Consensus in the Commons, 1547-1642 -- Consensus imperiled, 1640-1641 -- Consensus destroyed, 1641-1643 -- Revolutionary decisions, 1643-1660 -- The majority institutionalized, 1660-1800 -- Little parliaments in the Atlantic colonies, 1613-1789.
Summary:
"This book is the first history of the origins of majority rule in modern representative government. It charts and explains the emergence of majority voting as a global standard for decision-making in popular assemblies. It focuses on the crucial moment in the majority's triumph: its sudden appearance in the English House of Commons and its embrace by the elected assemblies of Britain's Atlantic colonies in the age of the English, Glorious, and American Revolutions. These events made it overwhelmingly likely that the United Kingdom, the United States, and their former dependencies would become and remain fundamentally majoritarian polities. This history provides essential insights for scholarly and wider public discussions about the state of democratic governance today. It promises to recast discussions in a series of fields across the humanities and social sciences about the nature, promise, and perils of majority rule"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.