Democracy is Dangerous: Resisting the Tyranny of the Majority

In Democracy is Dangerous, Safford maintains that democracy is disadvantageous to economic and intellectual elites. The author dwells upon the problem of "the tyranny of the majority," which Alexis de Tocqueville employed to describe American democracy, and which Lani Guinier also used to describe the purpose behind her legal writings. Rather than adopting an uncritical, enthusiastic view of democracy, this work underscores the perspective of those who perceive themselves as being vulnerable to majority tyranny. It is especially relevant at this time because of the recent revolutions throughout Eastern Europe and elsewhere.