Democracy and majorities are often thought to be one and the same to people who don't know much about political theory. In this class, so far, you have been exposed to several concepts (ideas) that cast doubt upon the virtue of uncontrolled majoritarianism. You were exposed to this in lectures on Athens, populism and on representation. With regard to those lectures, I ask that you write the following two essays:

I. Write an essay criticizing unfettered majority rule. Why is this problematic? Your essay should focus upon the criticisms of the Athenian system (what were its flaws?), upon bell curves, the common denominator problem, hegemony versus epistemology, and majority tyranny.

II. Write an essay upon what it means for a candidate to get 52% of the vote. What are the three theories for how a democracy should function when one side gets 52% of the vote? Also, be sure to mention what the concept of majority as "mood" is, and how this might rescue majority sentiment in democracy.