What is majority rule?

• A. Only a plurality matters
• B. Unanimous consent required
• C. A system in which more than one half of a group holds the power to make decisions binding the entire group
• D. Government by hereditary leadership

Answer: (C)

Majority rule means decisions are made by the group when more than half of its members support an option. This requires a true majority (typically 50% plus one) and the resulting decision binds everyone in the group, not just the supporters. It differs from a plurality, where the option with the most votes wins even if it doesn’t exceed half, from unanimous consent where everyone must agree, and from hereditary leadership where power is passed down within a family. So the description that captures majority rule is a system where more than half of the group holds the power to decide for the whole.