Supermajority rule “contradicts the fundamental maxim of republican government, which requires that the sense of the majority should prevail…. a poison …one of those refinements which, in practice, has an effect the reverse of what is expected from it in theory…[It] substitutes the pleasure, caprice, or artifices of an insignificant, turbulent, or corrupt junto, to the regular deliberations and decisions of a respectable majority.”
Alexander Hamilton, Federalist 22, December 14, 1787
Writing 234 years ago, Alexander Hamilton cast supermajority rule as a poison causing a foreboding “weakness” in democracy — presciently describing America’s plight today.
America is the lowest quality of all rich democracies, with the most unequal individual voting rights. Its embarrassment is documented by the authoritative Freedom House, and includes the U.S. electoral system judged the worst of all rich democracies. The explanation is straight-forward: Compared to other rich democracies, the U.S. political system has stunning defects, including pay-to-play campaign finance, partisan voter suppression, a malapportioned Electoral College (responsible for a fringe Supreme Court and routinely making election losers President) — and the senate filibuster.
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