3. Political Tolerance
Democratic societies are politically tolerant. This means that while the majority of the people rule in a
democracy, the rights of the minority must be protected. People who are not in power must be
allowed to organize and speak out. Minorities are sometimes referred to as the opposition because
they may have ideas which are different from the majority. Individual citizens must also learn to be
tolerant of each other. A democratic society is often composed of people from different cultures,
racial, religious and ethnic groups who have viewpoints different from the majority of the population.
A democratic society is enriched by diversity. If the majority deny rights to and destroy their
opposition, then they also destroy democracy. One goal of democracy is to make the best possible
decision for the society. To achieve this, respect for all people and their points of view is needed.
Decisions are more likely to be accepted, even by those who oppose them, if all citizens have been
allowed to discuss, debate and question them.