ABSTRACT
The united States legislative and electoral system is structured around majoritarian principles. Winning legislative seats in single member district systems requires a plurality vote, where one must receive more votes than any other opponent. Since most races involve two candidates, more often than not a majority vote is required to win an election. The legislative process mandates a majority vote, where proposed legislation needs at least one more than half the votes in order to pass. In some circumstances, far more than one half is required, such as legislative overrides (two-thirds) and cloture votes (60 percent). The majoritarian characteristics of electoral and legislative systems render it difficult for minorities to integrate into US politics.
