Question

question 11

which statement best summarizes the \concurrent majority,\ an idea advanced by john c. calhoun to protect slavery in the 19th century?

• a minority should leave a political community if the majority infringes upon its rights.
• a democratic majority was a threat to the whig minority.
• congress should represent the majority opinion, to prevent minority groups from seizing power.
• the majoritys interests should be offset with measures that protect regional interests.

Explanation:

Define concurrent majority

John C. Calhoun introduced the concept of the "concurrent majority" to protect the interests of the minority (specifically the slaveholding South) from the tyranny of a numerical majority (the North).

Analyze Calhoun's mechanism

The core of this theory is that a numerical majority alone should not dictate policy. Instead, distinct regional or interest groups should have veto power or offsetting protections to ensure their interests are not overridden by a simple majority.

Evaluate the options

• Option 1: Suggests secession or leaving the community. While Calhoun's ideas laid the groundwork for secession, the "concurrent majority" itself was proposed as a constitutional mechanism to prevent secession by giving the minority a veto within the Union.
• Option 2: Focuses narrowly on Whig and Democratic party dynamics, which does not capture the constitutional and regional scope of Calhoun's theory.
• Option 3: Argues for majority rule to prevent minority power, which is the exact opposite of Calhoun's intent to protect the minority.
• Option 4: Correctly states that the numerical majority's interests should be balanced or offset by measures that protect regional interests (such as the South's interest in maintaining slavery).

Answer:

• (A) A minority should leave a political community if the majority infringes upon its rights.
• (B) A Democratic majority was a threat to the Whig minority.
• (C) Congress should represent the majority opinion, to prevent minority groups from seizing power.
• (D) The majority's interests should be offset with measures that protect regional interests. (Correct answer)