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DA LEGITIMIDADE À TIRANIA: TOCQUEVILLE E A ONIPOTÊNCIA DA MAIORIA NA DEMOCRACIA NORTE-AMERICANA
Authors: José Reinaldo Felipe Martins Filho
Number of views: 374
The purpose of this study is to discuss one of the most imminent problems concerned
to the democratic republics, namely: the tyranny of the majority over minorities. For
this, we take as reference the analyzes developed by Alexis de Tocqueville in Democracy in America, especially related to the omnipotence of the majority in
American democracy. As one of the biggest dangers of democratic governments is
always the possibility of introduction of despotism, not under the power of the
empire of one, as in the example of the monarchy, but by the tyranny exercised by
the majority. It is, therefore, to discuss the limits of popular power and the strength
of the majority in democracy, against the risk of annihilation of individual liberty and
minority groups who, under the aegis of social homogeneity, are relegated to the
margins of social rights.