Majority and Minority Districts



Majority and Minority Districts

Representative democracy is a political system in which leaders and representatives to gain political power through a competitive struggle for the vote of the people. A country with representative democracy is the United States of America. There are two central questions about the nature of representation. The first issue is not having a representative to share the demographic characteristics of the majority of the constituency? The other question is whether a representative to follow his conscience or a representative must follow the majority will of the constituency?

To answer the first question, we must understand the two concepts of representation: descriptive and substantive. Descriptive representation is the correspondence of the demographic statistics of the representatives with their constituents. They believed that citizens of a racial or ethnic origin should be represented by persons of the same fund. Substantive representation is the correspondence between the views of the representative and those of their constituents. They believed that no matter if it comes a representative of the same background of its components, provided that he or she represents their views.

Melancthon Smith, the Anti-Federalists, supported by descriptive representation in a speech at Poughkeepsie Convention on 21 June 1788. He believed that the knowledge necessary for a representative to seek the true interests of people not only understand the political and commercial information, but also an understanding of the kind of knowledge of the common concerns and occupations of the people. Smith argued that a representative could not understand its component unless it is part of them. You have to understand the nature, circumstances and the ability of individuals to represent their true interests.

Alexander Hamilton, federal, supported federal substantive representation 35. In this work, we used an example of manufactures and retailers to illustrate his point. He said the mechanics and manufacturers always give their votes to merchants in preference to persons of their own professions or trades. The manufacturers knew that their art materials provide commercial businesses and industry. They made their money through merchants and those who believed that their interests can be most effectively promoted by the merchant themselves. This example indicates that a representative has to come from the very bottom of his constituents.

Hamilton also illustrates another example. Since there are wealthy landowners and poor peasants, who have different interests. Hamilton believes that no matter landowner, rich or poor, represents the people, while he or she represents the interests of the people: "If the qualifications of voters are the same" | their votes will fall upon those in which they have more confidence, if they happen to be men of wealth, or of moderate property, or any good at all. ??

James Madison, federal, also supported the substantive representation in Federalist 57. He believed that anyone could be a representative, he or she possesses the wisdom of the bag for the common good of the people: "This is not the rich more than the poor, not the wise, more ignorant, not to the heirs proud of ...