opinions to have a representative on the ballot. Voting in America also demonstrates the way that Americans have the right to information and choices when they vote. As election time approaches, Americans are guaranteed the right to information. Because all Americans are allowed the right to information, all Americans are equal in the regards to make an educated decision. A modern example of how everyone in America is equal in regards to voting is the Help America Vote Act of 2002. This act helps to ensure that poll works have to distribute provisional ballots if the registration of the voter is in question. This ensures that everyone in America’s right to vote is protected if they registered (Help America Vote Act of 2002, HAVA).